Looking for a new job without a perfect work history? You’re not alone…Even legendary leaders Lou Holtz, Steve Jobs, and Michael Bloomberg have been fired! And as for the widely-quoted statistic that most Americans can expect to work in at least 11 jobs over the course of a lifetime…it’s also been said that most people can expect to be fired or laid-off once or twice.

As with many things in life, it’s not how you fall down — but how you get back up on your feet that ultimately matters most. We scoured the web for different perspectives on how to get back up if you’ve run into an awkward situation with a former boss or employer. Here are five different strategies on how you can turn your own career lemon into lemonade:

1. Get distance and the perspective of time. Then preserve relationships if you can.

Rough work experience can leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Give yourself time to process it — and when you do speak of it, avoid making a face!

“Don’t do anything rash or bitter. As satisfying as it might be to send former co-workers or client lists an email about everything that’s wrong with that company, don’t do it. You need to protect your reputation now more than ever, and a bitter, hostile exit will make that impossible…

…Think about who you want to keep in touch with from your last job—not just co-workers, but clients and vendors too. Reach out to them. A good way to mitigate awkwardness with former co-workers who might be unsure how to handle your firing: Tell them what you liked about working with them and why they are good at what they do. People will be impressed by your classiness.”

– Alison Green, U.S. News.  Ten Things You Should Do Immediately After Getting Fired

2. You should hear (and see) how they’ll talk about you.

“If you have been fired or terminated, check with your former employer and ask what information they will give out when they get a call to verify your work history. If they do give out more information than the basics, what they say may be negotiable and it can’t hurt to ask. When you left under difficult circumstances, you could ask someone you know to call and check your references; that way you’ll know what information is going to come out. Or, you can also use a reference checking service to check on what will be disclosed to future employers.”

– Alison Doyle, What Can Employers Say About Former Employees?

3. Don’t say why you left on your resume.

“The general rule when discussing having lost a job is to be honest but brief. Note that there’s no need to list how you left a job on a resume, but be prepared for the question to occur in an interview. It really helps to have a standard answer available so you can comfortably answer the question, and then move on to other more positive topics.”

– WiseGEEK, Should I Tell a Potential Employer that I was Fired from a Job?

Focus on the what instead of the when and where.

Have a long gap between jobs? Create “a resume that highlights qualifications rather than work history.”

– Elisabeth Sanders-Park, author of No One is Unemployable and The Six Reasons You’ll Get the Job.

4. When asked about your career lemon, be brief and objective.

“The economy has pushed many talented professionals into the workforce, so don’t be ashamed to simply explain that you were a part of a downsizing. If you were fired for performance issues, it’s best to merely say you “parted ways” and refocus the discussion on how your skill set matches the current position.”

– Tony Lee, CareerCast, The Ten Toughest Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

5. Hold your head up high.

“People who are laid off and people who get fired should follow the same rules as people who quit. You should just act like you quit. The world does not need to hear what the terms of departure are. People just want to know what you are doing with your life and how you fit in with them.”

– Penelope Trunk, The Best Way to Deal with Getting Fired

Do you have other suggestions and strategies for avoiding negative pitfalls with past employers?

Share.

Millions of Americans greeted the New Year with exhaustion and relief as Congress negotiated a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff — and avoid the prospect of a deeper economic recession. As a country, we’d just survived weeks of negotiation and a psychological cliffhanger.

StartWire is non-partisan, but we have a firm belief in the rights of job seekers. We believe that — as a job applicant — you should be treated with the same respect an organization shows its customers. We believe employers should let you know where you stand in an applicant pool — regardless of whether or not they want to hire you. We’re on a mission to help you organize your job search so that you can find an optimal position in a minimal amount of time.

While we focus on the process of making your job search process easier, we also care about your economic well being. After all, it’s harder to feel psychologically healthy and prepared for interviews if you are not sure you can pay your bills and keep the lights on.

One of the easiest ways to ensure your own fiscal security, safety, and happiness is to focus on what you can control and take responsibility for your own career. Here are ways to do this — even if you want to change industries or switch to a new job:

1.  Explore your interests, but know where you stand in terms of supply and demand. Have any friends who’ve just enrolled in an expensive training program — but haven’t seen any jobs even posted after finishing? Before you set your heart on a new role, get a sense of supply and demand for the field. How many employers need people to perform your desired job? Use MyNextMove.org to see skills and training needed to perform a role, projected salaries and employment availability, and local resources.
2. Take charge of your own education. Does not knowing a software application — or completing a training program — stand between you and your next job? Don’t be afraid to teach yourself new skills. Need to learn how to do an e-mail merge in Microsoft Outlook? Search YouTube for training videos. (We found over 300 on this topic alone!) Inspired by the way Will Hunting teaches himself math in Good Will Hunting? You too can take a class at MIT; they offer over 1,800 classes you can study yourself through their Open Courseware program.
3. Diversify! Unemployed? Need to supplement your current income? Consider doing odd jobs, freelance work, and/ or temp jobs. While less reliable than permanent employment, these types of assignments can provide you with additional income — and give you the chance to try a new line of work without committing to 40+ hours a week immediately. If you’ve never tried this before, chances are good that you have a friend who has. The number of U.S. workers working on projects — often referred to as 1099s — has rapidly increased in recent years.

These are just three of the ways you can help yourself maintain financial stability; do you have any others? Share.

“Find a new (or better) job.” If this is your New Year’s resolution, you will be in good company with one out of four Americans who set goals at the start of the year.

But what’s the best way to keep your resolution? Especially given that a majority of individuals who make promises to themselves in the form of resolutions don’t keep them.

Here are three ways to help yours stick:

1. Get Ready

Create your own inner circle of trusted friends and supporters. Tell them three things:

a. What interests you
b. What you do best — skills and interests
c. How you plan to conduct a search

Then make the big ask: Now that I’ve shared this with you, will you hold me to it? Will you ask me regularly how it’s going and encourage me to keep it up?

Why this works: Peer pressure. It is harder to give up when you’ve said what you want to do out loud. In addition, people who know you are looking can keep an eye out for jobs that might fit you — and put in a referral or a good word on your behalf. (Did we mention that referrals are one of employers’ favorite ways to find new employees?)

2. Get Set

There’s no need to rush out to the 50 percent off Calendar sales to get better organized…use StartWire’s  free tools to:

a. Find and apply for jobs (check out our Express Apply features under Application Connect)
b. Track where you’ve applied (you may be able to receive auto updates on your application status)
C. Download an electronic record of your job search activity (StartWire keeps your data confidential but allows you to generate a report you can use to update others on your search. If you are receiving unemployment, you may be able to use this for your Work Search record.

3. Go!

Even if you applied for a job in November and are waiting to hear back, follow up! Following up and making a habit of applying for jobs as soon as you see them listed is a good way to stay visible for employers — especially if you’ve asked contacts inside a company to put in a good word for you.

As always, we’ll continue to give you tips that you can use for your job search in 2013.

Regardless of whether we hit the fiscal cliff or not, we will be back next week with tips you can use to protect yourself from economic slowdowns and unemployment.

Let’s make it a great year!

Whatever holiday you celebrate, chances are good that you’ve heard Santa Claus is Coming to Town at Least at least once this year… on the radio, on tv,  or in stores.

He’s making a list,
Checking it twice,
Going to find out who’s Naughty or Nice...

This week we share StartWire’s version of the “nice” list — a sweet group of companies and organizations recognized by the 2012 Candidate Experience Awards, a program that recognizes employers who treat candidates well throughout the job search process.

Here’s a list of employers you may want to check out and put on your short list for applying for jobs in 2013:

This week, we drive the dark away.

On the calendar, we mark the longest day of the year — the Winter Solstice. Here in New England, we have only nine hours of daylight a day; in Alaska there’s an average of 5.5 hours. As a majority of us wake in the dark and eat supper in the dark, it’s instinctive to seek out opportunities to gather together.

As Susan Cooper says in this poem:

And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.

They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.

This year, many of the gatherings held during this darkest week of the year are also to grieve and honor those who lost their lives in Newtown, CT. Many friends, neighbors, and previous strangers will stand side-by-side to support one another and foster community.

Are there lessons in these holiday gatherings and candlelight vigils for your job search? I say yes; they demonstrate the power of community – a force you can make work for you throughout the year. Here’s how to create it – even if you don’t have it now.

Join a Job Club!

Dick Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute? says job clubs have an up to 84% success rate for members seeking work.  Here are three reasons why a good job club can be helpful.

1. They raise the spirits.If you find the psychological process of looking for a job to be as challenging as applying for jobs – and many people do – job clubs can help you feel that you are not alone.  Many who join job clubs say they provide a greater sense of connection, community, and support.
2. Networking.Think networking with others who are out-of-work or actively looking won’t be helpful? Think again. Most often, your fellow job club members will be looking for different kinds of jobs than you are. These individuals aren’t the competition; they are teammates – who can help you with the application process and refer you to opportunities they hear about that are a fit for you.
3. They can help you keep your game up.Want to make sure you optimize your job applications and your LinkedIn profile? Job search club organizers provide programming that can help you stay on top of the latest trends and get you noticed.

Want to get started? You can find a directory of job clubs here. You can also search for “Careers & Business” groups on MeetUp.com or use these additional suggestions.

Try it out, and let us know how it works for you!

‘Tis the season to make new connections — from parties and social gatherings to outdoor events and community events. It’s a wonderful time of the year to have good conversations and make some new friends.

That said, it’s also the season of graceful introductions — and conversations without business cards. It’s an easier time to make a new friend and then forget them all together, particularly if the eggnog or wassail contains alcohol.  Fortunately, there’s a way to fix this. Here’s an easy way to help people remember you:

Borrow a strategy from James Bond and Forrest Gump, and repeat your introduction.

This is how James Bond does it:

He starts with his last name — then uses the first and repeats the last.

Forrest Gump does the opposite.

as he says, “My name is Forrest. Forrest Gump.”

Either way, both of them are memorable. Here’s how to make the repetition approach work for you…When you meet someone new, try the Forrest, Forrest Gump approach. Say your first name first, then pause and say your first and last name.

When another person introduces them self, repeat their name as you shake their hand or look them in the eye, “It’s nice to meet you Jenny.” Then if someone else joins the conversation, introduce the person you just met — this will help you remember them!

Once in conversation, listen closely to the conversation. Share a smile, a laugh, or discover you have the same perspective or observations — and you have an experience worthy of potential follow-up later. Listen for interests and what’s important to people. Then when you follow-up, mention the common interest or experience, and remind new friends of where you met them–before you inquire about getting together, ask for a networking referral or inquire about a potential job lead. Example:

“It was great meeting you over a bowl of Ed’s famous chili last week.”

If you choose to follow-up via LinkedIn or Facebook, never send the generic invite to connect — instead customize! Do you have other tricks you use to remember people and engage them? If yes, share!

Ah, the holidays. They bring smiles, laughter, and many cringe-worthy moments among family and friends. Do you have an uncle that appears to listen and repeat every other word, a cousin that brags too much, or a well-meaning but overbearing friend who can’t help but to ask questions about your job search within earshot of anyone in the room? If yes, you are not alone — in fact, you are in good company! (Ever wonder why movies with cringe humor tend to sell out over the holidays? It’s not the acting that’s magical; it’s that so many people can relate!)

If you’re in an active job search, you may feel especially vulnerable to such awkward moments. Here are four predicaments or conversations — and how you can gracefully handle any of these challenges if they apply to you.

1. You left one job without another one, and you are getting asked “why?”

Suggested approach: Avoid discussing how you feel about it. State the facts and lead out the adjectives. “When I was hired, the company had 40 employees. The company let 18 people go. My schedule changed from 40 hours a week to 14 hours a day. This was my new schedule for five months. Since I left in September, three different people have been hired to do my job. One is still there.

Why This Works: You’re not complaining. You are just saying what happened.

2. You’re between jobs and have a relative who can’t get past that. Uncle Charlie has asked you three times what you are doing. When he comes back after getting seconds from dinner, he asks “what are you doing for work?” You say, “I’m looking for a new opportunity.” He opens his eyes wide, smacks his forehead with the palm of his hand and says, “Still?”

Suggested Approach: Play offense, not defense.

What to do? Volunteer to help out in the kitchen and switch conversations–fast! Find someone who makes you laugh, wait ten minutes, and say “Charlie…look at what I’m doing with ________?”

Why This Works: You show that you can keep your head up, that you can keep smiling — but also that you’re not willing to be the family scapegoat.

3. Your cousin is a rock star, or a rocket scientist. Either way, Aunt Mary is so proud that she won’t stop talking about it. “I just don’t know that I’ve ever met someone so talented, have you?”

Suggested Approach: Congratulate your cousin, but give props to other people. “She’s one of the most talented persons to hit the family tree in three generations. I’d also like to introduce you to [other family member]. Have you seen his [unique skill]?”

Why This Works: You show your appreciation for others and your ability to work effectively in a team — all important criteria for teams and work environments.

4. Your best friend keeps saying she’ll introduce you to a friend who can get you hired at your dream company. But she’s been saying that for six months and nothing has happened.

Suggested Approach: Go ahead and apply for a job with the company now. If you see the job on StartWire, connect your LinkedIn account and see if you have any mutual connections. If yes, reach out to your network and see if you can request an introduction. If no, let your friend know you’ve applied for [insert title] position and you’d appreciate a follow-up by [insert date].

Why This Works: You are taking initiative and moving forward–not waiting for something to happen!

 Over the next month, we’ll be tackling the holiday job search. Got anything in particular you’d like us to tackle? Send it along!

“There’s no reason to look for a job in December. Everyone’s out for holiday parties — who’s in the mood to work? With the exception of seasonal workers needed to ring up holiday sales, no one hires new employees between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.”

This week we’re here to dispel the myth that December is a terrible time to search for a new job. In fact, last week CNN Money career expert Anne Fisher penned an advice column entitled “Why the holidays are the best time to find a new job.” Want proof? Fisher cites a recent ExecuNet survey of recruiters that indicates Santa is not the only one making a list and checking it twice. A whopping 69% of recruiters report placing “as many, or even more, candidates in December as in any other month.”

Why do employers keep hiring? First, most American businesses don’t take a long winter’s nap until after the holidays. In fact, many recruiting firms and employers work round-the-clock to complete searches by the end of the calendar year — especially since the fiscal year for many organizations also ends December 31 and some have a “use the money or lose it” policy for hiring.

Throughout December, we will showcase best practices for holiday networking — with an eye for efficiency and fun so you can make the most of your time with family and friends. In the interim, here are three reasons why you shouldn’t give up your search in December.

1.  You have a better chance of beating out the competition.

Many job seekers temporarily suspend their job search until January; others make a New Year’s resolution to start looking for a job. In fact, USA.gov places “getting a better job” as #4 on the list of top New Year’s resolutions made by Americans.

Just as the first people in line have a better chance of getting the limited number of super sale items on Black Friday, you can be first in line to apply for jobs that are open right now. (As a reminder, StartWire only lists jobs that are less than two weeks old; we can send you alerts of new positions — and we also have a new ExpressApply feature that eliminates the long application process so that you can apply for jobs in under 30 seconds!)

2.   Holiday events are a wonderful occasion to meet friends of friends — powerful networking connections.

You’ve heard it here before: On average, one out of every 33 candidates is going to get hired from an online source—such as a job board or a career site. If you are referred, your odds go up to one in four.

One of the best ways to get those referrals is through friends of friends — people often referred to as “weak ties.” Studies show weak ties are often likely to be one of the most effective leads for new jobs, especially since you are most likely to come “top of mind” if someone you just met and had a great conversation with is asked for a recommendation on who to hire for a job.

3.  Job search can be a stress buster.

From cooking, cleaning, and shopping to financial pressures and family drama, the holidays can be a stressful time. If you’re concerned about your career, taking the time to proactively seek out new friendships and opportunities can help reduce anxiety — since you know you’re proactively taking charge of your professional life.

These are three reasons why we believe it makes sense to keep looking in December. What are your thoughts?

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, messages about the importance of being thankful and expressing gratitude to others are everywhere.  For a majority of Americans, this is one of those rare times of the year when we collectively sit down with others — rivaled only perhaps by the Super Bowl half time show. In November, the ritual of many is collectively saying thanks with friends and family, surrounded by turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.

But Thanksgiving Thursday can also be challenging as others expect good cheer.  If you’re in an active job search and not hearing back from employers as frequently as you hoped, this can be a particularly trying time as well-meaning friends and family ask around the dinner table, “So how’s the job search going?” Combine this with traffic jams and a long dark night (the sun will set for us at 4:17 pm) — and you may find yourself feeling less cheerful and exhibiting less gratitude than is expected of you even if you are surrounded by supportive friends and family.

If you find yourself in this situation and feeling blue, then this post is for you. We’re not going to tell you:

• that the job search should feel good — in fact, the psychological challenge of the job search may be as difficult as the process of applying for jobs itself.
• that you’ll automatically feel better if you write down three things that you are grateful to have in your life everyday (Ever tried to sleep by thinking you must sleep now?)
• that there’s a one-size-fits-all secret to making yourself feel better

That said, researchers consistently say gratitude is good for you — just as getting an extra bit of light every day is good for you. Gratitude can boost your immune system, lower your blood pressure, help you sleep better and increase your energy levels. It can help you feel more alert and alive — all good things that help you make a strong impression in interacting with all of it. And here are three free or low cost ways to attain that sense of gratitude for yourself:

1. Educate your friends and family on how to talk to you about your job search. Here are some suggestions from Penelope Trunk; amend and recommend the strategies that make you feel comfortable and appreciated. If they volunteer to help, give them concrete strategies and areas where you can put their extra attention and effort to use.
2. Identify and consider using the skills that you enjoy using the most. Studies show that many of the skills we’re best at align well with our interests. If you haven’t done so already, take a short assessment to identify your strengths. You can find a free one through The University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center or for under $15, you can get a book and a survey on strengths from the book StrengthsFinder 2.0.
3. Write down five things you are grateful for every week — even if it hasn’t been a great one. Research shows your health and quality of life may improve with a gratitude journal and that writing once or twice weekly is more effective than everyday.

These are our suggested strategies for beating the Thanksgiving blues — what are yours?

In honor of all those who’ve served our country and in recognition of Veteran’s Day, here’s a round-up of job search and career related resources specifically for veterans. We tip our hats to you in appreciation of your service:

1. Want to go to a recruiting event where everyone’s looking for you? Take a look at Hiring Our Heroes, a nationwide initiative to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment. Hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s network of 1600 state and local chambers and other strategic partners from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Hiring Our Heroes has a goal of hosting 400 career fairs across the U.S. this year — all specifically designed for veterans.You can find a list of local job fairs here.
2. Need help with the process of applying for jobs and writing your resume? Check out Job-Hunt.org’s comprehensive Online Job Search Resources for Veterans from how to prepare a Civilian resume to apply for government jobs.
3. Want to work for the Federal Government? Don’t miss the Feds Hire Vets site, a one-stop list of resource for Federal veteran employment information.
4. Want to work with animals or art? Idealist.org has a list of resources and alternative career options in the non-profit sector.
5. Feel the need for a little retraining in order to plan your next career move? If you are a vet between the ages of 35 and 60, you may qualify for the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, a program that will pay you $1564 a month to train for a new career field.
6. Whether you vote red or blue, you may want to check out Joining Forces, a White House based initiative launched in 2011 with a goal for American companies and organizations to hire over 100,000 vets. To date, over 125,000 people have been hired. Partnerships have been created with more than 2100 companies in the public and private sectors. Many companies, including Microsoft, Safeway, Sodexo, Orbitz Worldwide and USAA have committed to hiring a large number of employees.

That’s our short list of resources for vets. If you have others to recommend, please list them below — and let us know how we can help!