Devotional from Jobseekers

GEN-ers, today's devotional was written by Dave O'Farrell, who leads a great networking group called Jobseekers in Peachtree City. Thanks, Dave, for allowing us to reprint this.

JobSeekers of Peachtree City
Helping People Find Good Jobs, Close to Home, in Minimum Time

Get out and about. Come to JobSeekers this week. Bring a friend.
If you're not looking, forward this message to someone who needs it.

JobSeekers of PTC Website | JobSeekers of PTC on LinkedIn

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Peachtree City Career Fair!
If you are seeking employment, be sure to attend. Whether you are seeking or not, forward this message to someone who is looking. This is a UNIQUE event sponsored by JobSeekers of Peachtree City and The Bridge Community Center:

Where: The Bridge Community Center, 225 Willowbend Road, Peachtree City

When: Wednesday 18 November 2009 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.

This exciting event is a career fair for professionals, designed specifically to connect great companies in the south Atlanta metro area with experienced supervisors to senior-level professionals. In order to deliver a high value event we having companies who currently have professional level positions to fill, or anticipate having openings in the first quarter of 2010.

This event in FREE, but event attendance is limited and advanced registration is required at www.ptccareerfair.org. Go to the website for more info and to register ASAP!
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1. Inspiration: This is Job Hunting Season
Every year I find out that some of you are less active -- or not active at all -- in your job search between Thanksgiving and New Year's. If I get a chance to hear from you, it goes something like this, "Dave, I've been looking for a while and I'm kind of burned out on job search, so I need a break; besides, no one's hiring around the holidays anyway."

Have you had thoughts and feelings similar to this?

No one is hiring around the holidays? In the battlefield of the mind, the devil wants to you to think this way. Friends, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! On the contrary, some executive recruiters have a higher quota in December than in any other month. If a company's fiscal year is the same as the calendar year, budgets are formulated and approved in September and October -- and candidates are screened, interviewed and offered jobs in November and December. They start their new jobs on the first business day of January.

Satan would love it if you put your search on hold for eight weeks!

Is your competition interviewing for jobs that you're qualified for while you're out spending money you don't have? Will they be starting a new job on Monday 4 January 2010 (54 days from now) because you were out shopping, or doing projects around the house, or unwinding because of all the stress of your job search?

Companies are hiring right now. Every year several JobSeekers start new jobs in January because they didn't sit on the sidelines in November and December. Get in the game now. Today is a workday. You have a full-time job right now -- with deferred compensation!

Six years ago, for instance, Dave Tripp went home to Kansas for Thanksgiving. He came back with a job offer. Andy Whitlock, leader of the job ministry in Newnan, interviewed for a job the week before Christmas and again on New Year's Eve; he got the offer within a week. He said, "And I thought the holidays were going to be quiet."

Five years ago Henry Gregorich went to a company Christmas party; he seized the opportunity to do some job networking and made a great impression on a gentleman who called a couple of weeks later to see if Henry was still looking. He was, and the gentleman offered him a job. Don Apking, Randy Coggin and Ken King also wrote to me late in December to inform me of their new position.

Four years ago Mark Foote, Cliff Barrett, Dennis Szczepanski, Patrick Bauer and Kelly Carroll accepted jobs in the last two weeks of December.

Three years ago Bobby Rose, Bruce Brzoska, Heidi Lesser, Alan Millsaps, Richard Rodriguez, George Smith and Chris Clark interviewed for and/or accepted a job between 13 December and the end of the year. If they had been sitting on the sidelines in December, they'd still be looking for a job in January.

Two years ago, between 11/15/2007 and 1/17/2008 (64 days) I received 26 "I got a job" emails, plus some others verbally – one every other day. In fact, eight of the emails arrived between January 3rd and 7th. Wes Hill received three offers in one week. Mike Fowler received a job offer while we were at the Atlanta Bread Company; he'd been unemployed less than five weeks. Aaron Royster interviewed for a job on December 26th; yes, the day after Christmas! He started on January 14th. Don't sit on the sidelines this season.

Last year, we had about 20 people get jobs in October. Phil Kelley landed a job on November 3rd. This was followed closely by John Thomas, Adrian Neeley, Don Menke, Cynthia Stallworth, Gordon Brown, Pete Wallace, Kelly Sigmon, Donald Augustus and Matt Dukes.

Matt wrote, "staying in the hunt during the holiday season does pay off. I found this job through an evening newsletter that I get through The FENG (Financial Executive's Networking Group). I happened to see the posting in the job leads section that appeared on the last newsletter that I would get for 2008. I applied to the position on Christmas Eve, had a phone interview on the 26th and an in-person interview on New Year's Eve. Before I had left the office on the 31st, I was offered the position and, of course, gladly accepted. I started here on January 5th."

Last Friday, Nat Drucker stopped by my office with his good news: He had two great offers in hand and withdrew from a third opportunity that was at the offer stage. He accepted the one that was near his hometown in New York. He landed the job nine weeks after he completed the O'Farrell Career Management workshop.

Yes, you can get a job if you use the strategy, tools and skills we teach – and top it off with a positive attitude. Is it tougher out there? Yes, but with God's help you can do it. All you need is ONE job. Don't sit on the sidelines this season.

Here are three things I challenge you to do as the holidays approach:

1. Work on your search 24/7.

Work hard. Work smart. Always be on the lookout for networking opportunities. Don't make a mistake that will cost you a month's pay. What would God want you to do this month? Sit on the sidelines or look for a job? Look again at Proverbs 3:5-6 from The Message: "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." Notice the phrase, "in everything you do." It implies action, not passivity.

2. Be joyful always, even when money it tight.

Don't spend beyond your means. Set a good example for your kids and others. What better time to show that your happiness is not rooted in what you have or in what great (expensive) presents you can give? Your happiness comes from the spirit of the living God. I think of Paul's words in Philippians 4:10-12: "I rejoice greatly in the Lord ... I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

3. Bring joy to others, especially those who are not connected to you.

God desires a sacrifice of our time, talents and treasure. When money is tight, you can still give of your time and talents. We are God's hands and feet, so put them to work. Back to Paul's words; this time in Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

I close with this blessing from Paul: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -- Romans 15:13

See you at JobSeekers (every Friday), where we rejoice year-round – whether we are employed or not.

Copyright © 2009 / Dave O'Farrell / All Rights Reserved