The Unwasted Life

Here are my notes from Presonwood’s Job Seeker Conference that I attended earlier today.

Bill Hendrix

Author, Your Work Matters to God and President, The Giftedness Center

• Opens with Steve Jobs-John Sculley “Do you want to sell sugar water” Story
• desire for our lives to matter
• Power of Uniqueness by Arthur Miller
• out of a job, but never out of a purpose
• Thoughts:

• tendency to hide the fact we are out of work (fear)
• anger
• self-esteem takes a major hit
• God’s way of punishing me

World is not always safe

Life is not always fare

• These are Biblical truths that are not often talked about.

Look at what God has said about himself:

• Psalm 139…God has a purpose for me

What is my purpose?

• Psalm 139:15,16
• God has designed giftedness
• not something you learn or acquire, but born with

A look at Joseph’s life as “manager” sheep, slaves, prisoners, country

How well do you know yourself?

• List 5 core strengths you use everyday to accomplish something
• how would you add value to my company?
• what distinguishes you from everybody else?
• if these are difficult to answer you might not know yourself that well.

Most people don’t know themselves/giftedness that well.

The better you understand your giftedness, the better you can live a life of purpose

Right job takes advantage of your giftedness to the work that needs to be done (Beakner).

Undiscovered masterpieces inside each of us.

House do I find and follow a purpose?

Alan Stein

• NetWeavers Group in Dallas?
• Works at PwC.
• Job Search Campaigns in Today’s Job Markets
• Trends: longer to get jobs…fewer jobs, more people (6-9 months)
• Changes:

• time to fill jobs has lengthened…the search for the perfect candidate
• want for industry experience
• gray hair is in again…age discriminate exists, but less than before
• more thorough background checks…don’t jeopardize your integrity
• easier to find work if you already have a job

DFW appears to be the most attractive job market in the Nation…you don’t have to move to find something.

Average job tenure is now below 3 years

What has not changed:

• Your job search campaign
• Attitude…dealing with loss of identity
• marathon not a sprint
• people hire people they like

activity level finding a job is a full time job

have a focus what you want to do…does not work as a scatter shoot

verbal/writing…what are you looking for (sound bites/talking points)

resume decision made in 3-5 seconds

resume is a marketing brochure

networking

they way the world works

not what you know, but who you know

research, value trading

mission is to generate offer, not get a job (you are buyer)

when you land your next job, preserve your network…thank everybody who helped you along the way.

more faith based resources for job seekers in DFW than any other city…Atlanta second.

Randy Neal, founder Randall James Monroe

• Trends and Forecasts in Job Market
• Gray is Good…older workers back in favor

1. Longer to find a job…5 mos according to Time Mag, longest in 19 years.
• 28% find a job in 3 mos …DMJ article
• be prepared for a long job search (6-12 mos)
• think carefully about a “sabatical”
• longer out of work, harder to find work
2. hiring process takes longer
• 2-3 months process not uncommon
• afraid of making mistakes
3. companies looking for people who have been there, done that
• turn around sales, consolidation, etc.
• no OTJ training
• look for accomplishments in my past
• before sending a resume, get the job description first
4. salary/compensation
• salary back to more realistic levels
• flat/level offers to unemployed typical
• 15-20% more employed hires
5. consulting
• more consulting/contract gigs out there (leading indicator of recovery)
• may dilute your job search
6. internet
• lottery odds 4-6% jobs filled with Net
• candidates and employers typically unsatisified
7. good industries
• health care, security, life sciences, building materials
8. good jobs
• sales
9. forecasts
• will be job recovery and you will have a job
• when?
• belief we are at the bottom
• small businesses plan on hiring
• continued mixed signals on economic recovery
• hiring is a laggin indicator
10. surround your self with positive people
• reconnect with family/friends

Books

• Entrepreneurial Creed
• Anoited for business: how Christians can use influence in the marketplace
• Purpose driven life by Rick Warren

PowerLunch with Dr. David McKinley

PowerLunch offer for summer until 9/9 and then moving to Tuesdays

What should I do in life?

• Po Brosnan book quote what should I do with my life?
• Purpose of life is a life of purpose by Robert Byrne

5/29 Elevate your Expectations

• Blessed is he who expects nothing in life…Ben Franklin
• Expectations
1. for ourselves
2. for others
3. others have for us
• Nurture great thoughts, for you will never go higher than your thoughts Benjamin Disrelli
• Phillipians 4:8
• OS Mardea expectation of tomorrow
• Elevate your experience
• experience

• does not determine outcome
• meaning attached that determines the outcome
• “expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person if like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian” Dennis Wholey
• stepping stone, not a stumbling block

Learning

• enlarges your capacity for life
• “only when you make the right changes to your thinking do other things being to turn out right.” John Maxwell
• try to learn everyday … be in the word daily
• “everything come to home who hustles while he waits” Edison

Endurance

• Vince Lombardi quote about endurance while not being #1

Vision

• constantly look forward
• proverbs 29:18

attitude

• reflection of your heart
• attitude of conquering/conquest
• God can make us useable/capable in life

thankfulness

• appreciation of life
• in everything give thanks…
• changes attitude of life

excellence

• standard by you measure life
• “quality of man’s life is in direct proportion to this commitment to excellence.” Tom Landry
• psalm 8:1
• right standard of excellence
• seek the lord while he may be found
• jesus makes all the difference…he never disappoints
• we all need to be god seekers

The blessed thing aboiut the future is that it only comes 1 day at a time. Abe Lincoln

Lynn Guillory …Job Search Testimony

• you will find a job if you continue to perserve
• proverbs 22:6, 3:5,6
• accepting christ…put God’s will first
• invest life in other people’s life…ministry to job seekers
• All job seekers are unbelievers or believers

• unbelievers often come to Christ during these times
• unbelievers and believers laid off at equal rates, no guarantee of employment
• believers are promised eternal life!

allow god to work in the life of a person who has lost their job.

Rodney Marshall “Your job is your calling”

• assurance of salvation is the #1 thing…love god
• vocation is #2 (your career is your calling)…love neighbor
• Story of William Wilburforce
• The Call by OS Guiness
• We should be positive infections in our culture
• salt of the earth…we are to be people of value
• christianity should not be left a the office door
• high level of ethics and integrity on the job
• agents of cultural change
• not only make a buck, but make a difference
• idea that different vocation have diff values come early in church history (heresy…Christ not fully God while he was man)
• fully active christian executive is a tremendous asset for God
• amuse=>not think (literally)
• materialism + amuse reign supreme today
• coram deo…plough in the presence of God (Martin Luther)
• every lawful vocation is noble
• Tyndal…as vocation, wash dishes and preaching the word are the same to God.
• The Religious Tradesman, 1650, Issac Watts wrote, 1740s reissued…love god, love your neighbor.
• emenating principle of careers is the love of your neighbor

QA Session

• people are craving meaning in their lives…rick warren and po brosnan books
• plato “world would be better off if people only did what they are suitable for.”
• effects of moving tech jobs overseas?

• software development and business process development will be comoditized
• not likely to come back until we are as efficient

how many groups should you be a part of?

• what are your needs? How to? Meeting people?
• 2 is a good rule, balance is important

How to start networking?

• find place where you want to talk to people
• make life everyone you want to know.

more effective way to network? Phone, email, p2p

• p2p best, be prepared to talk on the phone right away
• help them help you

i’ve gone through my network, now what?

• keep going through them again, send reminders, follow up
• ask how I can help them

how useful/relevant are recruiters/executive search firms?

• they help companies find people, not find you jobs.
• not for commodity positions, very specific skill sets/positions.

how to hold their attention

• recruiters remember someone who helps them

Neal Jeffrey

• 1 corinthians 13 faith, hope, love
• power of belief can transform a life.

• my belief in an unseen Lord has radically changed my life
• you are good, talented, gifted, and matter to god
• believe in something bigger than yourself…God
• believe in yourself…God’s plan for your life
• have someone believe in you

Power of Hope

• no medicine like hope
• dream for tomorrow
• even death has no grip for believers
• eternal life lies ahead!

power of love

• greatest face in the universe
• can change one inside and out
• loving relationships are more important than job search or any other problems
• god wants to make you a better person through all this
• I am loved by a great God and I am going to love others accordingly
• not bitter, but better

Networking, Support Groups

The following organizations were present at the event:

• Lincoln County Networking Group
• Lake Pointe’s Job Connection
• St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s Career Care
• Allen Job Transition Group
• Grace Outreach Center
• Crown Financial Ministries
• Prestonwood’s Et&U (Employment Transition and You)
• D/FW CareerConnection
• Anita Vanetti’s Better Character Better Business