Mindy Thomas

CAREER CHAT

THE JOB MARKET IS A BIG GAME OF MUSICAL CHAIRS

The Job Market is a Big Game of Musical Chairs

With unemployment still reaching an all-time high and many believing it to be much higher, job seekers continue to scramble to compete in a big game of musical chairs, where fewer and fewer jobs are available. Many people are turning to entrepreneurship as a way of digging out of this black hole. In fact, that’s exactly what I did.

After being laid off from my job as a legal recruiter on January 26th, 2008 . . . the largest layoff in modern-day America, I decided to start up a career services consulting company. On the day I got laid off, over 100,000 people lost their jobs. I had no other choice but to get off the bleachers and launch something. For years, friends told me that I should put out a shingle. Finally, I was forced to jump off the high wire, and I prayed all the way down.

As a professionally-trained career counselor and certified résumé writer, I knew for sure . . . that résumé writing was an interesting art and skill that most people don’t have. What also became more apparent after spending time as a legal recruiter, was that many attorneys couldn’t put together a well-written, succinct résumé that showcased their brilliant achievements. I set my sites on the legal arena and quickly found out that I was completely drawn to writing more than just legal resumes.

Frankly, I am in complete awe after interviewing my clients because they teach me at the deepest level about their occupations and what it takes to make in their business. And, there is no better way to learn about an industry, or a specific occupation or about the internal landscape of a company than to interview someone for a couple hours. As you can imagine, the networking is phenomenal, to say the least.

People ask me all the time …. how did I get it going? The whole concept of volunteering is right on the money. As a way of introducing myself, I did pro bono résumé review work with Villanova University School of Law, took a Project Consultant position with Right Management, a global leader in outplacement and career transition services and a family friend developed my website to get me up and running.

After that, I nailed down additional certifications — amazingly, so many boomers will not reinvest in themselves but I think it’s essential in today’s economy. From there I entered a very competitive market and am constantly working at staying on top of the latest trends in this new economy. I also visited the SBA (Small Business Administration) at Widener University to see what they had to offer. And, I consulted many friends about everything except what skill sets I was going to offer in my new business. First and foremost, I knew what I loved and what I didn’t.

I did not do it alone. And, I am eternally grateful for everyone that helped me along the way. And, yes, the man upstairs was called upon when I was scrambling to figure it all out. It’s pretty amazing when you really start playing the game of musical chairs, where you might land.

Your Career is Your Business. Isn’t it Time For You to Manage it Like a CEO?

Please call Professional Career Counselor Mindy Thomas, MS, CPRW, CLC, CJC, CJDC directly at 610.937.5632 or send us a message. Our offices are located in suburban Philadelphia at 221 North Olive Street in Media, PA, close to Wilmington DE, NYC and Washington DC.