With every experience in life, there is a lesson to be learned?  For example, my experiences this week have been one job rejection after another, either in email or letter form.

I have jumped through hoops to get a job since my layoff in August but they seem to be few and far between.  It’s been a challenge to keep up with the interviews, follow ups, letters, phone calls and emotional ups and downs.  As I reflect on this week’s journey, I can’t help thinking that I had so many opportunities to turn these negatives into positive lessons.

After writing down my most recent goals this week, I decided to focus on the lessons, not the negative experiences or outcomes of all the rejections.  Instead, I found a place in my brain to think about the conversations in my interviews and the messages in my rejection emails and letters to find an underlying message that I could turn into a positive lesson.  and that is exactly what I want to share here in this blog post.

Lesson 1:

There is always someone who is having a harder time than I am and it feels good to put my worries behind and help others who need it.  When I hear stories of cancer, death and struggles of despair, I realize that we all face challenges and that mine isn’t unique.

Lesson 2:

I can’t take it personally because we baby boomers are the largest group of unemployed individuals at the moment.  When I talk to many of my colleagues and friends, I am amazed at how many families are affected by at least one layoff.  This is a test of my talents and creativity to build a business that can reach out and help so many other folks who are seeking help.

Lesson 3:

It’s time to take my energy and us it to build  my home biz and focus on my projects and products that will move me forward.  With all the energy it takes to find a new job, that same energy can be spent in building my business, a venture I love doing and a passion that keeps me motivated and excited.

Lesson 4:

More baby boomer  entrepreneurs are emerging at record numbers now.  With our expertise and years of experience, we  are learning to turn our passions into a profitable business by researching our niche and learning what it takes to move our business into this world of social media and virtual opportunities.  There has never been a better time to grow a business than now.  As I follow those who have struggled, they motivate me to move ahead and show myself that I too am worthy and deserving to find my own happiness, without the doom and gloom of this economy and without waiting for someone else to hire me.

Lesson 5:

I can’t sit  around waiting for others to knock down my door and hire me, and  If I find a job, that’s great.  But if I don’t, I am taking my lessons of blogging, social media training and endless personal development to build my coaching, consulting and training .  In the end, it will be my potential employers loss and my gain.

What lessons have you learned this week?  Why not share them below in the comments section.

Until next time, have a great weekend,

Cindy

© Chrisharvey | Dreamstime.com

Ok, this is a rant post.  I just have to release my frustration and concern for my baby boomer peers.  The Job Seeking strategies and the end results are not what they used to be.  There is definitely a breakdown between the perspective employer vs the perspective employee, especially at the expense of us baby boomers.  And, I don’t like it!

For the past 2.5 years I have been without a “permanent” job, whatever that is anymore!  Since my layoff in 2009, I have been struggling to get a permanent job that offers career growth potential, employee benefits and other perks that one doesn’t get when they are unemployed and aren’t old enough to claim social security or medicare.

Dont get me wrong, I love my home biz and am really seeing it come together but a home based biz, especially when one is single, on their own and struggling financially, isn’t going to get me through these touch times quickly,  and I know many of you are in the same boat as I am.

So this is what’s been happening.  Since August of this year, when I was laid off from my contract job,  I have applied for 60 jobs in various locations.  Many of those potential employers offer a website and contact information, and many of them have called me in for an interview allowing me the opportunity to have a way to follow up post interview.

I have been told I am highly skilled and have great experience and on many recent occasions, I have been asked for a 2nd or 3rd interview.  I get so psyched up and excited then BAM!!  No call back, no response from my many follow ups and no consideration of my feelings while they keep me hanging for days and weeks at a time while I continue to search, follow up, send thank you notes, follow up and try to connect.  Meanwhile, days and weeks go by and I am back on the fast track of job seeking while sending out dozens of cover letters, resumes, and getting out and actually going to different companies and trying to get past the gate keeper.

Then, weeks later, without a phone call, I find out  an internal candidate was hired or “they found a better qualified” candidate, etc.  The list goes on and on and the experience in job searching becomes a tedious task that prevents me from moving forward in my home biz or my bank account, leaving me confused and frustrated that I have to continue to seek employment because the potential employer didn’t give me the courtesy of a phone call.  Why is it that we job seekers do all the leg work and treat job searching like a fulltime job without the respect of a thank you in return?  I just don’t get it.

I don’t know about you, but when I was younger and very employable, I remember the importance of a thank you note, a follow up to show your continued interest in the job and being excited that the employer would at least give me the courtesy of a phone call or letter, even if I weren’t chosen for the job.  Now, when you follow up, and the potential employer doesn’t call back or respond, it seems to be a breakdown on their part to show respect for us taking the time to come in and interview.  But it just ain’t happening!   Oh, and by the way.. Shh… Don’t tell anyone that there is age discrimination out there.  They won’t believe you.

What do you think?   Do you have a story to tell?  Please share in the comments section below and I will check them later.  I am on my way to another interview today, AGAIN!.

Talk with you soon,

Cindy

Your solutions and resource coach. 

© Pei Ling Hoo | Dreamstime.com

Sharing, networking and collaboration are a large part of one’s business.  It’s so important to network with others, even if you are in the same niche to learn from, grow from and share with.  Blogging has given me the opportunity to network and get to know so many awesome business owners, new friends and colleagues and future biz partners.

I recently wrote a blog post called The Knowledge Is In Your Niche/What’s Your Niche?  In that blog post, I had offered an opportunity for you to share your niche with the audience, who would read that post, by putting your information in the comments section below the post.  That request allowed others to network right on that blog post and now you can see the results of their postings.

I am happy to say that several professionals took advantage of this opportunity to share their expertise and to explain how they help their clients.  Since they spent the time to share their message in the comments section, I thought it would be great to highlight them here on this blog post.  Thank you to all of you who took the time out of your busy schedule to provide your services.  There are some awesome business leaders who you may be looking for.

Side Note:  I am going to share them with you here on this blog post and highlight their expertise, website and hope that you will add your niche so that I can add you to this list of awesome leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, business partners, coaches, consultants and professionals.

• Roy Ackerman said

“Ah, this is the one that everyone loves to hear.
Our niche is helping you be more you. We help you define your business advantage (which is different from your niche) [mgmt]. We help you exploit your business advantage [mgmt, fin]. We help you grow a business advantage [design, development, licensing]. We help you keep more of your money [finance, taxes]. We help you grow your people [training, education].
We do help you be more you…”  To Learn More About Roy, click here.

•  Martha Giffen said:

“My main niche is profitable online marketing for new entrepreneurs. Thanks for asking!”  To learn more about Martha, click here.

•  Melanie Kissell said:

“Fabulous Friday idea, Cindy, and thanks for giving your readers a chance to strut their “niche”. 

I reach out to tenacious and time-starved mom entrepreneurs who want to learn to build an online marketing business on a shoestring budget.

Have a wonderful weekend!”  To Learn more about Melanie, click here.

•  Roberta Budvietas said:

• Leanne Chesser said:

• Lynn Brown said:

• Tambre Leighn said:

•  Kristen Wells said:

As a new business owner, it’s important to research your niche and to take your time doing so.  When you discover that, then the knowledge becomes your niche and you are well on your way to helping others who are looking for your expertise.

Sometimes it’s nice to  find solutions and resources from those who are experts in helping you find your niche.  I know first hand because my friend and colleague, Cindy Schulson, founder of Attract Your Niche, is an expert in this field and she was instrumental in helping me find my niche.

As a person who loves to find solutions and resources to help myself and others, we narrowed down my niche as the solutions coach, consultant and trainer.  I have found my clients through this niche who are looking for solutions and resources that fit their needs.  Cindy was great at helping me put it all together.

Now here’s the thing… You can spend hours on this topic and get wrapped up in a huge niche, leaving you confused and frustrated, especially if you are new.

To save precious time, why not check out Cindy’s Attract Your Niche report to help you jump start your niche research or to help others who are not sure what their niche is.

Finally…., I thought it would be fun to ask you to share with us who are reading this post what your niche is.  In order to do that, go to the bottom of this post where you see the comments area and let us know what your niche is.  We can call it “Friday Niche Networking”.  So what do you say?  Are you in for the challenge?

Go ahead and type away and let’s network today.  Who knows!  Someone may just jump at the chance to connect with you and your expertise.

Have a great weekend,

Cindy

Your Solutions and Resource Coach