I get asked this question all the time – just who uses JibberJobber? Here’s a user who has given me permission to share her profile with you.
Bridgette Hinchman is:
… a mid to senior level General Manager/Director of Operations (at a medium to large company) or a VP of Ops/COO at a small company. I have my MBA and over 12 years of progressive sales and operational experience at the GM level. My experience has focused on getting small businesses to the next level (from start up and shortly after) or fixing troubled sites within a 90 day window (for existing companies). In essence, people pay me to fix their broken or struggling business as a career employee and from there I have gotten promoted upward.
Sounds pretty cool, right? Bridgette is in the Dallas area, and is hoping to stay in that area if possible.
Bridgette is a corporate rockstar. By no fault of her own* she is a self-proclaimed “VERY assertive job seeker.” She is the type of professional who “gets” JibberJobber. Does she understand networking and nurturing relationships? I’m sure she does. Is she a competent subject matter expert? Undoubtedly (I’ve seen her resume and her work history). I’d be happy to put you in touch with Bridgette – just leave a comment in the box below or hit me via e-mail.
How many of you are prepared to be a “VERY assertive job seeker” right now? How many of you would benefit from doing stuff that you do in JibberJobber for a full 6 – 12 months before you become a VERY assertive job seeker? Whether you are in a job search or not, I encourage you to seriously consider the benefit of preparing now by nurturing network relationships, targeting companies you are interested in, preparing your master resume, preparing multiple elevator pitches (or, Me in 30 Second pitches, or whatever you want to call them), and more.
* By no fault of her own. Bridgette found herself in this VERY assertive state the same way that thousands of people this year will find themselves. This is what happened to me two years ago… corporate decisions, economy, fickle management, bad management decisions, loss of a contract… the list goes on and on.
This year there will be hundreds of thousands of people who’s jobs and careers are affected by forces they have no control over. Check out these recent headlines:
- CNN: 80,000 job losses unemployment spikes (April 4, 2008) Just in March!
- The New York Times: CBS Moves Ahead With Layoffs in News (April 2, 2008). This affects just one percent of their workforce. Only 1,200 people. Only 1,200 breadwinners, contributors, neighbors, friends, family… 1,200 people who are likely up against on of he hardest things in their life – long-term unemployment.
- California Department of Education website: State Schools Chief Jack O’Connell, Teachers, Support Staff,
Administrators Announce More Than 20,000 Teachers and Support
Staff Getting Layoff Notices Due to Budget Crisis (March 14, 2008) great – keep teachers underpaid for a long time and then cut 20,000 jobs across the state. Hope you have a favorable private and/or homeschool policy. - CNET NEWS: Dell: Layoffs bigger than expected (April 3, 2008) it already announced 8,800 layoffs… but that isn’t enough. This is going to have a huge impact on Austin, TX.
- MSNBC: Analysts see 200,000 banking industry layoffs (April 1, 2008) I doubt this was an April Fools joke. But seriously, 200,000 banking jobs slashed over the next 18 months? How will this be absorbed?
- Paul Kedrosky’s blog: Google Announces Layoffs (March 11, 2008) quoting directly from Google’s blog post, I thought the same thing that Paul did (“Translation: We’re letting people go. And a bunch of ’em, at that.”). I also thought “Google? The place where everyone wants to work?? They are downsizing?”
- CNN: Motorola cuts another 2,600 jobs (April 3, 2008)… “as total employee cuts rise above 10,000” That’s a lot of engineers out in the market. I wonder how many of them have created “pull marketing” strategies with their personal branding?
- CNN: Home Depot could cut jobs (April 4, 2008) no one announces this if they “could,” only if they will. Reading further: “about 2,200 employees who will be affected by the changes, which will be completed by May 1.” and “there no longer will be a human resources manager in each of the company’s 1,970 U.S. stores.” One more HR professional on the market in just about every city.
What makes you more immune to the unemployment line than any of these hundreds of thousands of people?
Is it your degree, or your MBA? Mine didn’t keep me off of unemployment.
Is it the tight relationship you have with your boss or the CEO? Trust me, I’ve seen how it works, and that relationship won’t keep you from getting a pink slip.
It’s time to be CEO of You, Inc. What are you going to do TODAY to take charge? I have a few ideas, but would like to hear yours 🙂
Hey Jason,
I couldn’t agree with you more. No job is forever these days. Every professional should be constantly building their networks, increasing their marketability, and working toward their long-term career goals. That doesn’t mean people should live in fear, just that they should take charge of their own careers.
That is true, no job is forever! Very good idea is to learn something else; different profession on the site for instance. We hear many times “Do what you love”.. Yes, that is true, makes life easier, but other think, if you don’t make money from your passion? I suggest change it… or do other part – time job to keep good financial track.
https://krysofeurope.blogtoolkit.com
I learned computer programming when I was junior in high school. Before that I thought I’d be a Mathematics teacher. After completing that course I decided software development would be my life long career!
For many years now, I have had a very successful career as a software developer. However, I’m well aware of the financial pressures that US companies face to off shore high tech jobs.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not bitter and I would love to keep coding until they take my keyboard from my cold dead hands. However a couple of years ago I decided I needed a backup plan and went back to school to get a Master’s degree in Mathematics. I figured getting a Masters in Math would be better career insurance then getting a Masters in Computer Science.
Hopefully considering Math education as an alternate career option will not be a “grass is greener” situation, but at least it seems to be a plausible career back up plan. Just in case I do get to work some day and find my keyboard has been shipped out.
In conclusion, it does make me ponder about how things have gone full circle!