Posted: 24 Oct 2010 06:47 AM PDT

After a two-year job search, Marguerite Gallinaro recently sat in her Quincy home at a computer, carefully creating a PowerPoint presentation for an upcoming job interview for a marketing position at a small medical device company in South Boston. Then she waited.

Finally, the phone call came: She was offered a position as vice president of marketing at a medical equipment company, which she declined to name.

"I have landed,'' said Gallinaro, adding that the job ended "24 months of hard work, tons of networking, and seemingly unending online resume submittals.''

Gallinaro, who came up with the idea of the PowerPoint presentation after getting advice during a Globe Career Makeover in August, later found out that no other job candidate had submitted a PowerPoint like she had, which impressed executives. And besides the offer she accepted, Gallinaro said, three other companies expressed interest in her, including a large nonprofit organization that wanted to hire her as a marketing project manager.

A job offer was a welcome change for Gallinaro. Since she was laid off as a marketing manager from an online retailer of classroom equipment in September of 2008, Gallinaro had participated in a government retraining program, attended endless networking meetings, reworked her resume numerous times, consulted four career coaches, and answered hundreds of job postings. When she met with Boston career specialist Leenie Glickman as part of the Globe Career Makeover, she was frustrated.

"I miss working,'' she said at the time. "I get energized by my career, and I know I'm a remarkable asset for the right company.''

Now that Gallinaro has secured a position, she's able to retrace her steps to see what worked. She believes a key to her successful job search was old-fashioned networking, as recommended by Glickman. Indeed, the networking paid off: When she arrived for the in-person interview at her new employer, she discovered she knew the chief operating officer from a mutual connection in the marketing world.

"We were familiar with each other's reputations,'' Gallinaro said.

And the meeting was a very congenial, affable session, Gallinaro said, probably because she kept her people skills sharp, deliberately keeping busy and cultivating close relationships. "I knew not to just sit behind a computer and apply for jobs, because people are the ones making the hiring decisions, not computers.''

Career coach Glickman applauded Gallinaro for networking and keeping busy while unemployed, which included get-togethers with Rotary and women's clubs and career and industry groups. Gallinaro's new job requires developing and managing national, regional, and local connections, and because she's been so active with volunteer work and organizational meetings, she'll only continue to build the networks she's already begun to establish.

"Job hunters need to get out of the house and in front of people,'' Glickman said.

With almost 500 connections on the social networking website LinkedIn, Gallinaro was ahead of the game, using connections as job search agents. She regularly followed companies on LinkedIn and created Google news searches for any companies she was scheduled to interview with, and as alerts popped up in her box, she had timely material to share.

"It shows that you're really interested and keep on top of things,'' Gallinaro said.

Glickman agreed that LinkedIn is helpful as a social media outlet, providing the help to get to a resume in front of a real pair of eyes for consideration.

Thanks to Glickman's coaching, Gallinaro said, she went into her interviews fully prepared. "Listen to the questions being asked and answer them in enough detail to be convincing and credible,'' said Glickman during the Career Makeover.

For her new position at the medical device firm, Gallinaro reviewed the company's website prior to a phone screen, and then took her time to answer the questions appropriately. A week later, when she received an e-mail to come in for the interview, she found herself at ease and comfortable, rather than feeling grilled. She said that she remembered Glickman's advice: "Lead with your strengths, be clear on expectations, and choose your stories wisely — they should highlight your success in solving similar types of problems.''

As for that winning PowerPoint presentation that ultimately landed Gallinaro the job? "Whether it's an Excel spreadsheet, multimedia proposal, portfolio of work, or other supplementary material, this sort of extra effort can separate you from the competition,'' Glickman said.

Gallinaro, she said it proved she could think outside the box: "I created a road map for the job I wanted that showed I could hit the ground running and get right to work.''

To be considered for a Career Makeover, send an e-mail to careermakeover@globe.com.

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Grads seeking elusive dream job may need Plan B - Boston Herald

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 07:01 AM PDT

WASHINGTON - In this difficult labor market, many recent college graduates may take jobs outside their preferred field and settle for lower salaries than they might have wanted.

But there are steps college graduates can take to better position themselves for success down the road.

Entry-level jobs can teach the universal skills workers need throughout their career, said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.com. "Even if a position isn't what you want, it may be rich in experience."

For example, working in customer service can hone your communication skills. And while younger workers may not want to deal with annoyed customers for their entire professional life, being able to communicate effectively can lead to rewards, Haefner said. "If you look at a lot of the decisions that managers make about promoting individuals, a lot of it comes down to the ability to communicate."

A sales job also can yield valuable skills, she added. "It will teach you how companies work. You learn fundamental Business 101 skills."

Jonathan Kandell, assistant director of the University of Maryland Counseling Center, said transferrable skills are important. "Is there a position that can train you to do something that you might need later on?" he said. "Hopefully, (workers just starting out) would be able to find something about a particular job that they feel they can get something out of."

Forty-nine percent of recent college graduates and those about to graduate said they will "consider taking a job outside their field of interest or study in 2010," according to the 2010 "State of the College Workplace" report from job website Monster.com.

Meanwhile, 36 percent of workers with college degrees said they wish they had chosen a different major in college, and 19 percent of all workers with college degrees are employed in a job outside their chosen field, according to a recently released report from CareerBuilder.com.

A lower starting salary also is something many recent graduates must contend with. Twenty-nine percent of recent college graduates reported a starting salary greater than $36,000 this year, down from 51 percent in 2009, according to the Monster.com report.

So how long should a college graduate keep a job that he or she doesn't really want?

"It's not so much a question of the actual amount of time," Haefner said. "It's how long ... you have to be there in order to feel that you have gained those skills that you can then transfer to the next job."

But workers should stay with a company long enough to avoid burning bridges, even if it's not the right industry for them, said Carolyn Wise, senior education editor with career site Vault.com. "You would never want a potential employer to call up a former employer who says how awful you are," she said. "You want to at least learn the position and show that you take it seriously."

Recent graduates should look for opportunities in sectors that are hiring right now, such as retail, accounting and information technology, said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb.com and FinAid.org, even if it's not their ideal spot.

And he said he doesn't think such detours will hurt future job prospects. "Nobody is going to look at your employment record during this time and say because you took a job as a grocery bagger or a construction worker instead of a job in writing, you are not qualified as a magazine editor," he said. "Everybody recognizes that during a downturn, there is higher unemployment, and people take the job they can get to pay the rent."

Once hired, you should "make yourself more valuable to the company," Kantrowitz added. They may pay you more and give you more opportunities. You can, for instance, volunteer to take on extra or more difficult work or cover the tasks of co-workers while they are away.

That said, it's important to gain experience in your chosen field, experts said.

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Retooling your job, with help - Washington Post

Posted: 24 Oct 2010 02:29 AM PDT

When Rhonda Gage decided to switch careers and become a nurse, she knew she was in for a slog. A medical assistant at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, Gage would have to take night classes in biochemistry, physiology and anatomy while working full time during the day. She'd also have to finance the training, which includes two years of nursing classes followed by clinical work. But then she heard about a program overseen by the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency that would help her pay for school.

The program funded her tuition at a local community college. Plus, it covered her books, her uniforms and her state board exam, as well as a prep course for the exam. Total assistance: $3,000. Some programs will pay $10,000 or more.

Gage is one of a growing number of American workers who are taking advantage of government-sponsored training. Prompted by concerns about job security, a desire to get into a new field or a push to improve skills after a layoff, demand for such programs has soared. Gage's training ended in 2007, but the federal government's economic stimulus package has given states an additional $4 billion to operate these services. With the national unemployment rate hovering at 9.6 percent, demand is likely to remain high. About 250,000 Americans are enrolled in such programs, according to the Labor Department.

To see what types of government training are offered in your area, contact your local employment agency or visit the Labor Department's Web site (www.dol.gov), which has a list of state-run programs. You could also call the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration at 877-872-5627.

Gage secured a job as a nurse in a step-down unit (which cares for patients one step down from critical care) and tripled her salary. Even with funding for her training, it wasn't easy. She worked part time for Kaiser to help pay for her living expenses. With the help of her employer and the financial and moral support of her partner, she made it work. "For two years, it was one hell of a roller-coaster ride," recalls Gage, 53. "I carried a backpack around with me so that no matter where I got tied up, I could pull something out and study."

How do you make the most of a retraining program? Start by finding a field that's hiring. You want to make sure your new skills will be in demand once you enter the job market.

Gage's decision, for example, was influenced by projections that nursing will be a growing field, given the aging of the baby-boomer generation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects nursing to be the occupation with the highest level of employment growth through 2018, followed closely by home health aides, nursing aides, orderlies and attendants.

Other jobs that will be in demand, according to the BLS, include accountants and bookkeepers, construction workers, computer-software engineers and analysts in management, network systems and data communications.

Be your own boss

State-run programs aren't limited to training workers who want a job with an existing business. Some provide specialized schooling for those who want to become entrepreneurs.

Georgia, for example, has a program to help female entrepreneurs get environmentally friendly companies off the ground. The 36-week program, which is taught by local small-business executives, provides instruction in how to acquire venture-capital funding, draft a business plan and create a marketing campaign. To qualify for the program, applicants must submit an idea for an environmentally friendly venture, such as a green cleaning business.

Tammie Spivey, a marketing representative for a managed-care company, was laid off in May 2008. So she decided to try to turn her interest in organic foods into a business. Once she heard about Georgia's program, Spivey pitched the idea of an organic restaurant.

Her restaurant, called The Healthy Fork (the opposite of a greasy spoon), will offer salmon, turkey and veggie burgers on whole-wheat buns, with baked sweet-potato fries.