6/30 - Using socail media

As many know, my job search is going no where fast. I've sent out close to 2,000 resumes, registered with 150 employment firms, attended cattle calls (job fairs), reached out to past vendors for suggestions, attended networking sessions, had my resume re-done, connected with 800+ people on LinkedIn, and have about 300 or so Facebook 'Friends', and knocked on hundreds for doors to get turned away.

Recently I read an article posted on LinkedIn in using social media for the best coverage. The article was mainly targeting businesses in how to get the most out of it and when people are most likely to see your posts. It was based on an in depth study on when the most traffic is which means the most exposure. It was broken down not only by day, but as granular as to the hours of the day.

As an example, you have an eatery and want to post about an upcoming special or your signature dish. You would not want to post it at 11pm when traffic is low but more so during the day between 9 and 5 with 11 to 2 as the peak times for people to catch the post.

Using this theory I am going to try and use the social media in that manner. I have a very valuable product that I need to market and that product is me. So by 'selling myself' on social media routinely just might pick up some interest and get me an interview or better still a job offer.

Looking at the data from market researchers I am drilling down the best times in when to post. From there I am creating several posts in word ahead of time so I can copy and paste them in. With Twitter since you are allowed only 140 characters, MS Word will help with the count. I just need to be very creative in marketing which is not my strong point.

I am going to post as to why you should hire me without being too wordy. Blasts of some of my selling points. A new one each time. Keeping me in the eyes of the viewers. A FB connection posts several times a day with photos of herself. She is keeping herself in the public eye. I have no idea how much business she is getting from FB, but she is very successful over all.

I don't know if I would want to post that much, for it could be considered as spam. But in her case since she has a great body, that is an asset. In my case, I am not very photogenic although my professional profile photo shows up on LinkedIn and Twitter where I use my real name.

I will say that one of my posts on LinkedIn did get positive attention. And one of them was from Key West so I know I hit the right nerve.  Now to keep it up.

Not only am I going to post as to my attributes in why you should hire me, but give away some free tips as well. And while I am at it, I am going to create some tutorials and put them on Viemo a video sharing site like You-Tube.  The big difference is that I pay for the space and the video length can be a lot longer that You-Tube allows.  From there include the URL to the video in my posts.

As for doing that with Twitter, I am going to use Google's URL shortener.

Hopefully that will land me a few interviews and maybe a job offer.  In the Keys I hope.

'till next time

6/24 - Key West remains a dream

Earlier in the month my wife finally agreed to visiting Key West so I started making all the final plans and getting costs nailed down.

I selected the date for our trip, leave NY July 27th on Amtrak. Arrive in Miami the next evening. Cab to a hotel nearby for the night. Next day rent a car and head to the Keys. A few hours later arrive at the hotel and spend 5 days in the Keys enjoying life and checking out the areas. Then back to Miami, hotel, next day return the car and Amtrak back to Penn Station.

I have the train selected, the hotels and the car as well. We will save money by getting a room we can cook in and buy food from Publix. There are laundry facilities in the hotel plus a few laundomats near by. Our daily excursions were to be to let our passions guide us. A few must do stops are planned like Mallory Square at sunset, lunch at the No Name Pub, The little Key Deer refuge, and possibly the Dolphin Research Center.

Of course no trip would be complete without stopping off at the Hog's Breath Saloon and Smokin' Tuna. Might even run into Mayor Gonzo Mays at The Tuna. A brewski is in order at Sloppy Joe's and The Green Parrot would be great.

And naturally I would love to be able to sit down and meet some of my 'FB friends' like Dawn, Steve, Judy, Bucky, Stacie, Johnny, just to name a few.

At the end of the day I figure that the entire trip will run just under 3 grand. Not too bad. The bulk of the money would be for the train, hotels and car rental. The actual stay would be relatively cheap. Would be great if I could get and stay there for free, wishful thinking.

Time to start gathering the finances in order and finalize everything before making the reservations. Then it hit hard, real hard.

Looking at our bank balances we have the money. Plus I was able to sell a webpage (finally some income) that would help cover the trip. When running down our checking account I found out that my unemployment has stopped. My benefits have been exhausted without warning. Mind you it was way below the national poverty level to begin with, thank you very much Albany, but at least it was something coming in.

So once again I am forced to put the trip on hold and going to the Keys remains nothing more than a dream unless I get lucky in finding a job here or better still in the Keys.

'till next time.

6/9 - Crime is up in Nassau County

In a recent news report, the area in where I live is covered by the 6th Pct of the Nassau County Police.  Rape, murder and burglaries in my area are up 18.91%.  In an area south of me in the same police precinct it is up 10.93%.  Not very comforting

At the same time in their infinite wisdom Nassau County Officials closed and merged the 3rd Pct with the 6th.

But over all rape, murder and burglaries in Nassau County are up 1.24%.  This is not very comforting.

Aside from the fact that our property taxes are hitting all time highs as much as a 30% increase, foreclosures are on the increase, LiPA is sending the rates through the roof do to their mis-management of Sandy, stores are closing left and right, crime is now going up making Nassau an unsafe place to live.

In last weeks Newsday it was reported that 60,000 people are leaving New York each year.  Talking to people I know they too are fed up with the crime, taxes and LiPA and they are planning on leaving.  A woman down the street from me no has her house on the market.  I look around and see many places with for sale sign on them.  More now than ever before.  I wonder why.

Is it time that we too should think about getting out of New York?  I should say so.

 'Till next time


 References:

Nassau County PBA Blames Police Precinct Merger For Crime Spike-http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/04/17/nassau-county-pba-blames-police-precinct-merger-for-crime-spike/ 

Spike in Major Crimes in Some Nassau Precincts-http://fios1news.com/longisland/node/31447

 

6/4 - Been off line

I've not had the chance to do much blogging for a while.  We learned that the building where we live is going on the market which means we will have to move.  Right now no dates have been set so we are in a state of limbo.  In order to prepare we have been collecting boxes and started to pack up things we are not using.  This way when it happens there will be that much less to do.

The big problems are - where are we going to move to and how are we going to afford it especially since I am still out of work.  As many of you who read this blog knows, I hate NY and would love to move to the Keys.  My wife on the other hand refuses to leave Long Island.  I even showed her the difference in the cost of living in how the Keys beats this area hands down, but she will not budge, yet.

Once there I might be able to secure a job. at least I would hope so.  Reading some of the other blogs and from other resources the job market there really does not seem to encouraging.

She had major surgery recently at North Shore University Hospital and is now home recovering.  My plans now are to do a trip to the Keys with her in July or August during the peak of the heat for the area to face the worst and check things out.  Maybe then she will decide to move there.  The reason I want to face the worst is that will help determine if we do truly like it there.  I am certain that the summers there are no worse than here.

I can also use the time to knock on doors since my networking attempts have not produced any results.  If all goes the way I want, then good bye NY hello to the Keys.  But first things first and that is to do a trip there. 

If you have followed this blog for some time you would know that I am contemplating two way of going there.  First the Am-Trak to Miami and rent a car the rest of the way or drive the 1440 miles from NY to there.  Both have advantages and disadvantages.  Right now as of this writing I am leaning to driving the whole trip back and forth.

Once we get there finding work and a place to live will be on the top of the to-do list.  What would be ideal would be a rent to own arrangement.  Unless of course I hit the Lotto then it boils down to simpler decisions.

 'till next time