Category Archives: african americans

Unemployed? You’re the Answer

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The May Jobs Report was very disappointing.  The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1%, but the most alarming bit of news related to the drop in the number of new jobs created.  According to an article in USA Today, employers only added 54,000 jobs, which represents the smallest gain in eight months.  Many economists predicted an addition of 175,000 jobs during the month of May.  

For African-Americans, the bad news doesn’t stop there.  During the month of May, the unemployment rate for African-Americans rose to 16.1%.  While the unemployment rate for African-Americans has always been higher than the national rate, paired with the recession and the housing crisis, wealth creation is clearly not at the “top of minds”, survival is.  Survival is nothing more than maintaining with less.  If you’ve mastered survival, it’s now time to step up and out of your comfort zone to develop a strategy / plan to recover.

As you develop your strategy, consider the following questions:

1.       Are you doing everything you can to position yourself to compete in today’s job market?  In February, I developed the Aim to Win in This Economy series.  Two of the posts within the three-part series focused on personal branding and education.  When you’re unemployed, your “job” is to find a job.  Don’t waste your time by exploring opportunities half-heartedly – make sure you are giving your all to the job search.  If you’ve been beaten down by rejection after rejection, make a concerted effort to recover your swagger.  While I’m not a fan of the saying, “fake it till you make it,” it is a necessity during your job search.  Employers want to hire people who are confident in their abilities.  If you can’t convey confidence during the interview process, you will not get the job.  As you pursue opportunities, “clothe” yourself in the confidence that you are the best person for the job – have faith in you.

2.       Is it Time to Broaden Your Horizon?  In order to see the beauty of a rose-bush, the bush has to be pruned, and the flowers in the field need rain to grow.  I will stop with my poetic moment, but my point is that we grow the most as a result of our failures and setbacks.  If you have been beating the pavement, but coming up empty-handed, perhaps you should consider relocation – seek opportunities in other cities.  This is definitely a move that will take you out of your comfort zone, but you’ll never know what may await you if you don’t try.  The Huffington Post recently posted an article entitled The 10 Cities With The Most Job Postings: Indeed.com.  Factual information posted on job search sites may assist you in targeting cities.  However, keep in mind that the number of job postings does not always correlate with actual hires.  While job postings are an indicator of a city’s economic health, sometimes companies post openings but defer fulfilling them due to market shake-ups (e.g., May’s Job Market Report).   If you’ve considered exploring opportunities in another city, there’s no time like the present, but be realistic about your expectations.

3.       Is There an Entrepreneur in You?  The final entry in the Aim to Win in This Economy series was What’s Your Passion?  If you are talented and have always dreamed of creating your own business, now is the time.  Some of us are self-starters – if we aspire to do something, we simply do it.  There are others that have to run out of the “comfortable” options (i.e., steady job, difficult boss, health scare, etc.) before taking a leap of faith to pursue the dream.  While there aren’t many businesses that you can start without some money in hand, there are programs available to assist you with funding.  Earlier this week, the Obama administration partnered with Rutgers Business School to host the first Urban Entrepreneurship Summit.  The primary objective of the Summit was to explore ways to build new public-private partnerships to ignite urban job creation.  Based on the speaker line-up for the conference, there was a clear emphasis on African-American entrepreneurship.  In addition to initiatives like this, the Small Business Administration (SBA) recently rolled out two new programs that are designed to assist small business owners with capital needs.  The Small Loan Advantage and the Community Advantage initiatives offer a streamlined application process for SBA(7) loans.  Key benefits include loan amounts up to $250,000, shorter application process, and a 5 to 10 day approval process.  As you can see, the federal government has a vested interest in your success as a small business owner.  Do your homework and get to work.

Although the May Jobs Report may have fallen short of expectations, don’t allow historical data to predict your future.  History does not have to repeat itself.

Wealth Gap: Are We Hurting Our Children?

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In the book, Rags to Riches, I talk about the wealth gap in the African American community.  As a Black female, I am very concerned about the current state of affairs; and the fact that the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is continuing to grow.  I am not only referring to the wealth gap when comparing us to others; I am also referencing the gap that exists within the Black community.

Our behaviors significantly contribute to our inability to create wealth and keep it.  As I was considering my post for this week, I ran across this article, Your Take:  How the Racial Wealth Gap Hurts Children of Color, on www.theroot.com .  Every parent wants their child to be successful, but oftentimes, I think we forget the link between wealth and success.

In our community, we often place significant importance on what we drive, how we look, and whether or not our child has the latest fashions and shoes.  This isn’t merely my opinion, there’s significant evidence to support my statement.  Based on the information in the article noted above, it is imperative that we begin shifting our focus if we want our children to be positioned to compete.  This means that we have to modify our behaviors so that our children understand the importance of education and wealth.  In essence, we must consume less, save more, and not only emphasize education for our children, but begin to educate ourselves as well.

Parents are their children’s first teachers.  I am reminded of the first verse in Whitney Houston’s song, The Greatest Love of All:

I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be

What behaviors are you modeling for your children?  Because of my extensive research for the book, I am not surprised by the statistics included in the article, but my heart is indeed heavy.  I don’t think this is what our ancestors had in mind during the Civil Rights movement.  Are we taking a step back in time?  Don’t we owe it to our children to position them better than this?  What will be the legacy of this generation?

Aim to Win in This Economy – Personal Branding During the Employment Search (Part 1)

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Last week, President Obama gave the State of the Union address.  Many have described his speech as inspiring and uplifting.  During his speech, he talked about signs of economic recovery.  While it is not happening as fast as we’d like, it is happening.

As I reflect on the report of the economy and unemployment, I am concerned that the recovery for the African American community appears stagnant.  Although the national unemployment rate dropped by .4 percentage point in December to 9.4%, the rate for African Americans, 15.8%, showed little change.  In isolation this may not seem like a big deal considering that historically, unemployment rates for African Americans have always been higher than the national average.  But, when you look at the impact of the mortgage crisis and the disparity in unemployment rates together, the outlook for the African American community does not appear to be as bright as the outlook for our Nation.

Although the report is bleak, we are not a people that will simply retreat with our “tail between our legs” at the first sign of trouble.  However, as President Obama mentioned during his address to the Nation, the “game” has changed.  Are you ready to play?  Over the next couple of weeks, I will complete a three part series entitled,  Aim to Win in This Economy.  The first posting in the series is about personal branding during the employment search.

With unemployment rates at record highs, employers have a large pool of qualified candidates to choose from.  The competition is fierce.  That being said, you must present your “A” game – make sure you’re at your best.  Many times positions are filled before they’re ever posted.  Well, you might say, how can I compete when a job is filled before it’s offered?  Be proactive.  If you are waiting for the Sunday paper to identify job openings, you will not win in this economy.  The reality is this, if you are unemployed, your “job” is to get a job.  There are always career fairs and information sessions going on.  Take the opportunity to go out and meet the individuals that often make the decision on whether or not you get an interview with the company.  Included below are a few things to keep in mind when attending these events:

  •  Dress the Part.  At a minimum this should be business casual.  Never wear tennis shoes or urban wear to a career fair.  Although it’s not a formal job interview, it is the employer’s first impression.  First impressions are lasting impressions; make sure you make a good one.  If you have tattoos or piercings, recognize that the prospective employer may perceive certain things about you.  This may be controversial, but I recommend that you remove the piercings and cover the visible tattoos.  Remember, you’re the one seeking employment.
  • Have copies of your resume on hand.  Your resume should be printed on quality paper, and should be free of grammatical errors.  With recent technological advances (i.e., spell check and grammar correction), employers can be unforgiving.  As a precautionary measure, have someone proofread your resume.
  •  Follow-up.  If you have extended conversations with potential employers, remember to request business cards and follow-up to ensure that you leave a lasting impression.  This step should be completed right after the event.  
  • Clean up Facebook and check your credit.  Yes, employers do review Facebook during the hiring process.  Check your security, clean up your photos, and review your Wall for derogatory comments / postings.  My last blog posting was entitled Get Your Credit Straight!  If you get an interview, it is very likely that the employer will perform a background check and review your credit.  Take an offensive position; make sure that you’re aware of what’s included in your credit report.

I know you may be thinking this is a lot of work considering that you don’t even have an interview.  In this economy, this is often what it takes to get the interview.  Once you get an interview, the following steps will position you for success:

  • Research the company.  Spend some time on the company’s website and develop questions to ask during the interview.  Additionally, sites like www.careerbuilder.com have resources that can assist you in preparing for the interview.  The service is free, and you can only benefit from using it.
  • Dress at the level above the job you’re applying for.  For instance, if the attire for the job is business casual, you should wear a suit.  It is always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed.  Also, personal hygiene is important; your nails should be trimmed, hair neat, clothes pressed, shoes polished, accessories modest, and by all means, do not wear fragrances. 
  • Don’t forget to say thank you.  Once the interview is over, an important step that is often overlooked is a thank you note.  This is very important.  A nice hand-written thank you card or email to your interviewers is appropriate and expected.  Don’t lose out on an opportunity because you forget this critical step.

I hope you’ve been enlightened and are now ready to charge ahead!  The next posting in this series will focus on Retooling Yourself to Win in this Economy.  As always, I’d love to hear from you.  Please share your lessons learned or recommendations on how to achieve success during the employment search.

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