The number of applications for U.S. unemployment aid hit a 42-year low last week. The Labor Department reported that weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 255,000.
These type of numbers can suggest employers are confident enough in the economy to keep their employees.
But numbers can be deceiving.
“This just doesn’t give us an accurate view of the job market today,” Danielle Dayries, CEO/ Owner of the New Orleans based outplacement firm, DMD & Associates, Inc., said. “These numbers track applications but not the real number of people who are unemployed. And they don’t show the huge amount of people who are underemployed, those who were forced to take jobs under their pay scale that are still searching for better jobs. And these numbers certainly don’t reflect what’s going on in our region, especially in the oil and gas industry.”
Dayries’ firm is engaged by companies worldwide to deliver career consulting, resume writing and outplacement programs that empower those affected by a reduction in workforce get back to work quickly, while helping companies protect their brand and limit legal exposure.
A former advertising executive, Dayries used to work to brand and market corporate giants Sara Lee, McDonald’s and Burger King. But even her days as a “Mad Man” working for McCann Erickson in New Orleans weren’t fulfilling enough for her to follow the same course. Instead, Dayries found her talents better served branding people.
“I took the same principles I learned in advertising and transitioned them to human branding and marketing,” Dayries. “I didn’t enjoy working hard to create millions of dollars for corporate profits. I prefer to help people brand and market themselves. My #1 goal is to teach and empower people to help them get back to work quickly and advance their careers and connect them with vendors, corporate clients and customers.”
Dayries’ DMD & Associates, Inc. is not a headhunter service. They don’t guarantee job placement. Instead, her firm gets paid to help companies place employees in transition in comparable or better jobs elsewhere. Her tiered fee structure is based on the number and level of employees and executives she’s helping, the length of the contracted program, the number of services included and the depth of service provided.
DMD & Associates, Inc. offers instruction on resume, cover and thank you letter writing, creating effective LinkedIn profiles and writing executive biographies.
“The biggest mistake I see on resumes is the lack of listed accomplishments,” Dayries said. “People list their duties and tasks, but they should explain what they accomplished when they performed those duties and tasks. You need to highlight the footprint you left behind, and how your skills and contributions made your old company more efficient. It’s a great self-esteem building process when you figure out what value you can bring to your next employer.”
DMD & Associates, Inc.’s career consulting services focus on how to create an action plan to find a job, how to change your career or start your own business. She also conducts interview rehearsal and salary negotiating consulting sessions.
“In New Orleans, there is definitely an uptick in healthcare jobs and all the support service jobs revolving around the new medical center,” Dayries said. “There’s also that New Orleans entrepreneurial boom taking place, and we’re helping people create their own jobs, from cultivating their vision to starting and growing a business.”
A board member of several Society of Human Resource Chapters, a Senior Career Consultant with Ricklin Echikson Associates Career Consulting and a Career Coach for the Career Soar Outplacement Firm, Dayries speaks throughout the United States about career transition topics.
In terms of outplacement, Dayries said of the more than 5,000 people she’s helped find jobs in the last 15 years, 70% landed equivalent or higher paying jobs than they had before.
“It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “When a company, whether it’s a blue collar manufacturing plant or a white collar executive office, lets someone go, they need to help their people, their oil and gas professionals, CEOs, IT specialists, engineers and teachers, move on to the next job. That’s when I step in.”
She said networking is the best way to score a job interview and 75% of her business comes from referrals.
Dayries said companies find her services advantageous because they reduce unemployment expenses, lower the risk of litigation and improve employer brand protection internally and externally.
Dayries, her 3 full-time employees, and a “legion” of part-time freelancers, can appear on-site for termination assistance when the transition occurs, issue an exit statement, focus on the positives of the changes and foster brand protection.
“Helping people get back on their feet when they need you the most, and letting someone know that they don’t have to go through this alone is very rewarding,” Dayries said. “But the biggest challenge is helping people look forward and not backward, convincing them that when one door closes, a better door may be waiting for them to open.”
Danielle M. Dayries
DMD & Associates, Inc.
923 Constance St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 875-7890
danielle@dmdcareerconsulting.com
