Finding a Job Under Tough Circumstances
Anyone can find a job. That's right, I said "anyone". And I meant it. But the caveat is: I didn't say what kind of job. You can go out and start flipping burgers, and whine about the tough breaks life handed you when your company down-sized, or you can reach higher, and go for that job you really want, and know you have the experience and enthusiasm for. Reaching higher means being on your toes, in every sense of the words. You'll have to stretch yourself too- make that extra effort to overcome the obstacles in your way. Nobody said getting the right job would be easy. But it's there, waiting, if you're willing to reach. To show you what we mean, I'm going to give you an example of one executive's ego-crushing layoff. Down but not out, this man took personal circumstances that could have held him back, and built on them so that he stood on a solid foundation and put that perfect job within his reach. Sean Davidson* was a senior level marketing manager. His company was downsizing, and in a performance review, it was felt that Sean was the staff member in that type of position that they could most do without. What followed was eight months of frustration, and confidence testing, as he attended job fairs, network events, and searched Internet employment sites. Then he landed an interview for a job that not only matched his skill set, but which he wanted badly. How did he overcome the negativity of his layoff? When asked about the gap in his employment, Sean took the initiative and spoke about strategic mistakes he had made in his last position, and how the slow growth in their industry, had led to a decision to lay off staff. He then went on to talk about new growth areas and the how a company can make the most of the opportunities offered, and increase their market share. His explanation and proposals, not only showed his awareness of current market conditions, but also displayed his business competency. He had turned the focus of the question from why he was laid off, to showing what he had learned from the business conditions that caused it, and how he could help the interviewing company to improve their position. And he got the job! *Names changed to protect confidentiality Copyright 2005 Joel Vance Joel Vance is an Human Resources expert who has been in HR for 17 years and interviewed 3,159 people. He has also taught at 4 major universities around the country and currently has a best selling book on interviewing entitled The Perfect Interview at http://www.theperfectinterview.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Important Is It To Stand Apart From Others In An Interview And How Difficult Is It?
Any professionally trained interviewer can attest these questions are the most asked by people involved with job-hunting. How important is it? Absolutely vital! ? How difficult is it? Not hard at all.
7 Tips to Deal With a Bad Performance Review
Q. "I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Should I dispute the
review? Write a letter for my file? Talk to a lawyer? Or just let it go?"
The Springtime of Your Career
Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love, introduced many of us to the notion of career seasons. When we're struggling with a career, we're most likely to think of winter. At some point a career change (or other transition) feels like being buried under a coat of ice, hibernating through long, dark days. Hopefully we learn to see the beauty of winter -- sun on the snow, clear air, the bare outlines of trees denied their leafy cover-ups.
Seven Ways to Say You?re Fired and What to Do When It Happens to You
Today's employers scramble for creative ways to advise employees of their unexpected departures. The days of employers being loyal to their employees are long gone. We now live in a culture where every working adult should be wearing a parachute just so he or she can land safely when forced to jump from the corporate tower. How are employers giving employees the boot?
From The WorkWise Collection: Ten Ways to Win the Job Search Mind Game
Are you one of the thousands of job seekers who question their sanity, marketability, and capacity to make smart decisions-just because you've lost your job? Are you wondering how to overcome these psychological challenges, rebuild your self-confidence, increase your marketability, and regain your sense of sanity?
Job Hunting Tips: Taking Care of Yourself
Looking for work is generally a miserable undertaking. No matter how much education and experience you have, you are in a powerless and vulnerable position.
Manage Your Boss - And Get Ahead!
It's clear there are a number of common issues faced by business people across totally unrelated industries and environments. This series was created to provide some perspective and guidance to executives as they negotiate their way up the corporate ladder.
Successful Job Search: 10 Steps To Quickly Acquire Your Dream Job And Put More Money In Your Pocket
Do you want to continue your costly, time-consuming and exhausting struggle in a frustrating job search using weak, ineffective tools that are getting you nowhere? The job market today is fiercely competitive with few high-paying or desirable jobs available. With repeated downsizings, companies have learned to survive with less.
Career Change - Creating Wealth & Happiness
Whether you have a business idea or not, here's what I want you to do?
Assess Your Transferable Skills
One of the most important parts of a job search is assessing your Transferable skills. These are skills which you can use in other jobs such as: Communication, Information Management, Human Services, Managerial, Manual/Physical Labour, Personal Attributes, Organization.Often when people have been working in the same job for a long time, they become so accustomed to performing their duties that they fail to recognize the skills they have. It is beneficial to sit down and write out a list of all the things you do in a work day and all the things you do at home as well. It is easy to forget that skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and organization which you use at home and in volunteering are skills that you can transfer and use on a new job. A benefit to this recognition of your skills is that you can come up with a variety of Ideas for jobs or places that these skills may be used. If you are currently unemployed and are having a difficult time with this, talk to some friends or a career/employment counsellor.Once you have determined where your transferable skills may be best used, you can work on some Productive Strategies to market yourself. This may be using your networking skills to gain access to some new employers, or it may be revising your resume to highlight your skills instead of your work history. It may also involve doing some volunteer work to expand your network by putting you in touch with people who might have other contacts you can use in your job search.
Telecommuting Resumes
Your resume needs to outline your skills and experience, as most know. What some may not know is that employers want to know what you'll bring to the table. They don't want to know what your daily duties were. They want to know what you did for the companies you worked for that makes you extraordinary. Did you save them money, did you make them money, how were you the best at what you did, etc. Yes, employers want to know what your experience is, so duties are good to add. Again, the name of the game is SELL YOURSELF! This does not lose its importance in a resume.
Resume Writing - Things to Consider
You are looking for a job and you are out to land the job of a lifetime. It can happen! Before you consider want ads, job websites, or making inquiries of companies you are interested in, you will need a resume. Your resume writing can either make or break a job opportunity.
3 Ways To Succeed On Your First Job (Or Any Job)
You've heard the real estate cliché: the three factors that determine a property's value are location, location, location.
10 Tips For Writing A Professional Résumé
1. Start with an attractive layout. Use bold and italics to highlight key points.
Job Interviews -- The Real Reasons Why You Need to Follow Up
Effective follow-up after a job interview is often a key reason why someone gets a job, even though there are other equally qualified candidates. Many candidates treat follow up as an optional add-on to their job search. That's just not the case.
Are You Bored By What You Do?
Is your working life in the doldrums? Do you feel stuck in a rut? Uncertain about the future? Depressed by what you can see ahead? Still looking for a job that will fully engage your interest?
Employment Law: Attendance Rewards - Legal Ramifications
If you were thinking of offering your employees special rewards as incentives for having good attendance records, then you must read on. In fact, employers that offer attendance bonuses may find themselves falling foul of the law.
Interview Quicksand
How will you respond when you're asked the following two questions?
Writing Resumes That Attract Your Perfect Job
Let me introduce you to Ben. He made it happen
Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps
The phrase "reinventing yourself" seems to be popping up all over lately. Just a few days ago a friend asked me how he could do it without starting completely over. His concern was, "How do I move in a new career direction without sacrificing all the skills and experience I've worked so hard to achieve?" The underlying question is, "Is this even possible?"
|
