Cheryl Stein's Tips on Job Hunting
By Cheryl Stein
Finding a new job when you have been downsized, let go, fired, or laid off is a little trickier than it might seem. It usually takes longer than we think it will and it usually takes a lot more energy than we anticipate. We are also often more affected than we realize by the loss of our previous job. The following are some tips to help you get through the process.
Take Stock of Your Experiences
Make a list of all the things that you learned at your last job. Every experience that we have adds to the list of what we know. Even if you don’t think that your past jobs have been particularly great, they still have given you experience and knowledge that no one can take away. Write all these good things down. They will come in handy when you rewrite your resume.
Take Stock of your Assets
By assets, I don’t mean what you own; I mean what is good about you. Everyone on this planet is blessed with something that is special. Most people have lots of things that are special about them. Take the time to list what is special about you and look at this list every day. That will help keep you focused on the positive and help you when you are being interviewed.
Make Sense of the Ending
Face it. It hurts.
If you don’t take the time to feel the feelings that come about from the loss of a job, you will never understand how you are coming across to the people that you are interviewing with. Most people don’t realize that no matter how well they think that they are covering up their feelings, those feelings usually come through when we interact with others. That means if your self-esteem is damaged from job loss, no matter how well you think that you are portraying yourself as a confident candidate, your lack of confidence will shine through.
If you take the time to think things through, you will be able to know your strengths as well as your weaknesses and be perceived as a person who has a strong sense of self esteem.
Network Like Crazy
I cannot emphasize this point enough. Start speaking to everyone you know to find out if they know who is hiring. What people don’t realize is that most jobs are filled through word of mouth. Make sure that everyone knows what kind of job you are looking for and what qualifications you have. That way, if they hear of something, they will let you know. If you do hear of an opening at a company that seems interesting, use your network to see if you can create a relationship with someone within the company.
Have Patience
This is probably the hardest thing to do. Playing the waiting game is not easy. Sometimes it takes a while for a company to make a decision. I once had a client who wanted to move from the public sector to the private sector. He interviewed with a company and only heard back from them four months later. I had another client who interviewed with a company, didn’t get the job but heard from the company a year later when a more suitable position opened up. You never know when you may hear from someone so keep believing that good things will happen and you may be surprised.
Stay Positive
Finding a job can take time and there is often not much you can do about speeding up the process. One of the only things that you do have control over is your attitude. Maintaining a positive focus can keep those interviews and possibilities coming. For some reason, the more you believe that things are going well; the more they actually do go well.
Job hunting takes a lot of courage especially when losing your job isn’t your choice. Good luck with your search. With a positive attitude and some patience, I am sure things are going to go well for you.
Cheryl Stein moderates forums in Monster's new career message boards.