Surviving Unemployment

Surviving UnemploymentYOUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO GETTING BACK TO WORK BY KRISTA MITCHELL www.composureresumes.com

First Things First: WHAT TO DO: Get Over It  Think about the positive possibilities: a careerLosing your job for any reason change, return to school,can be a traumatic experience, start your own business,Before you can prepare find a job with betteryourself emotionally to put benefits or coworkers than your old job.yourself out there in an  Talk to, rant, or cry it overinterview setting, it is important with a close friend orto deal with those feelings of therapist.loss and resentment. Some  Journal it. Write down yourpeople actually experience the feelings in detail. Then5 stages of grief after a job loss. write down things forA negative attitude or which you are grateful anddepressed mood is going to positive things aboutshow in an interview, and that yourself.won’t get you a new job.

Financial Panic: WHAT TO DO:  Downgrade all “luxury” services Make a Plan to basic service or eliminateAlong with the negative emotions completely. (cable, internet,that come with job loss, you may be phone service, dog grooming, etc.)panicking about the toll it will take  Contact credit card companies toon your finances. Don’t assume you discuss temporarily loweringwill find a job right away; plan for minimum payments.the worst case scenario.  Think about talents you have toGather your bills or information make side money. (Cut hair, mowabout your expenses and make some lawns, make and sell quilts, paintdecisions. houses, babysit, etc.)You will feel better about your  If you have valuables you don’tfinances if you have a plan for how care to keep or good clothing youyou will deal with your expenses never wear, consider having a yard sale or selling on online.before problems begin to arise.  If things get really tight, plan toAlso, find information about use 401K or other retirementprograms available to assist you. money you may have been(Unemployment insurance, food saving. Think about your stocksstamps, mortgage protection and bonds as well.programs, energy assistance, etc.)

Gather Important CareerDocuments Any current or old  College transcripts résumé (if you have  Certifications one) Job performance  List of trainings or reviews seminars completed Letters of  Former job recommendation descriptions Samples of your work,  Awards and special if applicable recognitions Publications  Client testimonials

Make a List of Your Strengths Computer/technical  Professional industry skills and software, association typing speed memberships and Languages known positions held Skills (accounts  Important contacts or payable, inventory client base or client control, sales following in your techniques, etc.) industry

Combine the Documents and Strengths to Create a Resume Develop a concise introductory paragraph describing your professional experience and expertise/skills instead of using a traditional objective statement. This makes the introduction about your potential value to the company rather than about what you want. Include sections for any of these that apply: experience, education and trainings, professional associations, certifications, awards, publications, languages, computer/technical proficiencies, and endorsements (quotes from job performance reviews, letters of recommendation, and client testimonials). When stating job duties, begin with strong action verbs rather than stating “Responsible for”. Limit yourself to one or two pages. Try not to crowd space; plenty of white space makes it easier and more inviting to read. I do free comprehensive résumé reviews and offer résumé, cover letter, and follow-up letter writing. www.composureresumes.com

Create a Portfolio Use your documents to develop a portfolio to accompany you to interviews to show interviewers the evidence behind your claims. You can use anything from a 3-ring binder to having a book published at the local print shop. Those in the art field might consider having samples of work put on a CD to send with resumes. Include awards, certificates, publications, letters of recommendation, performance reviews, educational transcripts, samples of your work, and anything else you’ve got that makes you look stellar.

Develop a Cover Letter Use the same heading as at the top of your résumé where your name, address, contact information is. Leave blank sections for the date and the name, title, and company address for the person who will receive the letter. Develop a few paragraphs that will include the position you apply for, your strongest attributes that apply directly to the job you apply for, and what special quality makes you a better choice than other candidates. Always alter the letter to tailor it specifically to each job/company to which you apply. Include keywords from the job advertisement or job description in your cover letter. End the letter by thanking the person for their time or consideration and state that you look forward to meeting with them to discuss the position further. I offer cover letter writing. www.composureresumes.com

Get Involved In Social Media More and more recruiters and companies are using social media to locate potential candidates. Social media also is an avenue for networking, which is a highly effective method for finding a job, uncovering jobs that are never advertised. Networking involves ongoing communication with others in your field, former coworkers, acquaintances, family, and friends. LinkedIn has become a strong choice among the business community. If you are already involved in social media such as Facebook, clean it up. Anything viewable by the public should be professionally acceptable. Join industry or career-search “groups” on social media websites to stay connected with others. Comment in industry “discussions” or “forums” to get noticed.

Find Jobs Use your network to find unadvertised jobs. Use social media and job clubs to expand your network. Research companies you would like to work for and apply even if there are currently no openings. Join industry associations or find industry-specific websites which may list jobs and may have forums where you can get involved to get your name out there. Use job search websites such as indeed.com and simplyhired.com to access jobs listed in newspapers, company websites, and other job websites. Attend job fairs dressed and prepared to interview.

Stay Organized Have a notebook or spreadsheet just for keeping track of where you’ve applied, who the contact person is, date applied, and the date followed up. Also include contact information for people you’ve had contact with in your network, what the discussed information was, the date, and the result.

Train Yourself in Interviewing Skills You need to learn about behavioral interviews. Behavioral questions often begin with “Tell me about a time when…” In your answer, the interviewer is looking for you to: 1. Set up the situation, 2. Tell about the action you took, and 3. Tell the results of your actions. Know your skills! Employers say the biggest mistake interviewees make is not being able to tell how their skills relate to their ability to do the job. Practice answering interview questions in front of a mirror or a friend to alert you to any distracting behaviors you have and to begin to raise your comfort level with interviewing. No one ever becomes comfortable interviewing, but the better prepared you are, the more confident you will be.

Follow-Up and Persevere Always send a simple thank-you note or follow-up letter restating your value after an interview. Send this to each person who interviewed you. An easy way to remember names is to ask for a business card from each person at the interview. Follow-up with a phone call a few days after the interview asking how the search for a candidate is going or if a decision has been made yet. Follow-up again with a phone call a week later. You will have rejection, and people often become discouraged after several months, but the only way to employment is to persevere and continue to do the things discussed here. You must keep the faith that you will not be unemployed forever. I offer follow-up letter writing. www.composureresumes.com

Surviving UnemploymentKrista Mitchellwww.composureresumes.com

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Surviving Unemployment

by Krista Mitchell

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