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Whether you're out of work by circumstance or by
choice, there are several things you can learn
from the job search experiences of others. Each
of the job searchers featured in this article
was out of work for at least 4 months. In fact,
one participant hadn't had a paying job in over
20 years! Their search experiences are unique,
yet have similar themes. You can learn from
their successes as well as their blunders.
1. No Matter Your Timeline, Get Your Name Out.
When Christine, a technology consultant, was
laid off, she decided to take the summer to
enjoy some free time. But, she didn't want to
miss any great opportunities, so she distributed
her resume to recruiters that specialized in her
field. This strategy worked to her advantage --
recruiters called her for interviews, and she
was able to demonstrate her expertise without
feeling pressured to pursue every position.
Donna, on the other hand, wishes she had done
more in the early days of her search. Although
she had 30-days notice before her medical
research job was eliminated, she waited a bit
before aggressively pursuing new opportunities.
Donna only casually looked at job boards and
didn't reach out to her network right away. "I
thought it was going to be much easier than it
was," she says.
2. Stay Up to Date in Your Field.
Take courses that support your career goals and
advance your skill set. Like Alexis, for example
-- when she decided to re-enter the corporate
world after taking several years off to raise
her children, the first thing she did was sign
up for real estate courses to obtain her real
estate sales license. She realized just how much
she no longer knew, so she also began reading
real estate and business magazines to supplement
her education. "The market changed drastically
since my previous career as a relocation
specialist," she shares. "I wanted to be sure I
could establish credibility during interviews."
3. Keep Tabs on the Job Market.
Peruse job ads and talk with professionals on a
regular basis. Our job seeker, Donna, was a bit
surprised when she started her search. She
didn't realize how specialized and small her
field had become. Donna quickly discovered that
she needed to expand her job search to get
exposure and generate employers' interest in her
area of expertise. Shortly after pursuing an
expanded list of opportunities, she landed a job
and is now enjoying her new challenges.
4. Get Expert Assistance.
Aligning yourself with a good recruiter is
important, but giving them a professional resume
and cover letter that immediately tells them
what they need to know is absolutely vital. For
this reason, consider working with an expert.
Alexis found her functional resume prepared by a
professional, worked well -- employers didn't
even realize she'd been out of work for over 20
years. Daryl, a pharmaceutical sales
representative out of work for two years to care
for a sick family member, said, "My
professionally written resume got me attention
from employers, but I also used a coach to
refine my interviewing skills."
5. Use Your Network.
Cultivating your network is instrumental
throughout your career, not just in your time of
need. Join networking groups, stay in touch with
former managers, and reach out to associates in
related fields regularly. Daryl landed three
interviews by reaching out to his network, which
included several former coworkers. These people
knew his reputation and performance record so
they happily introduced him to hiring managers.
6. Set Goals.
It takes time to seek out job opportunities,
network with people, and write cover letters.
Create daily and weekly performance plans to
develop structure to your search and to keep
your time focused. Donna found her daily to-do
list helped keep her motivated and on track.
7. Be Aggressive.
Checking-in regularly (but appropriately) with
hiring managers is a great way to keep your name
in front of potential employers. Alexis was
assertive. She recalls, "I called companies
after submitting my resume to inquire about an
interview and next steps." This strategy worked
well; it demonstrated her follow up and
cold-calling skills -- two strengths required in
the real estate business -- and she is now doing
well at a prestigious, boutique real estate
firm.
8. Don't Act on Fear.
When faced with the choice of a "not so ideal"
job and another month of unemployment, it is
easy to give-in and accept a job that isn't
really what you want. The problem is that you're
probably not going to be happy, and then you'll
just find yourself right back on the
unemployment line.
Donna found herself in this very situation.
Since her field was so competitive, she feared
that the "ideal" job was never going to come
along, even after she had broadened her search.
At one point, she said, "I was tempted to accept
a job that would have provided an income, but
which I would have hated." After taking stock of
her goals, she held out for the position that
more closely matched her target. And this
decision has made all the difference.
9. Know When to Compromise.
Christina had the finances she needed to sustain
an extended job search, but she found that she
soon had to adjust her idea of the perfect job.
From the start of her search, she had a vision
of her ideal job -- the position, industry, and
pay scale. When she was offered a position that
met the first two criteria but was less money
than she wanted, she wondered if she should
accept the job. She ultimately declined. The
result? A month later, the same company came
back to her with another position. This time she
says, "The money was right and the industry was
perfect; I compromised a little on the scope of
work, but I am happy with my decision."
10. Do What You Love.
Daryl knows himself. He knows that he needs to
feel passionate about the products offered by
potential employers or he just won't perform
well. When a job surfaced that required selling
a line of products he was not familiar with --
nor had interest in -- he thought he could fake
it, but ultimately cut things off. "I thanked
the recruiter for her time and told her the
company wasn't the right fit me," he says. A
short while later, Daryl had an interview with a
prestigious company he had always admired -- a
position he found out about through a former
colleague -- and is now happily working for
them!
Being out of work is terrifying for some people,
but being miserable in a job you hate can be
even worse. Follow our featured job seekers'
advice, and you can be just as happy as they
are. Best of luck!
By Kimberly
Schneiderman
Kimberly Schneiderman is owner of City Career
Services, a company that provides job search
tools including Resumes, Cover Letters, and
Interview Workshops to goal-oriented
professionals at all levels and across all
industries.
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