Surviving Unemployment

Surviving Unemployment: 

Surviving Unemployment Your Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Back to Work By Krista Mitchell www.composureresumes.com

First Things First: Get Over It: 

What To Do: Think about the positive possibilities: a career change, return to school, start your own business, find a job with better benefits or coworkers than your old job. Talk to, rant, or cry it over with a close friend or therapist. Journal it. Write down your feelings in detail. Then write down things for which you are grateful and positive things about yourself. First Things First: Get Over It Losing your job for any reason can be a traumatic experience, Before you can prepare yourself emotionally to put yourself out there in an interview setting, it is important to deal with those feelings of loss and resentment. Some people actually experience the 5 stages of grief after a job loss. A negative attitude or depressed mood is going to show in an interview, and that won’t get you a new job.

Financial Panic: Make a Plan: 

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

Gather Important Career Documents: 

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

Make a List of Your Strengths: 

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

Combine the Documents and Strengths to Create a Resume: 

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: 

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 a rt 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: 

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: 

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: 

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: 

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: 

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: 

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 Unemployment Krista Mitchell: 

Surviving Unemployment Krista Mitchell www.composureresumes.com