With many corporations and businesses “down sizing” and reducing staff, large numbers of individuals are either looking for a job or are considering the possibility in the near future.
Many of those looking for work overlook some of the basic essentials and may end up discouraged, angry, and even depressed. Summing it up, they say that jobs are not easily obtained.
I once knew someone who had just finished a master’s degree and was job-hunting in the small community where he lived. He had no money and to make matters more complex he was going to be married in a few months. I was that person and I couldn’t find a job.
Education, motivation, inspiration, and dedication didn’t seem to help me at the time. Going from restlessness to frustration, to desperation and finally to sheer panic, I finally landed a job at a grain mill, loading wheat sacks into railroad cars in mid-summer.
After several weeks passed I landed a job where I could more effectively use my education and training, make a higher salary, and even work in an air-conditioned office.
Some 30 years later, the memories of that experience remain with me. They served as a good learning experience.
Here are some rules to consider if you are just starting out or if you are making a change in employment.
• If you are ever going to be flexible in your outlook, this is the time to do it. Rigid, compartmentalized thinking disallows creative, multi-option viewpoints that may be essential in a tight job market. Consider lateral moves, vertical moves, or even a move into a different career. Career/vocational counseling may be useful.
• Network. Talk to everyone who will listen. If inquiries and interviews yield nothing, keep looking for suggestions of possible opportunities.
• Make a list of all previous experience and another more detailed list of all the duties and responsibilities in each of these jobs. By listing your unique skills and contributions, you may strike a chord with a future employer. This is not the time to be bashful or modest. At the same time, this is not the time to fabricate or exaggerate.
• Prepare a good resume. Present yourself as well on paper as you would in person. Consult a professional to assist you in writing the resume if needed.
• Another professional that may be of assistance is an employment agency/consultant as some businesses hire only through these sources.
• Learn to look at any job change as transition. Many people have told me that a change led to opportunities they had never dreamed of. Think of it as professional growth and take advantage of new learning.
• Rely heavily on the support of your family and friends at this time. Isolation and detachment can lead to an assault on one’s self-esteem, especially in situations such as a layoff.
• While looking for a job, attempt to develop a daily routine similar to that of going to work. Make calls, set up interviews, and send out resumes. Expand your network, and, if possible, list yourself at a nearby placement bureau.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright © 1993
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I’m an experienced Clinical Practitioner, Administrator, Professional Writer, and Lecturer.
