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A Guide to Layoff Survival

FastCompany.com offers you a guide to layoff survival and the job search. From the practical to the philosophical, get expert tips on how to survive the fall, and get back in the game.
Amanda didn't see it coming. Her most current performance review was strong, plus she had a great rapport with her manager, so when the year-end layoff rumors began circulating around the office, she thought she had immunity. She should have known superior. She, along with the thousands who were axed, never received an invite to the Christmas celebration and got the worst gift of all — a severance package.

Sadly, Amanda isn't alone. As of November 2007, at least 1,408,852 people have lost their jobs due to mass layoffs, a 6% increase from 2006, according to the Department of Labor's Agency of Labor Statistics. And that figure only reflects those who claimed unemployment insurance from employers who cut 50 or more employees at a time.

To make matters worse, employers don't seem to be hiring; the unemployment rate went from 4.7 to 5% in the space of a month (from November to December 2007), the largest increase since April 1995. Monster.com's own employment index, which tracks on the web recruitment across career sites and job boards in real-time, also posted its first-ever decline in on the web job ads in November 2007.

While companies downsize for a plethora of business reasons — to reduce redundancy after a merger or acquisition, to revamp corporate strategy, or to improve the bottom-line — much of the current job shortage has direct links to the subprime mortgage collapse still reverberating across the country in 2008. Just a few days ago, Citigroup reported record losses ($9.83 billion in the fourth quarter) due to bad mortgage-related investments and loans and will reportedly be slashing 4,700 jobs. With housing prices nosediving and credit becoming ever more difficult to obtain, jobs in manufacturing and construction have been hardest hit, totaling 47% of mass layoffs last year. White-collar jobs are hardly any more secure. Companies that service the housing industry (insurance, mortgage, real estate brokers and banks) were swift to downsize; jobs from media and technology to the usually strong biotechnology/pharmaceuticals also followed suit as a reaction to weak performance in a slowing economy.

Yet some experts believe there's no cause for real alarm. “A 5% unemployment rate isn't tragic … not every cylinder is going down,” according to John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, who works directly with laid off workers to get back on their feet. “Companies are constantly hiring, growing, changing so there are always openings.” On average, his clients have been able to find work within three to four months, even in this gloomy labor market. He still sees strong growth in healthcare, energy, technology and anything with a global outlook. The unemployed could also think about work in government: in November alone, government agencies were responsible for 30,000 new hires.

You might not be at risk of being laid off but there’s definitely anxiety over job security in the workplace. If you follow the news at all, it certainly feels as if everyone and everywhere is downsizing. So how can you avoid being the sacrificial lamb for your company?

According to University of Colorado Denver management professor, Dr. Wayne F. Cascio's research on the culture of downsizing, there isn't much individuals can do. Downsizing has simply become the de-facto swift fix to address business woes in the US, so being laid off is an unavoidable aspect of corporate life. “A young adult should anticipate to be laid off three to four times before he turns 50,” he advises.

Others like Challenger, however, believe that personal relationships are heavily instrumental in a company's decision to let someone go. From his experience, those who have had “a relationship breakdown” with their employer are far more apt to be handed a pink slip than “a top performer.” In other words, work hard and maintain a positive working relationship with your boss.

While there might be optimism in the job market, being laid off can wreak havoc on your psyche, which could play a larger role in your ability to rebound than you think. No matter how you got the news — you were denied access to your office via a deactivated security pass or gently let down by your manager — you've lost your livelihood and in many cases, your sense of self. Like a relationship gone bad, losing your job can be incredibly painful and life-changing. But it doesn't have be tragic. We spoke with everyone from a layoff survivor-turned-entrepreneur-and-author, to experienced career coaches and downsize experts, for some words of wisdom and helpful next steps.

Pulling Yourself Together

Grant yourself to mourn: When you lose your job due to layoffs, you'll feel as if you've been dumped by your employer. You'll feel betrayed, injured, dejected and angry, which are common emotions associated with grief. “Mourn the loss of your job so you can regain the strength to find a superior one,” advises Nick Lore, career coaching maverick and founder of the Rockport Institute. In fact, Challenger encourages his clients to take a few weeks off so they’ve the ability to get some emotional distance.

Be resilient: “You're bound to encounter rejection in your job search, so you need to be resilient,” states Dr. Andrew Shatte, co-author of The Resilient Fact: 7 Essential Skills for Overcoming Life's Inevitable Obstacles. He believes you can train yourself to become mentally stronger by knowing your own thinking patterns and counteracting against your natural inclinations. You can uncover your innate resilience factor on the web.

3. Talk it out: By Lore's observations as a career coach, women tend to refocus and begin their job search faster than men. Why? “Because they're more comfortable talking about their needs and anxieties to family and friends, and doing so helps them move beyond the shock and anger to begin thinking about 'What's next?'”

It's not that men have nothing to say — they just need to find the appropriate support group to open up to. When Test-Drive Your Dream Job author Kurth lost his dotcom job in 2001, he and a few other job seekers would meet every week to share job search experiences over coffee and bagels (a.k.a. “Unemployed Bagels”). He recalls how all the members in the group eventually managed to bounce back and find jobs they love.

Set a budget: You'll need to put together a budget to reflect your newly unemployed status. “One thing I cannot stress enough is that it is very important you continue to make your [health] insurance [payments], especially when you've been laid off,” states Kurth. Whether you go through COBRA or finance your own policy — Kurth recalls how he financed his health insurance with his own unemployment insurance check — make every effort to budget for this even if it means cutting your spending elsewhere.

Getting Back in The Game

Set goals: As Kurth was brainstorming on what to do next with his family and friends, he made sure he got his ideas down on paper “so could stay organized and focused.”

Make a list of all the things you loved, hated, and would like to change about your life and ex-job. From here, you can begin brainstorming about your short and long-term goals. What other careers have always intrigued you? Are you an entrepreneur at heart? Would switching fields require additional training? If so, where, and how much would it cost? Above all, share your plans, however preliminary, with your support group so your friends can keep you on your toes.

Network, network, network:

In Challenger's view, you can learn a lot about being work-ready from politicians: “Be like a presidential candidate. Be upbeat and positive even if you're not feeling that great about yourself.” Make a point of getting out of the home and interacting with people. The more people you meet, the superior.

Create your own network in addition to attending professional networking events. A good way to ensure you get out there and do meaningful work is to volunteer your time for a charitable cause, according to Challenger. You never know who you will meet and what connections they might bring.

Both Kurth and Challenger suggest that you try to identify people whose work appeal to you in some way and make a point of meeting them. Offer to take them out to coffee or even lunch.

And by all means, get up to speed with all the major social networking sites like LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook. Get reacquainted with your acquaintances. “Just don't anticipate these tools to magically land you a job,” cautions Challenger.

Through all your networking efforts, stay organized in order to make ideal use of your contacts. Kurth, during a year long hiatus after his layoff in 2001, conducted over 200 informational interviews; he organized all the contact information in a easy Excel spreadsheet.

Limit your personal use: Challenger believes you're wasting your time if you devote all your time responding to on the internet job ads. That's why he advocates that you “use your personal to search for jobs after dinner.” You should spend your day meeting and interviewing with people, not in front of your personal.

Take breaks: Whether it's going out for dinner once a week (within your means, of course), going for a run each other day, or both, taking breaks from your job search is essential to your mind-body wellness, which will help you stay energetic and motivated.

There’s no denying being downsized is difficult, and bouncing back, harder still. But it isn’t impossible. Kurth spent a year exploring his options before deciding to begin Vocation Vacations, a company that helps clients test drive their dream jobs as vacations. At the time, he had three mortgages to pay off, and both he and his partner got the pink slip on the same day, but they found a way to survive. So can you. “[Being laid off] can be a tragedy or an opportunity,” offers Lore. “Turn it into an opportunity of a lifetime. What do you have to lose?”

courtesy FastCompany

Hidden' jobs aren't that hard to find

Experts say the job market is still in pretty good shape, especially for those who put some extra wisdom into their search.

Current college graduate Maureen Nelson of Pleasant Hill is looking for her first job in a new career, but she's not worried. Nelson is sure her nearly 300 contacts, on the web skills and determination will see her through.

Nelson is one of many East Bay residents who made finding a new job their New Year's resolution. The chance of succeeding isn't bad, experts say, especially if you take advantage of available resources and use the right approach.

“There is opportunity for job hunters (in the Bay Area),” said Steve Swanson, managing partner with the Oakland staffing firm PrincetonOne. Swanson, who has been with the New Jersey-based firm for 17 years, estimates that he has put 600 people in jobs.

“Some areas, like Ohio, have maybe two major industries, but the Bay Area has diversity,” Swanson said. “Construction is still very good on the commercial side. Highrises are being built on the other side of the Bay Bridge — that's millions of dollars in construction projects.” Energy and biotechnology are two other areas that are flourishing, Swanson stated.

“There's a lot of small consumer products companies like (Berkeley-based) Clif Bar and Central Pet in Walnut Creek,” Swanson said. “And there's Clorox and Chevron. I predict our office will have a 20 percent increase in revenue this year.”

Swanson's encouraging words are especially significant because the jobless rate hit 5 percent, a 2-year high, in December, according to a report by the Labor Department released Advertisement

this month. Talk of a recession is spreading thanks to the slowing housing market and the subprime mortgage meltdown.

“I think we have over-catastrophized. Most of the evidence suggests the subprime and credit crunch are not extending throughout the entire economy. And while the unemployment rate is up three-tenths of a percent, 5 percent is still a historic low,” stated career consultant Marty Nemko, who was named the Bay Area's best career coach by the Bay Guardian and is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report.

Nelson concurs with Nemko, whose strategies she's following in her job hunt.

The December JFK University graduate, who received a master's degree in career development, is active on business networking site LinkedIn, a free site that helps members build networks. She belongs to San Francisco Women on the Web, an Internet-based professional organization with its own Web site and an active e-mail list.

Though SF WOW, as members refer to it, is mostly oriented toward World wide web or high-tech jobs, members share career tips and contacts.

This group is a good example of what experts such as Nemko call the “hidden job market.” It's important to get the word out that you're looking, and what you're looking for (in Nelson's case, a job as a career counselor). That way, if your contacts hear about something, they'll let you know.

“Go to Yahoo Groups and look for a professional discussion group related to your profession,” Nelson recommended. “Then sign up for that group, and participate actively. Visibility is key.”

Attending real-life events is important as well, she said.

“I got an internship at the Concord One Stop Career Center because I joined the Association of Career Professionals International,” Nelson said. “I sat next to the director at a meeting and told her I wanted an internship.”

And, of course, Nelson uses Craigslist, the online job board founded by Craig Newmark in San Francisco that has become almost ubiquitous for job hunters and others across the country.

While her on the internet skills are formidable, Nelson said each job she found in her previous career in publishing came from a newspaper ad. So it doesn't hurt to use that resource as well.

“When I answer an ad, I target my resume and cover letter to the job,” Nelson stated. “I research the company and try to tie in my resume with the direction the company is going.” After the interview, Nelson sends both an e-mail thank-you note and one via snailmail.

Nemko recommended that job-hunters think about government work.

“Even though there's a $14 million deficit (in California), if you look at the State of California Web site, there are thousands of jobs listed. The same is true of the federal Web site,” Nemko stated.

“Working for the government is a good idea. The government offers pension plans, good medical coverage, and they're not going to offshore those jobs,” Nemko said.

Nemko recommended starting with the blue-tipped government pages in the telephone book.

“Identify areas where you've a background. If you work with children, look at Children's Protective Services and after-school programs. Look in the San Francisco directory, the Oakland directory, maybe the Walnut Creek directory,” Nemko said.

“Find the name of an agency, Google the bureau, go to their Web site, where it tells you who their leaders are. Then write those people asking for an informational interview,” Nemko stated. An informational interview is done to gather information and doesn't focus on a specific job.

In the informational interview, “they might tell you about a job that's posted or jobs that are coming up,” Nemko stated.

After you've gone all out with your efforts, be patient. It will take time, but if you're doing all the right things, you can succeed.

“I don't get each job I try for, but I get a lot of them,” said Nelson. “Persistence is what it's all about.”

Reach Janis Mara at 924-952-2671 or jmara@bayareanewsgroup.com. Check out her Energy Blog at http://www.ibabuzz.com/energy.

The days of simply browsing through the Sunday newspaper and sending out a few resumes in order to win your next career opportunity are over. The days of retiring after having worked for just one or two companies are also over. Downsizings, mergers, offshoring, acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, consolidation, and other change initiatives have required rapid adaptation of workers, hard career decisions, and frequent transitions. These days, the average worker will hold approximately ten jobs before the age of 36. The average worker will change careers several times during his or her lifetime.

While the timeframe for your job search will vary with the specifics of your situation, a commonly cited statistic is that the average job search will take anywhere from three to six months from initiation to the day you begin your new job. The U.S. Department of Labor indicates that the average length of unemployment in the U.S. is currently 18 weeks (a little over four months), but this figure covers all professions, all industries, and all professional levels. Another common job search statistic tells us that you can anticipate to spend approximately one month job searching for each $10,000 in salary you are seeking.

Do you’ve a job search planned in 2008? If you do, and if you’re looking forward to your next job search with dread, you're definitely not alone! Job searching can be incredibly stressful. But, with some planning, genuine effort, and sincere commitment, you can minimize that stress and land a new job - one that is personally, professionally, and financially rewarding - faster than you might have thought possible.

Here's a checklist to help you achieve a fast, successful job search in 2008.

_____ Set a clear target. Put yourself in the driver's seat of your career by clearly defining your job search focus. In general, the more precise and focused your job search is, the superior. For most people, the best and strongest job targets will include a statement of the job function and professional level paired with other indicators, sometimes just one and sometimes more than one, to make the job target more precise and ultimately more effective. These other indicators might be criteria such as industry, company size, company culture, or geographic location.

_____ Build your network of support. Don't underestimate the importance of having a strong support network to offer encouragement and advice, to brainstorm and share ideas with you, to help keep you accountable to the goals you set for yourself, and to help keep you on track throughout the emotional roller coaster that a job search can be. Family and friends are often included in the support network, but also consider joining a job search group or working with a career coach, particularly one who is very familiar with job search mechanics.

_____ Adjust your attitude. An enthusiastic, “can-do” attitude that exudes self-confidence and a clear understanding of the value you offer in the workplace will make all the difference. Always put a smile on your face when you talk on the phone; it will shine through in your voice. Make eye contact and watch your body signals and posture when you meet with contacts in person. Your positive, confident attitude is one that people will like to be around and will make it more likely that you will be hired.

_____ Update and revive your resume. Your resume is your first introduction to employers. Don't underestimate the importance of making a positive first impression with it! Your resume should be up-to-date, focused for the current search, employer-centered, and results-oriented. YOU are a commodity in the job market and your resume is your advertisement. If your resume needs refreshing, now is the time to do it. If you need help with your resume, you should definitely consider hiring a professional resume writer.

_____ Cultivate and strengthen your professional network. With more than 80% of available jobs never advertised, it is essential that you've the ability to access the hidden job market. Your professional network will be one of your most effective sources for information and referrals relating to the hidden job market. Of course, networking is all about relationships and so you should continuously nurture your network relationships regardless of whether you are job searching or not. But, whether you have or haven't (If you haven't, building network relationships would make a great New Year's Resolution), now is the time to reach out to everyone you know to inform them of your search and to ask for advice and referrals. Think about using a website like LinkedIn to help with your effort.

_____ Establish and promote your personal branding. At its essence, personal branding is about the authentic and very special promise of value you offer. In relation to your career, it is about the promise of value you offer that differentiates you from your peers and competitors in the workplace and job market. Branding yourself can actually have such a dramatic effect that you will become hunted rather than being the hunter for your next job opportunity.

_____ Get organized and create a system for managing your job search. An organized plan and system will help keep you motivated, moving forward, and focused on achieving the ultimate goal. At the very least, you need a calendaring system, a system of logging inter-related and follow-up activities, a contact management system, and a filing system.

_____ Create and follow a written, multi-pronged job search plan. Answering ads or posting your resume on the Internet are the easiest, but usually least effective job search techniques. Your job search plan should include a balance of techniques to access both the published and unpublished job market. Further, it should include activities prioritized and strategically selected to fit in each of the five major job search approaches: 1) Networking and referral building; 2) Targeting and contacting employers;
3) Working with recruiters and agencies; 4) Internet job searching (which also has some overlap with the 5th technique); 5) Answering advertisements.

Nationally certified resume writer and career coach, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive Career Services LLC.

Resume Action Words Create a Winning Resume
Resume action words increase the impact your resume will have on the employer. Everyone knows a successful job search strategy begins with a professionally written resume that clearly outlines your skills and qualifications. Combining your years of experience, educational accomplishments, and skills into a one or two page document can be a bit overwhelming. To top it off you need to ensure that each word you write impacts the employer in such a way that they call you for the interview.

Action words for a resume are designed to impress the employer by strengthening your qualifications. Employers typically receive hundreds of resumes for open positions. They don't have the time or resources to read every one of them. Therefore, they swiftly scan them picking out the ones that stand out from the crowd. In most cases the resumes that stand out are the ones that contain powerful keywords.

Technology has added a new twist in the job search market. Many employers now accept resumes or job applications electronically through emails or websites. Resumes received electronically are scanned for keywords related to the job announcement. If your resume happens to contain keywords related to the job criteria then it will be tagged for further review. If not, you lose out.

When you list your skills, experience, and qualifications on your resume you need to start each statement with an action word. This will show your potential employer that you're a results oriented person who can clearly communicate their experience.

Resume action words are verbs used to express your accomplishments in a concise persuasive manner.

Which job description below would grab an employer's attention?

Worked as the boss of a 15 person department

or

Supervised a team of 15 call center employees

The one that used an action verb is more specific and easier to read. It adds substance to the description.

Do you see how important it is to use action words in your resume?

Be cautious when placing action words in your resume. You don't want to “keyword stuff” your resume as you want it to read naturally. You also want to avoid using the same word over and over again. If you supervised people you can add variety by using different words like managed or led.

Do your research! There are a ton of resources on the Internet to aid you. Try to use industry related keywords. Incorporate words found in the job description. Doing so will target your resume to the specific job opening. This list of resume action words can be used as a guide to assist you in adding power to your resume.

Creating a winning resume is the ultimate goal for all job seekers. Incorporating action words into your resume guarantees it will get noticed.

The resume is only one part of the job search equation. Download our FREE Job Interview Success Tips today - By Jeff Melvin.

Turning a passion into a profession

Careful planning - and knowing there will be sacrifices - are key to taking the leap

Yes, so far, for Rich Brauman. A former staffer at the Federal Reserve Bank, Brauman ditched a career in financial markets to launch a food business that plays to his passion: aquaculture.

“On a personal level, it's something I felt like I had to do,” stated Brauman, 32. “I had followed aquaculture since high school. It was my hobby and my passion.”

And it is one he planned out carefully. He got a degree in aquaculture while working at the Fed, and then left the central bank in 2001 to enroll in the entrepreneur program at Babson College. He also launched two websites devoted to fishing tackle.

Then, three years ago, Brauman launched The Tiny Pearl. Based in Somerville, the company sells fresh, preservative-free caviar to Whole Foods markets, local hotels, upscale restaurants such as No. 9 Park, and through mail order. He's also working on new methods of harvesting caviar. In the meantime, Brauman spends a lot of time traveling around the country to find the best sources of caviar. “I've been to Northwest Alaska. Southern Idaho, North Carolina,” he stated. “Personally, I'd like to do this my whole life.”

Brauman's studied path to turning his passion into a profession is a model many could follow. According to Eric Winegardner, the director of product adoption for Monster.com, this kind of lifelong pursuit breaks into two camps: “Those who don't know what their passion is and those who do but can't figure how to tie it to employment,” he said. “You've really got to dig in and do your research. Get on the Internet, tap into your support network, find someone who does a job that you think you might be interested in doing and ask about it.”

For those who are still unsure of their calling, Winegardner suggests taking a self-assessment test on the web. “It's a great first step; it's free and can open up a whole new world for someone pondering a career change,” he said.

Monster's self-assessment tool - called Jasper - was created by a team of behavioral scientists and is designed to identify someone's workplace strengths and styles, he said. In a matter of minutes, you can find out if you're more suited to working in a large, publicly traded company or are the entrepreneurial type.

Brauman knew he was clearly the latter type. And his approach to realizing his dream was well-conceived because he wasn’t only doing something that created value for himself, but for others as well, stated Steve Shapiro, a motivational career speaker from Quincy.

“If you're serious about pursuing your passion, you've to do your homework and put yourself through training and only make the leap when you're ready,” he stated. “And once you’re, you can't just dip your toe, you have to jump in with both feet.”

Shapiro said it's important not to get restricted or intimidated by the reality checks that'll be thrown at your dreams, but to comprehend that there will be sacrifices along the way.

Dwight Schultheis and his two business partners all left six-figure jobs in the cosmetics industry to start up Getamenity.com, a company that develops quality shaving and grooming products for men.

“When we decided we were going to do this, we brought our spouses together to discuss the fact that we would have to forgo salaries for a year and not take any money out of the company,” he stated. “And to cut our living expenses, we all ended up moving back in with our parents at some point.”

Schultheis, 32, said it takes a certain type of person to strike out on his own. “If you're 23 years old and single, that's one thing. If you're in your mid-30s and about to have children, there's a different pain tolerance. Thank God we’ve a large level of pain tolerance,” he stated.

With people working so many hours these days, there's much more of an emphasis on aligning where you work with doing what you love, said Kip Hollister, chief executive of Hollister recruiting firm.

Hollister recommended analyzing whether you have “transferable skills” that could open the door to another profession or passion.

Jason Keith was able to use his ideal transferable skill, writing, after ditching his passion for a “real job.” After college, Keith spent five years trying to make it as a sports writer. He started out as a sports editor for a community newspaper, waiting for a massive break that never came. He worked 60 hours a week, covered three towns, and took a part-time job at Dunkin' Donuts, yet barely earned enough money to get by.

“Truth be told, I set myself back. I had the talent but not the connections to break into a bigger newspaper,” stated Keith, 31, of Waltham.

Keith finally threw in the towel and started a career in public relations. While he wouldn't trade his five years as a sports writer, he stated he's still paying for them. “It will take me a while to get out of the financial hole I dug for myself. At this point if given the choice between doing what I'm doing now or being a beat reporter for the Red Sox, I'd choose what I'm doing now.”

Keith's experience is a sobering reminder of the dangers in pursuing a passion: It doesn't often pay. Career consultant Marty Nemko stated millions of people have followed their passion and still haven't earned enough to even pay back student loans, let alone earn a middle-class living.

“The problem is that too many people crave the same few careers. So, you've to be a star or extremely well connected to get the job,” said Nemko, whose article “Do What You Love and You'll Starve” appears in a current issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

Courtesty Boston.com

There are lots of common job interview mistakes a candidate should avoidI have been privileged to sit in countless interviews as a panel member/ interviewer in my careerI have learnt a lot of lessons from each job interview but some mistakes stood out and were there in nearly each interview sittingJob Interview Mistakes to Avoid

Inadequate Preparation

This is the most important thing to do for any interviewPrepare enough and be ready for any questionResearch should be done on the advertising company and the sector to which the company belongsI have interviewed candidates who are highly qualified and intelligent but know nothing on the company or the sector locally and internationallyA candidate will most likely be asked about the organization, its competition, important strategies, growth, etcMost of this information is available in the internet, company brochures and annual reportsIf you're interested in joining a certain company, make it a habit to read about it from the media, attend their exhibitions and information days, ask them for their annual reports, volunteer as an intern and work hard and make your interest in the organization knownGet information on the sector in generalIf it's a job as a pilot, you’ll have to have some knowledge on the aviation sector in generalPolicies and regulations, a regulating body and how it's working relationships with the organizationGrowth information in the sector and current news in the sector are also important to knowMatching this information with one's skills, education qualifications and passions will superior equip any candidate

Time

A candidate MUST never be late for a job interviewOne must always know the venue and time for the meeting well in advanceWhen not familiar with the place, it's advisable to drive there before the day of the interview or get clear directions for getting to the placeGiving some extra 30 minutes to an hour as an allowance should be the normSome candidates take too long to answer a straight forward questionGetting straight to the point and giving real life examples will take less time and show the panel you know what you're speaking aboutTaking too much time in handling questions can be taken as a sign one is very slow in doing their job

Dressing Up or Down

Some people dress in their ideal suits, which are more suitable for a wedding than a job interviewBeing more conservative is much more professionalA dark shade of a suit is still preferableThis might be black, shade of blue or greyAvoiding the bright and busy colors like flowers and red or yellow groups of colors is advisableA shirt or top should be plain and simple in neutral and light colors like blue or whiteMake up should also be worn in moderation and with a more natural look

Handshake

I've experience too firm and too soft handshakes from candidatesThere is no right or wrong but appropriate for the certain cultureSome cultures don't even believe in handshakes at allSome think firm is aggressive and soft is lazyFinding out whom your interviewer is and learning a tiny bit about his or her culture when possible can helpOtherwise try and match her or his handshake

Sitting

Slouching in the chair looks very lazy and disrespectfulSitting upright and leaning a little forward is professional and shows interestFacing the interviewer and nodding in agreement shows that one is paying attention

Eye Contact

Eye contact can also be a culture issueIn some cultures eye contact could be a sign of disrespectHowever, in the absence of known cultural taboos, one should confidently maintain the eye contact with the interviewerA smile also shows that one is pleasantI remember a girl we recommended for a position because of a constant smileShe displayed a warm character and was interesting to listen tooA smile also perfects one's voice

Not Doing Enough for a Promotion

The internal candidates who are interviewed for a promotion usually do worse that the external onesThe reason is that they assume the interviewer knows their abilities and hard workHowever an interview is the platform to sell one's selfDisregard the knowledge an interviewer has and communicate all important information as you would with a strangerBe detailed enough even on projects in which your interviewer worked closely with youIt is very difficult to recommend a candidate that performed poorly compared to the rest especially if there are co-interviewers involvedThere was a gentleman I know and liked for the position but left out all the important projects he did in the interviewHe simply assumed, the panes knows his experience and did not try hard enough to be convincingHe took the shortest time and gave the worst responsesHe missed on the promotion and a less experienced and less skilled candidate was appointed

Appearing to be Arrogant

Sometimes one just knows too much about the position and its job descriptionThey are well-prepared and well qualifiedAppearing like a know-it-all candidate shows an aggressive characterThis might be shown by trying to correct the interviewer when making technical mistakes about the subject, arguing unnecessarily and making a long list of suggestions for the companyMost mistakes can wait until one is appointed to deal with them

Not Asking a Question

As much as one prepares to handle question, he or she should prepare the questions to ask the interviewerYou will most likely be given an opportunity to ask a questionA response that one has no question to ask shows the lack of interest and even low intellectual capacityEvery candidate should have an interest in the job enough to want to get more informationYou might ask about the job itself for exampleWhom a successful candidate will report to, training programs, company growth prospects and expansion, etcThe questions should be prepared and rehearsed

Complaining

A candidate might complain about being kept waiting, not being given enough time to prepare or being given bad directionsSometimes the complain is reasonable but made in a harsh mannerState your concern in a reasonable mannerKeeping on and on about how bad the company has treated you'll not get you the jobYou may be taken as a difficult candidate with an aggressive nature

There are a lot more other mistakes like leaving a cell phone on, chewing a gum to rest, dressing in revealing clothing, giving dishonest answers, etcTry your best and keep it realThis is usually the only opportunity for you to get your dream job Nombini Kutta-Mathye is an author and creator of http://www.healthfun-ps.com/.

Organize Your Search Using The Rule Of Thirds

A job search is a complicated and time consuming business. Sometimes your goal is simple: you know exactly the job you're looking for, so there's not a lot of “search” involved. It's all a matter of getting your face in front of the person who does the hiring for that position.

But more often than not, it's a job “search” because you don't know exactly what you're looking for. You know you need a new job, but the who, what, where and which job questions are wide open. It's this sort of job search that can become chaotic. The choices are overwhelming.

This approach gives your job search organization and focus

Nowadays, people in this sort of situation just hit the job boards and carpet bomb their resumes everywhere they have the ability to think of. This is one of my problems with using the job boards as your primary job search tool. They make it so easy (A click of a mouse and your resume has been sent out 200 times! Surely one of those resumes will get a response!) that you get fooled into thinking 10 minutes of job search activity is adequate.

This is a very counterproductive job search method. If you're managing 200 applications, you're not really focusing on any one of them. In addition, have you given 200 different positions any thought at all? A successful job search is about research, focus and a careful consideration of your qualifications and chances. You need a strategy, not a roll of the dice.

So, instead of the scatter shot method above, why not think about employing a strategy I've been suggesting to my clients for years?

It's called the Rule of Thirds.

No, this has nothing to do with photography. The Rule Of Thirds

The basic concept is a easy one. You need to bring some sort of organization and cohesiveness to your job search. So what you do is divide the positions you're looking at into three categories and focus of these one set at a time.

* The first category represents jobs you think are probably outside your league. These are the jobs you run across that make you say, “Gee, I'd love to have that job. In another life maybe.” They're jobs you're not quite qualified for, or positions at companies you'd love to work for but don't think you'd be able to stand out from the competition. In other words, these are the dream jobs.
* The second category covers the jobs you think you can probably get. These are the most likely candidates, maybe not as glamorous as category-one jobs, but perfectly respectable. These are jobs you'd be happy to have and jobs you're pretty sure you could qualify for easily.
* The third categories are random jobs. I mean, totally random, out-of-left field jobs that you stumble across and think, “Why not?” Maybe you're qualified, maybe not. Maybe they're outside your career field even, but hey, they'd be fun.

So what I would tell my clients to do is bring me three jobs that fit each category… a total of 9 jobs. Then, we'd sit down and evaluate them and apply to each one. We'd concur on a period of time to wait for responses (24 hours, 72 hours, a week… all depending on the situation). The key would be, the job searcher wouldn't apply to any other jobs until the time period was up.

Sometimes if time was an issue, we'd select only 3 jobs (one from each category) or even 15 (five from each category) but never more than that. Why This Works

This method always seemed to be unusually successful. I think the reasons are twofold…

The Rule of Thirds gives you discipline

Firstly, the three categories give structure to the job search. This method has a set of purposes and goals, instead of the mindless lets-play-the-numbers approach of carpet bombing your resume 200 times. The three categories are each balanced to grant for taking a chance, playing it safe, and random chance. Don't underestimate the random approach of category three. As in love, there's a lot of serendipity to the job search, and you should always allow for that.

So the three category approach gives your job search focus… a game plan that's still wide open and flexible to fit several different kinds of opportunities. But secondly, the Rule of Thirds also gives you discipline.

The very act of selecting and categorizing the openings forces you to give each position greater consideration and scrutiny. In addition, forcing yourself to wait a given amount of time allows you to consider each job and really suss out potentials and strategies. By forcing my clients to wait, I found that they'd done more research on each company/position in the intervening time. They were often better prepared, and sometimes had even taken the time to find other avenues of applying, such as walking in and applying in person.

The modern job search approach of pointing and clicking is impersonal. No job opening is anything more than a mouse click different than another. You're just another faceless application to the employer; and the employers are just another name on a list to you. The Rule of Thirds approach slows you down enough to make it more real.

So, give it a try and let me know your results. Don't be afraid to tailor it to your own situation. If you're skeptical, try it out with only 3 total jobs at first, one for each category. Maybe try varying your focus time limit… sometimes wait a day and sometimes wait a week.

If you try this and have any feedback, let me know in the comments.

Courtesty of TheJobBored.com

How to Use a Networking Site�

Amid all the chatter about user-generated content and Web 2.0, another class of Web services has been quietly gaining momentum. Call it the “professional Web”: on the internet services designed explicitly to help you manage your career and do your job better.

LinkedIn, for one, has been adding 120,000-plus members a week and now has nearly 10 million total. Users of Jigsaw have compiled more than 5.3 million business contacts, adding 12,000 a day.� Right now, the most obvious value that these services provide is the opportunity to own (and control) your on the web identity. LinkedIn, as well as the services Ziggs and ZoomInfo, let you create a profile for free. (ZoomInfo also proactively aggregates Web info about professionals–34 million so far–and lets you verify your identity.)

Search for a name and these profiles generally show up in a search engine's top 10. This is a low-stress way to control your image and, incidentally, make yourself a passive job seeker.� Still, a site can't necessarily build a business on such a narrow premise, so each service is adding features designed to get us to use them more. Ziggs, for example, has ambitiously rebuilt its people search engine into a Web desktop where you can orient your world around the folks you know–from work, college, etc. “People were using us once a month as a reference site, and when they'd come, they'd spend two or three minutes,” says Ziggs CEO, Tim DeMello. “Now they're spending 10 times as much time. We want to offer daily utility.”� Unfortunately, daily utility is the fool's gold of the professional Web. Most people are not going to reinvent their whole routine to match someone else's business model, which makes Ziggs more interesting for its parts than its whole. Take Elizabeth Yekhtikian, a PR professional in Boston who uses Ziggs to prospect for new clients. “If I’ve an idea for a new business, I'll invite them into this professional environment for a chat,” she says. Ziggs also allows you to send someone a cup of coffee (not instant coffee: a Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) gift card).

But if no one you know is on the service, are you really going to invite people to join just to swap java?� Moreover, having someone's contact information doesn't make him or her a colleague. “How does one extract strength from such weak ties?” asks Hans Gieskes, CEO of H3.com, a service that tries to bolster those ties with cash incentives when people recommend others for jobs.� As an experiment, I imported 1,200 contacts into LinkedIn. Of those, about 350 were already members. I contacted all of them and asked them to connect. More than 230 have done so. But more interesting was the full gamut of responses to my request. It ranged from “Who are you, again?” to being thrilled to reconnect. Many people, justifiably, were protective of their contacts. “At some point, building a network just becomes an end in itself,” was a recurring refrain, something I was clearly guilty of. Those folks comprehend LinkedIn's greatest value, and its greatest flaw: Let one pushy semi- outsider into your network, and you've polluted it.� Is there a way to make this evolving professional Web work for you? LinkedIn is certainly useful for tracking your most trusted colleagues. But “use it for high-value items only,” counsels Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, assistant professor at Harvard Business School, who has been studying social networks since 2003. That means: It ain't an each day tool.�

And for all those other people you've met professionally–those you're not quite ready to have in your network yet–consider the sneaky power of Web 2.0: Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Alerts, Flickr (NASDAQ:YHOO) pic streams, del.icio.us news-article feeds, and blog posts can quietly keep you up to date on what they're up to. Over time, you can casually ping them with good quarterly reports and other news until you earn the trust that a LinkedIn connection just presumes. Only then will the people, and not the connection, be what's most important.

Have you ever negotiated an offer?

If not, you're not alone. Most people DO NOT negotiate salary. They accept what’s offered.

Whether you negotiate a salary or not is secondary to doing your homework before accepting an offer. It is always best to take some time before signing on the dotted line so that you understand exactly what you’re gaining - or losing.

Here's an example of someone who jumped at an offer before doing his homework.

Nicholas received an on-the-spot offer and was thrilled. This was the job he wanted and he was anxious to get started. He was going to get more money, and a bonus. What more could he ask for?

When he got home that evening, he sat down with pencil and paper and began to evaluate the offer, and what he was getting overall. He wasn’t only shocked by what he discovered, but wished that he could go back and talk about some of the issues. But, he'd signed on the “dotted line” that afternoon.

Once you sign the offer letter, you've essentially signed a contract. It is too late to go back and negotiate. Never accept an on-the-spot offer, unless it is completely out-of-this-world. It is generally wise to evaluate what you’re gaining and losing. Let's look at what Nicholas found out by doing some easy calculations.

Nicholas was offered $55,000 per year, with a hiring bonus of $5,000 paid in two payments over the next six months. This was a $5,000 a year increase from what he was making on his last job, and a bonus to boot. An extra $10,000.00.

When he and his wife looked over the benefits package they discovered that he would now have to pay the insurance premiums for his dependents. His last employer had paid the premiums for the entire family. -$350.00/per month - $4200 per year His new vacation package offered two weeks time off, accrued over the next twelve months. His former package included three weeks vacation. -$962.00 one week's vacation pay

Nicholas was receiving a 6.5% yearly bonus, based on company earnings in his last position. His new company does not have a planned bonus as part of the salary. Bonuses are earned based on performance, and given as judged appropriate. -$3250.00 per year - lost bonus

His former employer matched 50 cents for every dollar contributed up to 6% on his 401K account. This company does not match funds. -$1500.00 per year (based on 6% contribution)

His calculations showed a minus of $10,000 a year from his new offer, based on cost of insurance premiums, lost bonus, and lost matching 401K contributions. He wasn't quite so thrilled with the offer anymore.

At least he got that $5000 hiring bonus, which will cushion the fall. But even that'll be affected - he didn't expect the higher tax rate on “special” checks that was deducted from the bonus money. These higher rate taxes can run as high as 41.5%.

Nicholas got the job he wanted, and maybe that's worth more to him than the money difference. But, it would have been wise to make the decision with all the facts before signing the offer letter. He might have been able to negotiate another $5,000 to compensate for the benefits differences. Or, given the higher tax rate he could have negotiated for an increase in the hiring bonus.

It is always ideal to take some time to reflect on the “total package.” Benefits can be worth another 20-50% of your salary. There are other factors to consider besides money - more challenging work, better company, a greater opportunity. It may be worth giving up dollars now to invest in your future. However, the decision should be thought through before rushing ahead.

If pressed to give your answer to an offer on-the-spot, always stall for time. Tell them that you need to do some calculations and consider it. There is only one window of chance to negotiate your terms of employment.. Once you state “Yes!” - the window closes.

Make sure you take the time to consider all your options. It's not always as good as it looks.

Carole Martin, America's #1 Interview Expert and Coach, can give you interviewing tips like no one else can.

Hints for working with a headhunter

If you're looking for work, that might or might not be a good thing.

Headhunters often have direct lines into desired positions, but also serve as gatekeepers who reject candidates they don't think fit the bill. The key is finding out how to work with one of these job recruiters so you can be considered for the position you want.

First, remember that a headhunter, or recruiter, works for the employer. That means you don't get to set the rules and must find a way to make yourself a desirable candidate.

Come across as arrogant, difficult or lacking skills, and the recruiter will move on to other candidates.

However, if you're professional, possessing valuable and up-to-date skills, the headhunter will keep you in mind for all sorts of job openings.

Jeremy Lappin, chief executive of BountyJobs, an on the web hiring marketplace geared to companies looking for employees, says too many people are unprepared and uneducated about how to work effectively with a recruiter.

“Some people call a headhunter and state, 'Find me a job.' That's not the way it works. You've got to position yourself so the headhunter wants you,” he states.

Some tips for working with headhunters include:

• Practice your elevator pitch. This means that in the time it would take you to promote yourself to a company CEO on an elevator ride, you should be able to clearly and concisely explain to a recruiter why you would be a valuable employee. Don't worry about job titles and dates of employment. Speak about how you saved your company money by implementing a new system, or how you're often brought in as quality control on important projects, or how your creative energies led to several industry awards.

• Don't lie. Headhunters are savvy enough to check up on your background, and they'll catch you in untruths, whether it is exaggerating your contribution to a company's bottom line or what university you attended. They'll not recommend a less-than-honest candidate to any employer.

• Do your homework. It's fair to ask the headhunter about other clients and how much expertise they have in your area of interest. You can even ask to talk with someone with whom they've worked.

• Be realistic. Do your research about salary norms in your area so that you're not making unreasonable demands to the headhunter.

• Trust your gut. Do you communicate well with the headhunter? Face-to-face meetings may not be possible, but you should develop a rapport with the recruiter so that you feel comfortable with that person's knowledge of you and of the industry. Even though the recruiter is working for the employer, you need to feel comfortable that you’ll be treated fairly and professionally throughout the interview and hiring process.

• If you choose to work with multiple headhunters, let each of them know what you're doing. Otherwise, more than one might promote you to the same employer, and that can be a problem when it comes time for them to collect their fees.