Finding a Job Under Tough Circumstances
Copyright 2005 The Perfect Interview
Anyone can find a job. That’s right, I said “anyone”. And
I meant it. But the caveat is: I didn’t say what kind of
job. You can go out and start flipping burgers, and whine
about the tough breaks life handed you when your company
down-sized, or you can reach higher, and go for that job
you really want, and know you have the experience and
enthusiasm for.
Reaching higher means being on your toes, in every sense of
the words. You’ll have to stretch yourself too- make that
extra effort to overcome the obstacles in your way. Nobody
said getting the right job would be easy. But it’s there,
waiting, if you’re willing to reach.
To show you what we mean, I’m going to give you an example
of one executive’s ego-crushing layoff. Down but not out,
this man took personal circumstances that could have held
him back, and built on them so that he stood on a solid
foundation and put that perfect job within his reach.
Sean Davidson* was a senior level marketing manager. His
company was downsizing, and in a performance review, it was
felt that Sean was the staff member in that type of
position that they could most do without. What followed was
eight months of frustration, and confidence testing, as he
attended job fairs, network events, and searched Internet
employment sites. Then he landed an interview for a job
that not only matched his skill set, but which he wanted
badly. How did he overcome the negativity of his layoff?
When asked about the gap in his employment, Sean took the
initiative and spoke about strategic mistakes he had made
in his last position, and how the slow growth in their
industry, had led to a decision to lay off staff. He then
went on to talk about new growth areas and the how a
company can make the most of the opportunities offered, and
increase their market share. His explanation and proposals,
not only showed his awareness of current market conditions,
but also displayed his business competency.
He had turned the focus of the question from why he was
laid off, to showing what he had learned from the business
conditions that caused it, and how he could help the
interviewing company to improve their position. And he got
the job!
*Names changed to protect confidentiality
Joel Vance is an Human Resources expert who has been in HR
for 17 years and interviewed 3,159 people. He has also
taught at 4 major universities around the country and
currently has a best selling book on interviewing entitled
The Perfect Interview at
http://www.theperfectinterview.com
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