You’ve been laid off - stop crying!
You’ve been laid off. I’ve been laid off. Your neighbor has been laid off. The unemployment rate is astronomical and everyone you know is looking for a job. Get over it and start acting like a grown up. There I said it. Now is not the time to freak out and worry about your situation. Now is the time to man (woman) up, get out there, and take care of your responsibilities. Welcome to the tough love post.
After you’ve taken a day or two to cry and wallow in your tears, you need a plan. I’m not really into lame quotes but take this one to heart, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”.
Take stock of your job search tools and be sure they are ready for prime time:
- Is your resume up to date with your most recent accomplishments. Bring multiple copies. Be sure it’s not on wild cherry colored paper unless your interviewing for an art teacher job.
- Have you organized and got permission to use references; employers are going to ask and you should have them ready to sing your praises. Be sure you let your referee know what jobs you are interviewing for and what areas in your background you’d like for them to speak to. You don’t want them flying blind.
- Take a look in the mirror. Not everyone can afford an Armani suit but everyone can go into an interview well groomed and looking sharp. Will the interview team like what they see when you show up? Pants pressed. Shirt clean. Makeup neat. Shoes polished. Nails/hands clean. You get my point.
- Check your attitude. I’m not a self affirmation kind of guy but you need to be in the right frame of mind when your meeting with your future employer. Do not show up with an, “I’ve already lost” or “I’m not going get this job” type attitude or you might as well not go. Carry yourself with a quiet confidence that lets them know you mean business.
- Be sure your ride is clean. Your car says a lot about you. If you can’t afford to clean your car, park it at the rear or the parking lot hidden behind a dumpster. You do not want to show up looking like a million bucks while getting out of a car that looks like it has swine flu. Take your beater through a gas station car wash. This might be the best $4 you spend.
The bottom line is you need to get yourself in the right frame of mind; ready to perform. This is your time to shine and you need to embrace the challenge of the job interview (now cower from it). Prepare yourself for success. Get yourself together and go get that job.
![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.careerunleashed.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
Tags: Duane, Impressions
733 views
May 19th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Excellent tips on taking responsibility for your job search.
May 19th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
That’s what it’s all about. Realizing that you have a say in how you conduct your search and not letting someone else (person or a company) dictate to you how it will be conducted.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:00 am
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I’ll definitely be coming back to your site.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 am
[...] - researched and learned all you can about the company, interview team and hiring manager. - properly formatted your resume and made sure it presents you in the best light for the position you are interviewing for. - bought a spiffy new suit and even got your car cleaned (see previous post - Stop Crying). [...]
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Kris -
Appreciate you stopping by and look forward to your continued input.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 pm
You got a really useful blog I have been here reading for about an hour. I am a newbee and your success is very much an inspiration for me. If you got time, If you got time please check out my blog
Thanks.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Sharon -
Thanks for stopping by and spending time on the site. My years on the recruiting side have taught me that when it comes to a job search, one size doesn’t not fit all. The one thing we can all control is how we approach the search (including our attitudes).
Continued success.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
The article is very good. Write more please
June 17th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Thanks much for blog post. It’s really imformative read.
I enjoy to read http://www.careerunleashed.com!
July 6th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
It’s a masterpiece. I have never thought people can have such ideas and thoughts. You are great.
July 7th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Hello
nice content..
thanx man for sharing
July 7th, 2009 at 3:12 am
Perfect!
August 25th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Hey, ok, I get it, I guess - but does this really work?
August 25th, 2009 at 3:23 am
Really work yes - easy no.
September 14th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Hey good stuff…keep up the good work! I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks,)
A definite great read…
October 5th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
I really enjoy reading Career Management Tool - dRecruits » Blog Archive » You’ve been laid off - stop crying! . It’s very interesting. Hope you will post something like this again.