Laid Off? Now What?...more tips

Continuing from my last blog...here sre some more tips and actions to keep you sane while looking for work.

5. It's all about Attitude! Go to any job networking session you learn about. All of them are valuable. Part of it is just feeling like you're doing everything you can to get back on your feet. If you have an attitude that you're going to work at this that will come across and will bring opportunities to you.

6. Volunteer. Let's say you are going to be out of work for six months. What could you do with six months of your time? Make sure you come away with it with a great project under your belt. Why not volunteer your time with a charity that could use your skills? Not only will you feel good about yourself, you'll come away with job experience so you won't have a hole in your resume. build a website for Amnesty International. This is impressive - saying you were "on the beach" for six months is NOT. Plus you'll make great friends.

7. References - Get in touch with your old boss and coworkers as quickly as possible to ask for references. You never know when these references will come in handy.

8. Join or update your socu=ial networking profiles such as LinkedIn or Facebook. These sites are invaluable networking tools in the internet age.

9. Consider becoming a consultant. Depending on your career, freelance consulting work may be a viable option. It could at least provide some temporary income while you look for long-term employment.

REMEMBER
1. No one owes you a job.
2. If you want a job, you’re going to have to work hard to get it. Job-hunting success is in direct proportion to job-hunting effort.
3. Successful job-hunting requires a willingness to change tactics. If what you’re doing doesn’t work, then try something else.

Behavior Based Questions

Behaviour based interviewing is built on the assumption that past experience (behavior) is the best predictor of future performance.
Behaviourbased questions seek demonstrated examples of behavior from your past experience and concentrate on job related functions. Questions are always open ended and often begin with: Tell me about", "Describe a time", "Give me an example of"
Here are some examples I use when i interview candidates:

1. Describe a difficult problem that you’ve had to deal with and how you resolved it
2. Describe a situation when you found yourself challenged. How did you handle it.
3. Tell me about a situation in which you were able to satisfy a difficult or irate customer

How to Prepare for an Interview

During these very tough economic times it is becoming increasingly important to prepare for that next job interview. It is easy to become complacent. Going for a job interview is hard work. Start preparing now so that when the time comes for your interview, you will be ready. Start rehearsing your answers to tough interview questions so that it comes out natural during the interview.