 The economy is recovering, even perking up. But the competition remains fierce for jobs. No matter why you lost your job, your attitude about how you handle finding a future job tells a lot about you to a potential employer.
Margie Warrell wrote in Forbes about how a friend’s husband became depressed when he lost his job in the market meltdown of 2008. Any of us who have lost a job know it can feel like a whack from Thor’s hammer, but the story isn’t new. While the hurt goes deep and seems scary, the challenge is in how we handle the setback. It is okay to be upset that you lost your job. But it is not okay to let it turn you into the Grinch, or worse, ill. So, how do you stop the madness? How do you turn around the bad attitude into one that fosters a positive vibe? Don’t be a whiner. Wallowing in self-pity feeds negativity, and negativity makes you a victim not a success. Let go of the past and reclaim your personal power. Focus on the here and now and set your sights moving forward. Your job does not define who you are. If you lost your job, recognize that it likely occurred as the result of an economic environment beyond your control. It was not meant as a personal rejection. Each day is a new day, a time to encounter opportunities. Pick yourself up. Re-evaluate your priorities and draft a plan. Build the right relationships. Begin your day toward creating relationships with those who can encourage you and assist you with finding a new job. Ask those you know to connect you or introduce you to key people. Register with staffing firms. Use social networking but always keep your professional profile positive and remember to extend kindness and courtesy to those who assist you. Foster hope. Depression sucks your energy. Hope enlivens. Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people. Realign friendships if you need to and hang out with those who build your self-esteem. Read inspirational books. Make confidence-building a family project. Stay healthy. Do what makes sense to stay strong and fit. While exercise builds your immune system and relieves stress, hobbies or activities that involve family or pets refresh everyone. Consider volunteering. Tasks like serving meals at a homeless shelter or mowing the yard for a neighbor who has cancer take your mind from your problems and boost your spirits, too. Let us help you find your new job Time Staffing is actively recruiting skilled workers to fill our many open jobs. If you have been seeking clerical, administrative, general labor, assembly, machinist or shift work, we have jobs available. You can create an account in under two minutes. Don’t wait. Your best job ever could be waiting! 1) Have more than one resume handy (unless your recruiter has advised you otherwise). While most employers may choose to see only the last 15 years of your employment history, others may wish to see every job from your first to present one. Why? Talking points for interviews or full disclosure in the case of background checks.
2) Emphasize results and accomplishments using numbers or quantities. “I managed a 15-person department with the highest tenured workers and lowest turnover rate in the company” sounds both credible and believable. Or, “I wrote a sales letter that brought in five high-profile clients in one week.” 3) Have gaps in your work history? Strategically discuss transferrable skills you used during those periods. Be sure to have potential responses for any questions about why those skills make you valuable. Stress your interpersonal skills and your ability to identify and speak easily with people of all ages. If true, mention that experience has provided you with wisdom and great problem-solving skills. 4) Be prepared for questions that border on impropriety or legality. Avoid mentioning dates. If asked a question about age, politely turn the question back. “How do you see age affecting the ability to perform this job?” Or, The AARP suggests you say, “When I reach the point where I can’t learn from someone younger or older than I am, I will stop working.” 5) Enthusiastically state your willingness to learn. Ensure the interviewer of your technological aptitude, particularly if you have sought and taken classes on your own. Be a proactive job-seeker It’s a good idea to get to know the companies in your vicinity or the area where you wish to work. You can often find information about businesses in your area on the Internet, in newspapers or through community organizations. Also, partner with a staffing firm like Time Staffing, Inc. We have built a relationship with local employers and have knowledge of current available jobs. Striking up a mentoring relationship with somebody is a great way to show a commitment to your job and career and also help you succeed more quickly... quite possibly in ways you hadn’t imagined.
Depending upon your employer, you might have the opportunity to participate in a formal mentoring program. Even if you don’t, you should consider seeking out a mentor, anyway. Mentors can be a tremendous source of information and support, not to mention a catalyst for growth. However, you shouldn’t seek a mentoring relationship from just anybody. Remember, this is a person from whom you hope to learn and grow. With that in mind, below are six characteristics of a good mentor: They’re encouraging, especially in regards to continuous training and education. Engaging in continuous training is probably one of the ways that the mentor reached a high level of achievement and put themselves in a position to be a mentor in the first place. As such, they should be eager to share their passion for learning. They’re enthusiastic about what they do. Nobody wants to be mentored by someone who is lackadaisical or indifferent. Enthusiastic people make other people enthusiastic, and enthusiasm is absolutely a prerequisite for improvement. They exhibit a positive attitude. This is another intangible attribute that’s crucial to success, both overall and in a mentoring atmosphere. Like enthusiasm, a positive attitude is “contagious.” A good mentor will infuse their protégé with positive energy and optimism. They have different strengths than you. A mentor should help to improve your areas of weakness, and that won’t happen if they’re weak in the same areas that you are. Instead, find somebody who will counteract your weaknesses and help transform them into strengths. They’re a good listener. A good mentor knows that they can learn as much from you as you can learn from them. Not only that, but they should also be familiar with your goals, personality, background and beliefs if they are to provide the best mentoring relationship possible. They provide honest feedback. A good mentor should encourage you, but not at the expense of providing you with the type of feedback that will help you to grow. If you’re faltering in an area, they should point it out and offer constructive suggestions. One of the great things about mentoring relationships is that they can be formed in just about any employment situation. While you might be apprehensive about approaching a potential mentor, don’t let that stop you. They’ll probably be flattered. Instead, draw upon the experience and expertise of those around you, and make a solid investment in your job, your career, and your future. In April, Katie Donovan, an equal pay advocate, and speaker on equal pay and women’s salary negotiations, launched a petition to urge the federal government to pass the Salary Disclosure to Promote Equality Act (SDPEA), proposing to give both the company and candidate dignity and fairness in the salary negotiation process.
Donovan explains, “Employers get to ask prospective employees about their salary and credit histories, yet most employers don’t even give the slightest hint of the salary range leaving the applicant at a huge information disadvantage.” According to the petition, the proposed legislation would include the following components:
Why make this a component of the federal agenda? Donovan states that while companies boldly require more information on potential employees, such as access to social media sites, they may not share the same level of transparency with potential or current employees. Further, there is a lack of actual market data on salaries, particularly based on gender. Female candidates, Donovan believes, still earn about 80 % of the salary of their male counterparts. Cumulatively, that can result in excess of $500,000 over their career tenure. Even Forbes contributor, Freek Vermeulen cites pay differential between men and women. He shoots down the story of firm specific skills as the reason. Donovan believes that the SDPEA would support every man and woman in the job market whether a new college grad looking for the first professional job, a mom re-entering the workforce or one of the millions laid off during the recession and seeking a new opportunity. Want to be treated fairly? Partnering with a staffing firm like Time Staffing, Inc. not only improves your chances of securing a job because but also having an advocate for the best pay rate possible for that job and your skill level. Register today. |
