With the onset of the recession, many thousands of workers across the globe have lost their jobs. For many long-term employees this comes as a nasty shock. The ritual of not getting up for work soon wears off. When the horror subsides, people quickly recognize that they must update their CVs with their latest skills and achievements and contemplate the prospect of that dreaded next job interview. Depending on the nature of the work, the unemployed individual may well not have been working in a customer-focused environment and his/her communication skills may well have atrophied.
Redundancy can be like a death in the family. It fills people with the fear of an uncertain future. How soon before I get that next job? Would changing career path now be the correct decision? It hurts not to be working - it hurts not to feel needed. It hurts not to be surrounded with one's friends and colleagues. If you are single and home alone, it's quite an alienating experience. If you're married, you have the personal uncertainty to worry about as well as the concern for your family's future. Can you continue to afford piano lessons for your daughter? Are her drama lessons absolutely necessary?
The good news is that help is at hand and if you fall into the category of person who has had a job which is not customer facing, you will probably need that little bit of assistance to fire up your confidence and get you speaking and selling yourself like a professional.
The first thing is to update that CV. Keep it tight, accurate and full of your workplace achievements. For example, since taking over as Head of Export Sales in 2005, your sales figures have been best in the company and broke all industry trends. If it's true, don't be shy about making that very clear. The interview is the opportunity to put the flesh on the bones of this occurrence. It's important to describe the challenges of the job as well explain how you overcame them and received an award. Emphasize your project management skills - how you had to manage your time between London and Tokyo, product launches across continents, languages and cultures takes some effort. Speak enthusiastically about your positive input - if you are not enthusiastic, do not expect your interviewer to pick up on your major achievements.
Enthusiasm is infectious - it sends positive vibrations of personal creativity and success. People like to work with successful people. People like to work with creativity. It is a personally rewarding experience. Confidence is the key. Sadly, if you have been out of work for some time, it's highly likely that your confidence has taken something of a dent. That said, there's lots of professional help out there for you. Don't be afraid of asking for help when it's needed. Think of this learning opportunity as an investment in the future, not another cost when you can least afford it.
Author Resource:
Vince Stevenson has worked for many famous financial institutions in London and has extensive experience of interviews from both sides of the table. Vince is a founder and director of the College of Public Speaking, one of the UK's leading presentation skills companies and has taken over the personal development brief. Visit the College of Public Speaking at => http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/Interview_Skills.html
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