Dealing With Unemployment

As many of this week’s readers are aware, losing your job will be one of the most traumatic things that will happen you in life.

When you first get the news that you’re losing your job, you might break down and become overwhelmed with emotion.  It’s as though the news is just too much to bear.  Coming to terms with the reality of unemployment can indeed be a painful experience.  For anyone who has invested time and energy in their work-life and education, losing their job or being unable to secure one after you have completed your second or third level education is devastating. 

You may go numb for a while.  That’s because the body has a natural defense mechanism to protect itself from the shock.  It temporarily “shuts down” to give you time to adjust.  Following on from that shock, you can decide to use this as an opportunity to follow a dream you’ve had for many years and set the steps in motion towards reaching that goal.  You may decide to become involved in areas like volunteering (become aware of the many ways you can make a valuable contribution within your community and further a-field) or working on becoming an entrepreneur.

It is the attitude you adopt that will be the deciding factor for your progress from here.  This attitude can be developed and strengthened over time.  You must re-build and maintain positive self-belief.  In the case of job searching it will help to:

·       Gain a new job competence by up-skilling.

·       Do not run away from challenging roles that may come your way.   If a particular job appears to be beyond your talent and you are tempted not to apply, stretch yourself beyond your “comfort zone” and face it.  It will only give you an impetus to try harder next time. 

·       A specialty is very important, find your “centre of excellence” and be able to convey this clearly to prospective employers.  Acknowledge your own talents and goals.

·       Set realistic goals and targets for yourself, you will need focus and direction to drive forward. 

Still Reason to be cheerful following Redundancy

·       Be thankful for your health each day, enjoy it, it’s precious.

·       There’s real value out there now, go after it and use it.

·       This new opportunity can be the fulfilling of that dream you’ve always had.

Instead of asking yourself “why should I keep going?” ask yourself “why should I not keep going”?  It is in realizing that you are greater than your current situation or your current reality that you begin creating change and forward movement in your life.

Following on from this adjustment, it’s time to look to the future.  You will be successful with the right attitude.  Why journey alone? Call now for the assistance of a Life Coach and you will have the support you need to get started.

Nuala Duignan,

Dip. Professional Business and Life Coaching

Dip. Train the Trainer, FETAC, Level 6.

Tel. 087  2532675

View Testimonial page on

www.nualaduignanlifecoach.com

Whose Recession Is It Anyway? part iv - Dealing With Rejection

If you’re a job hunter and you’re doing your job properly, then you’re going to get a lot of rejections when you apply for jobs.

In today’s economic climate, getting rejected is far more likely than being accepted. It is not unusual for people to apply for hundreds of jobs before they achieve any success. So getting used to rejection, and not allowing it to dampen your hopes, is an essential pre-requisite to successful job hunting.

Rejection letters are an inevitable part of looking for a job. They are proof that you are active; so try to look upon them as a positive sign that you are doing something. Remember, the only people who don’t get rejection letters are those sitting on their backsides and doing nothing to look for a job.

Rejection comes in two ways. The nicest way is you get a letter thanking you for your application, but explaining you’ve been unsuccessful; at least this is an acknowledgement that your application was received.
The worst rejection is no response, and sadly that is becoming more and more common. In the main it’s not that employers can’t be bothered to reply to applicants, it’s just they can’t cope with the volume of applications they are getting these days. So don’t be upset if you don’t hear anything, just see it as a consequence of the times we are living in.

When you are looking for a job in today’s climate, it’s really important to stay optimistic. Don’t give up, even if you don’t seem to be getting anywhere. It’s not a reflection of you if all you seem to be getting is refusals; it’s simply the lack of vacancies and the volume of applicants chasing the few that are out there.

Hunting for a job is a little like selling a new product into a new market. Sales people tend to work on a 10% model. They expect to have to contact 100 prospective customers in order to get 10 appointments; and then they have to attend 10 appointments in order to get one successful sale.

Adapting this model to the job hunting environment means you might have to apply for 100 jobs in order to get 10 interviews; and you’ll have to attend 10 interviews in order to get the job you’re looking for.

So as you can see, not only is it going to be hard work, but most of it is going to be un-productive. Ninety-nine per cent of what you do will yield no tangible result. Almost all your hard work will fall on stony ground; it’ll seem like a waste of time.

That’s not the case though if you think about it positively. Try to keep in mind that every rejection, and every failed interview, is actually a step nearer eventual success. You’ve got to fail ninety-nine times in order to succeed once; that’s a fact of life for most job hunters.

So start seeing rejections and failures as mile stones towards your goal of getting a new job. The more rejections you notch up, the closer you are to success.

Don’t take rejections personally. They are not a reflection of your ability or capability. They do not signify that you are useless or unemployable. They don’t mean your CV is no good, or you performed badly in an interview. They are simply the result of the numbers game.

Getting a rejection letter, or getting no response to a job application, has no deep significance or profound meaning; so don’t let it get you down. Shrug off the rejections; say to yourself, “They obviously weren’t meant to be. There’s something better out there waiting for me; I’ve just got to keep looking until I find it.”

Abraham Lincoln put it this way, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
There are jobs out there. They may be few and far between, but they are there and you will get one if you keep looking. It’s just a matter of time and effort. Remember success really is nine-tenths perspiration.

Sometimes the wisest words are the oldest ones – If at first you don’t succeed; try, try and try again. If you get rejected, pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and start all over again.

Copyright © David Jones 2009

Part four of a five part series. The fifth and final instalment asks the question - 'What has happened to the people who have lost their jobs?'

New Website Lets You 'Judge The Job'

Launching November, 2009

- judge your job past or present, let everyone know what it's like on the inside.

Judgethejob.com is a community site that allows you to openly and constructively review experiences of working with a particular company, anonymously and free of charge.

They provide you with the tools to make better informed decisions about your career. As part of the community you’ll be able to anonymously find out from other employees, exactly what it’s like to work at another company.

For example, how do employees rate their senior management or the training or benefits, or pay? And would they recommend the company to their friends?

Free to access

The principal behind judgethejob is ‘give to receive’. By submitting your review you’ll immediately receive 12 months free access to the site. Allowing you to:

• Read all company reviews, as posted anonymously by others
• Receive unbiased and expert advice in our forums
• Hear about relevant vacancies
• Receive tailored career recommendations

Due to launch in November 2009, visit www.judgethejob.com for more information and the chance to win £50 worth of high street vouchers. Just in time for Christmas.

Whose Recession Is It Anyway? part iii - Getting a job in today’s recessionary times

Getting a job in today’s recessionary times isn’t easy. There are fewer vacancies around then there were in the boom times, but that doesn’t mean there are none. Some companies have closed down, but most are still in business. Many are still hiring staff, although they may not be advertising. That’s because they don’t have to as candidates are sending CVs to them.

Looking for a job is a job in itself – if you want a job, you must be prepared to work hard at finding one. Remember a dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.

If you want a job, you are going to have to approach finding one in a dedicated and diligent way. You’ve got to be highly motivated, focused and determined. Nothing less than hard graft and total commitment will suffice. Success will only come to those who really want it; and those who really want it are going to have to work hard if they are going to get it.

You need to approach job hunting as a project in itself; and like all projects you need to prepare a project plan.

Your project plan to find a new job needs to include the following:

• Preparing your CV
• Registering your details with recruitment websites and recruitment agencies
• Regularly visiting your local FAS office to review vacancies
• Regularly reviewing the local and national newspaper for vacancies
• Giving out your CV to local businesses
• Keeping a Job Hunters journal
• Keeping yourself busy whilst you are looking for a job

This is a tough assignment. You’re going to have to do things you’ve never done before. You’re going to have to be patient and accept that it will probably take time before you achieve success. You’re going to need a lot of self-determination and a strong will to succeed.

The only person you can rely on is yourself; only you can get you that job. You’re going to have to be your own supervisor, secretary, telephonist, filing clerk. You’re going to have to teach yourself to do things you haven’t done before. If you’re not computer literate, you’re going to have to learn to be.

If you approach this project with the right attitude, you will succeed. It’s just a matter of time and effort. Your efforts, if they are applied consistently, will get you a job. It’s a numbers game; the more you try, the more likely you are to succeed; it’s as simple as that.

So get your finger out, start working, put in the effort, and before you know it you’ll be back to work.

It is important to change your mindset away from being unemployed. You’re no longer unemployed or jobless; you’re job hunting.

When you meet people and they ask you, “What are you doing?” Tell them you are looking for a job. It’s far more positive than saying I’m unemployed.

Don’t just think of the impact your answer will have on other people, think of the effect it has on you. The sympathy that comes from answering “I’m unemployed,” is likely to depress you; whereas the encouragement that follows you saying “I’m job hunting,” is far more likely to motivate you and lift your spirits.

‘Unemployed’ is a poor-me kind of label to labour under; a hopeless, stagnant situation that sounds unlikely to ever change. ‘Job hunter,’ on the other hand, is a dynamic, action-man state of affairs that says I’m going to make things happen by doing something.

Being unemployed has negative connotations; it’s static, inactive and going nowhere. Being a job hunter on the other hand is positive; it’s active. Jobs are unlikely to come falling from the sky and land in your lap if you’re just sitting there waiting for something to happen; they’re far more likely to arrive at your door though, if you go out looking for them.

If you are receiving unemployment benefits, think of them as your wages whilst you are job hunting. Getting paid to look for another job is far more positive than surviving on subsistence.

Try to keep in mind there are only three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen; and those who wonder, what happened. What kind of person are you?

Copyright © David Jones 2009

Part three of a five part series. Part iv talks about 'dealing with rejection'.