Make this lifetime of good habits continue to work for you. Avoid the temptation to take some time off for good behavior. Don't go off on a vacation (unless it has been planned for months and you'd lose the cost of the tickets) or take the first few weeks off to take care of some of the things around the house that have needed doing for years. A friend calls this "fixing-up" desire the "bathroom syndrome." When he became unemployed a few months ago, he spent the first month getting up every day and looking at his bathroom, planning the changes he was going to make on it. Then he spent the next month making those changes in a leisurely fashion. He had been unemployed a full three months before he got back to the really important matter at hand: finding a job.
By then, this man had geared down so much, that he had great difficulty gearing up for a concerted job search. But you don't feel like looking for a job, you say? You want time to lick your wounds and get yourself in shape? You're down in the dumps, and you don't want to see anybody while you're feeling like that? Some other time, but not now. Pick yourself up by your shirt collar and get started.
Consider first these personal aspects of your job search. How are you going to keep up your spirits, present your best side to potential employers? How are you going to get your act together? The trick is to approach the job search with energy and use your time effectively, but that can be difficult to do unless you have a job search strategy that works on a daily basis.
- Make contact with a self-help group.
Concentrate initially on those items that you will need immediately and tag them as having an A priority. Here is one possible A list, shown in prioritized order (your own list will be different):
Priority Activity
A1 Apply for unemployment compensation.
A2 Write a preliminary resume.
A3 Review your financial obligations and finances.
A4 Discuss your situation fully and honestly with your family.
A5 Get personal stationery printed.
A6 Locate a computer you can use.
Then, at the start of every day, list the activities you should work on for that day, reprioritizing them according to the A, B, C system. Be sure to include personal-care activities like getting a haircut or going to the beauty shop, shining your shoes, taking clothing to the cleaners, etc.
Get up in the morning at your regular time. Eat a good breakfast. Get dressed in your business togs (and be sure you look good, even if you're just going to the library). Get going. Leave the house with your briefcase and your list for the day. Then, put in at least a six-hour work day toward completing your A priorities-those activities you identified as most important today toward your job search. By doing this, you are making an active commitment toward finding a job.
Keep accurate and complete records. These should include financial records such as mileage, interview expenses, support group costs, supplies, printing, etc.; records of resumes and letters sent and which forms you used; lists of contacts; interviewers' names and the dates you interviewed. (Many states require that you turn in a list of all job contacts and interviews before they will pay you your unemployment-and they do check on your statements.)
Your Appearance and Health
Your appearance and the way you project yourself physically are the ways you are currently packaging your product i.e., "advertising" your worth. After your years in the executive or professional ranks, reminding you that appearance is a critical hiring element may seem presumptuous. This section serves only as a reminder of the importance that appearance plays. So, take a good look at yourself as others see you. It is an absolute fact that if your appearance doesn't measure up to some interviewer's preconceptions, you've provided them with an automatic deselector. Nothing else that occurs in the interview really counts. The first five to fifteen seconds of an interview set the tone for the rest of the interview and ultimately determine whether you get the job or not. You are an actor on a stage when the interview begins. You must project vitality, confidence and attention to detail in the way you dress, your grooming, your posture.
But paying special attention to your appearance each day has another, perhaps more important and personal value. That is, "the better you look, the better you'll feel." Spending the time it takes to look good is a way of whistling in the dark, of keeping up your spirits.
S. Eric Wachtel, president of Wachtel Associates, New York City, a firm specializing in executive recruitment and organizational planning and development, laid it right on the line when he said:
"Far too many older executives reinforce the stereotypes which produce hiring prejudices. They don't pay attention to their personal appearance and general presentation. I continue to be astonished at the number who come into this office needing a haircut and wearing messy shirts with frayed collars and cuffs. Their suits are rumpled and either lack taste or are out of style. Their entire appearance-lack of general grooming, poor posture, low energy level-screams," This person is a poor risk. Don't consider hiring him or her." They appear defeated, and reinforce this impression when they speak. Their voices are weak and shaky; they are either obsequious or overly engaging-too "up". They completely fail to sell themselves, to present a positive image.