It is a statement most people dread and hope to never hear: "I'm so sorry, but we have to let you go" When a job loss occurs, it is easy to panic, wallow in depression, and become pessimistic. But in truth, a successful job search requires focus, effective goal setting, and a solid action plan. In I Am Unemployed . . . Now What Do I Do? a corporate executive and leadership coach who has personally experienced job loss shares a comprehensive, step-by-step workbook that arms the unemployed with practical tools for methodically reestablishing employment. Wayne Anderson relies on his years of experience in order to teach you not only how to successfully search for a job, but also how to learn more about yourself in the process. Through Anderson's proven methods, shared quotations, and real-life assignments, job seekers will gain an understanding of personal values; realize their strengths, weaknesses, and skills; and learn interview mechanics. The easy-to-apply techniques offered in I Am Unemployed . . . Now What Do I Do? will help the unemployed identify and act on positions in both visible and hidden job markets, build self-esteem, sell their skills and strengths in an interview, and ultimately, land a dream job.

I Am Unemployed ... Now What Do I Do?

An Organized Approach to Becoming EmployedBy Wayne L. Anderson

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Wayne L. Anderson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-0642-7

Contents

Preface..........................................................xiiiIntroduction.....................................................xvHow to Use This Book.............................................xixUnderstanding Your Situation.....................................1Overview: Getting Organized......................................2Step 1 Assess Your Situation.....................................4Step 2 Assess Yourself...........................................12Self-Assessment Forms............................................16Step 3 Assess Your Market........................................30Step 4 Assess Your Network.......................................38Developing Your Strategy.........................................49Overview: Creating Your Job-search strategy......................50Step 1 Develop Your Strategy.....................................52Step 2 Plan for the Plan.........................................64Step 3 Develop Your Plan.........................................74Step 4 Final Review of Your Plan.................................92Executing Your Plan..............................................101Overview: Making It Happen.......................................102Step 1 Making Contact............................................104Step 2 Power Networking..........................................114Step 3 Researching Companies.....................................124Step 4 Selecting the Right Company...............................136Mastering the Interview..........................................145Overview: Successful Interviewing Techniques.....................146Step 1 Understand Interview Mechanics............................148Step 2 Learn Your Interviewer....................................160Step 4 Ace the Interview.........................................172Improving Your Strategy..........................................185Overview: Adjusting Your Strategy................................186Step 1 Assess Plan Results.......................................188Step 2 Review Personal Information...............................192Step 3 Make Plan Adjustments.....................................200Step 4 Re-Execute the Plan.......................................208Succeeding at Your New Job.......................................213Overview: Succeeding at Your New Job.............................214Step 1 Confirm Expectations......................................216Step 2 Develop an Internal Network...............................226Step 3 Learn the Culture.........................................232Step 4 Learn the Rules of Success................................236Congratulations!.................................................245References.......................................................247About the Author.................................................249Index............................................................251

Chapter One

Step 1 Assess Your Situation Task 1: Engage Your Family

The family is one of nature's masterpieces. —George Santayana

Involving Family

The first assessment that must be made is how your family is feeling about your current situation. It is important that they understand and work with you to accomplish your goal. You must involve the entire family in all aspects of your pursuit even if it is only by providing them status updates regarding your progress. It will be both uncomfortable and embarrassing for your family members to find things out from other sources. I gave these instructions to one of my corporate executive clients. To his surprise, he received a number of job leads from family members. Your family is your team and consists of your strongest allies. Use them.

Action Steps for You:

1. Hold a family meeting to inform all family members of your status.

2. Solicit your family's ideas on things that can be done.

3. Solicit your family's help and support as you proceed with your plans.

4. Schedule regular meetings designed to keep your family informed.

5. Record all additional family ideas in the space below.

Additional Action Steps for You to Consider:

1. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Step 1 Assess Your Situation Task 2: Examine Your Finances

A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life. —Suze Orman

Reviewing Your Finances

Based on your current situation, how long can you meet your short-term obligations without a steady income? It is important that you assess your current financial position. You must be able to determine the amount of time (based on your current financial position) that you can manage without a steady inflow of cash. You need to determine if you have the ability to meet your short-term obligations. A successful job search can sometimes take up to eighteen months.

Action Steps for You:

1. Prioritize your financial obligations by listing the most critical items first.

2. Determine how much is needed for rent or mortgage payments.

3. Create a detailed budget of your necessities (groceries, utilities, etc.).

4. Create a detailed budget for non–credit card obligations.

5. Create a detailed budget for credit card payments.

6. Determine the amount needed for monthly obligations based on the above.

7. Determine the number of months you can handle these obligations.

Additional Action Steps for You to Consider:

1. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Step 1 Assess Your Situation Task 3: Your Home

You leave home to seek your fortune and, when you get it, you go home and share it with your family. —Anita Baker

Keeping Your Home

One of the scariest aspects of being unemployed is the fear of losing your home. Make sure you understand what you need to do to keep this from happening. This is extremely important to both you and your family. Inform your lender of your situation if things get tight. They may be able to adjust your payments until you are employed again. I have learned that many lenders are willing to work with people once they are aware of the situation.

Action Steps for You:

1. Review the budget details from task two.

2. Determine the portion of your budget that is related to housing payments.

3. Ensure that the housing payment is the first amount allocated and paid.

4. Be prepared to contact your lender and discuss your situation.

Additional Action Steps for You to Consider:

1. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Step 1 Assess Your Situation Task 4: Your Transportation

Car designers are just going to have to come up with an automobile that outlasts the payments. —Erma Bombeck

Getting to Your Interviews

Assess your current transportation system. While many companies perform initial interviews by phone, most require subsequent interviews in person. Do you have adequate transportation for your job search? You must ensure that you have the ability to get to an interview when the opportunity becomes available. In addition, punctuality is extremely important. Make sure you allow enough time to arrive at your interview location.

Action Steps for You:

1. Assess the status of your current transportation.

2. Determine if your automobile(s) are operational.

3. Ensure that you have transportation to get to important appointments.

4. Study the bus and train schedules if that is your mode of travel.

5. Familiarize yourself with travel times between key locations.

Additional Action Steps for You to Consider:

1. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Step 2 Assess Yourself Task 1: Your Focus

The secret of success is constancy of purpose. —Benjamin Disraeli

Focusing on Goals

You must develop a habit of being focused on your goal. There will be a number of things that will distract you from your primary objective. This includes your attitude, which can be the biggest obstacle to your progress. You may feel like your current situation is your fault. It has been my experience in dealing with many people that this is not true. You must develop a constancy of purpose and the ability to focus on getting things accomplished. Be aware of those things that can deter you from making daily progress and eliminate them. I got distracted the first time I was laid off. I focused on catching up on my house chores and hobbies instead of looking for work. I regained my focus once I realized that two months had gone by without any progress being made on my job search.

Action Steps for You:

1. List the tasks that you do that will not help you reach your goal.

2. List the tasks that others give you that will not help your progress.

3. Determine which of those unhelpful tasks are essential to do anyway.

4. Allocate time outside the workweek to complete the unhelpful tasks.

5. Check off nonessential tasks as you complete them.

6. Maintain a positive attitude.

Additional Action Steps for You to Consider:

1. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Step 2 Assess Yourself Task 2: Your Strengths

Character is doing the right thing when no one is watching. —Unknown

Knowing Your Strengths

It's important to know the skills and character attributes that make you a valuable person to prospective employers. You should take some time to make sure that you understand all aspects of your strengths. Review the self-assessment process detailed on pages 16–22. I have found that this process has been helpful to all of my clients.

Action Steps for You:

1. List the positive aspects of your character such as honesty, integrity, and so on.

2. Write down your key skills and abilities.

3. Ask family members, friends, and former coworkers to assess your strengths.

4. Complete the self-assessment forms on the following pages.

Additional Action Steps for You to Consider:

1. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Instructions for Your Personal Skills Assessment

Take a sheet of paper and write "Skills Assessment" at the top of the page (see Figure 1: Personal Skills Assessment Sheet). Write your name and the current date below the title. Segment the page into seven columns. Label the first column "Skill." Make sure it is a wide column. This is where you will list the skills that you have. Make the next five columns small and number them one through five. This is where you will rate your skill level. Remember, this is your sheet. No one else is going to see the skills or your ratings unless you show the form to them. (Later, I will define what each rating represents.) Finally, label the last column, "Notes/Comments." This is where you will make any notes or comments to yourself on skills that you rate a one or five.

Now you are ready to begin. The first step is to list as many of your skills as possible on the sheet. You should do this over a five- to seven-day period. The reason is that, as time passes, you will remember more and more of your skills that you might not use on a regular basis. It is natural for you to initially list all of the skills that you use regularly; however, if you are like most people, those are not all of the skills you have. Thus, you should keep this sheet with you and add skills in the skills column as you think of them.

Next, you will rate each of your skills on a scale of one to five once you are comfortable that you have listed all of your skills. Don't get too concerned if you think of more skills during this phase. Simply, add the new skills to the bottom of the skills column. Feel free to add sheets of paper if all of your skills cannot fit on one sheet. When you are ready, rate each skill using the definitions below.

Ratings for Your Personal Skills Assessment

• 1–Use this rating if you essentially have very little expertise or very old knowledge in this skill. You should also use this rating if you have significant expertise in this area but have not used it in a really long time. Remember to make a special note or comment to yourself about this rating. For example, you may write, "My future plans don't depend on me having this skill," or "I really need to increase my expertise in this skill." • 2–Use this rating if you have expertise in this area but could use more knowledge, education, or experience in order to increase your skill level to average. • 3–Use this rating when your skill level, knowledge, or expertise is average. • 4–Use this rating when your knowledge, skill level, or expertise is above average, but you would need some additional experience or education in order to be considered an expert in this area. • 5–Use this rating if you are clearly recognized as an expert in this area. Your knowledge, expertise, education, or skill level is clearly superior to that of most people. You may be (or may have been) publically recognized as having advanced expertise in this area. Remember to make a special note or comment to yourself about this rating. For example, "Increase other people's awareness that I have this skill," or "My future plans don't require this expertise."

Place the sheet(s) in a folder when you think you have captured all of the items.

Instructions for Your Personal Likes-and-Dislikes Assessment

Document your likes and dislikes. Take a sheet of paper and title it "Likes and Dislikes" (see Figure 2: Likes-and-Dislikes Sheet). Put your name and the current date on the top of the sheet. Create two columns on the sheet. Label one column "Likes," and label the other column "Dislikes."

Begin listing the things you really like doing. These could be things that you do in your professional career or things you do that as part of a hobby or your social or charitable activities. As you can see, it doesn't matter where or when you do these things—but simply, that you like doing them. You should make this list over a three- to five-day period. Keep this sheet near you and add items as you think of them.

Do the exact same thing with the "Dislikes" side of the column. These will be activities that you really dislike doing. Don't be concerned with the degree to which you dislike doing these activities. It is simply important to know that you dislike doing them.

Some people prefer to place their dislikes on the back of the page so that it is not visible when they are listing their likes and vice versa. Either way is fine. It is just important to list as many of these activities as you can.

Place the sheet in a folder when you think you have exhausted your list of likes and dislikes.

Instructions for Your Personal Do-Well and Don't-Do-So-Well Assessment

You are now ready to inventory those things that you are really good at doing and those things that you are not so good at doing.

Take a sheet of paper and place "Do Well/Don't Do So Well" at the top of the page (see Figure 3: Do-Well and Don't-Do-So-Well Sheet). Put your name and the current date at the top of the page. Create two columns. Label one column "I Do Well" and the other "I Don't Do So Well." Some people like to place the "I Don't Do So Well" list on the back side of the sheet. Either way is fine.

Think of all of the things that you do: big tasks, little tasks, complex tasks, and simple tasks. The size of the tasks and details about when and where you perform them are not important. It is more important that you capture the things that you do and don't do well. Fill this out over a three- to five-day period, adding items as you think of them.

Repeat the process for those items that you don't do well.

Place the sheet(s) in a folder when you think you have captured all of the items.

(Continues...)

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