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Should you ever find yourself in that unenviable position, here are a few suggestions that will hopefully give you an advantage in finding employment before those extended unemployment benefits run out.

1. Make Sure Your Resume Outshines All the Others. Your resume should be kept updated at all times. Scrambling to update your resume when you have lost your job can be a stressful and inefficient experience. Here are a few tips that will help your resume stand out from the crowd:

• KISS – Keep it Short and Sweet. A one-page resume is not unreasonable.
  

• List your personal contact information at the top of the resume, not the bottom. If you are including an e-mail address as part of your information (and you should), make sure it is professional, not cute. “optichick” might be cute to your friends and family, but not to a prospective employer.
  

• If you include an “Objective” section, stress what you will add to the practice or organization, not what you will take away from it.
  

• In listing previous positions held, list them chronologically, unless the last job was not the most impressive. If that is the case, list them in order of significance.
  

• Make sure their our know eras in grammar and no mispelled words. (By the way, 
  there are five such errors in the previous sentence.) 

2. Networking Trumps All Else. According to Sherry Shuller, president of Zaboo Communications, writing for the career-building website about.com, “With at least 60% of job seekers finding employment through networking, it’s no wonder that people are turning to their colleagues and acquaintances…” in their quest to finding a job. Based on personal and anecdotal experience, I was surprised the figure was that low! My wife, son and daughter all obtained their current positions through networking. The old cliché, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” is absolutely true. 

So while you will still have to bulk up your resume, scour the classifieds, and pound the pavement, never underestimate the value of your personal relationships. Maybe it’s time to call in a favor. With more than 60% of jobs coming as result of past relationships and referrals, why should you be any different? If networking is so important, perhaps we should take a little more seriously the old advice about not unnecessarily burning bridges. Always give over-adequate notice when leaving a job, and never speak negatively about a previous employer. The internet can be a good source of networking. Check out optiboard.com.

3. Prepare for the Interview. No really…prepare for the interview. This is where you can really get a leg up. Sadly, most managers and business owners do not prepare as adequately for the interview process as they should. Use this fact to your advantage and your unemployment will be short-lived. First, a few no-brainers: Arrive a few minutes early. Dress one level above the position you seek. Do your homework – be familiar with the organization, and if possible, the person who is interviewing you. Be ready for some of the most common questions you will likely be asked. You will most certainly be asked what you think are your strengths and weaknesses. Be honest, but overstate neither. You will also be asked why you left your job. Again, be honest, making sure you say nothing negative about the past company or manager. You will likely be asked something that is prefaced by, “Tell me about a time…” Most managers feel that past behavior and performance is a good indicator of your future actions, so be prepared with a razzle-dazzle answer here. The key is that it doesn’t sound like a rehearsed, razzle-dazzle answer, so include a bit of self-deprecation here. Be ready with a couple of real-life example where perhaps you saved a refund, or resolved a patient conflict. 

You will also probably be asked about your worst mistakes and greatest accomplishments. When it comes to mistakes, be ready with one or two examples – but be sure to include what you did to resolve or overcome the mistake. With accomplishments do not be vague – give specific, quantifiable answers. For example, “While I was the Vision Center manager, gross sales increased an average of 18% a year.” 

At some point you will be asked the obligatory, “So…do you have any questions for me?” Do not take this lightly. While you may be in need of a job, this is your golden opportunity to discover if this person is really the kind of boss with whom you would want to work. Ask about the other people you would be working with. Does he speak of them in a positive manner? Does he know about them as individuals? Is he upbeat, or does he seem negative and frustrated? Does he mention a high turnover rate? If he does, that might tell you more about him and the work environment then it does about the other employees. Ask him how he measures success and what he is looking for most in an employee. How are accomplishments measured and/or rewarded? 

Another good question to ask is what his ideal employee would be like. If he describes someone who works long hours at a moments notice; don’t be surprised when the same is asked of you. If his ideal employee implements change and follows procedures without questioning authority, be prepared to put your creativity on the shelf. Maybe this job’s not for you after all. But if you think it is, move on to number four.

4. Set yourself apart. Of course, the more you take seriously your resume and preparing for the interview, you will have already done that. But now, let’s really kick it up a notch, with two final suggestions – one standard, one radical. The standard suggestion: As soon as you leave the interview, mail the interviewer a thank you card. Thank the person for his or her time, consideration, and offer an assurance that if hired you will work to make sure that the hiring decision will never be regretted. This could be the best 44-cents investment you ever make. The radical suggestion (and this one, I can assure you worked once for me): Offer the prospective employee a “money-back guarantee.” I once told an optical lab manager, that if he hired me, after two weeks, if he was not completely satisfied with his hiring decision, he did not have to pay me for my two weeks work. His response…can you start tomorrow morning? Good luck.

Anthony Record
RDO