Posts Tagged ‘job interviews’

“How to Get Any Job: Life Launch and Relaunch for Everyone Under 30,” by Donald Asher (Ten Speed Press, 2002 & 2009) aims to advise college-aged people on their future careers. He structures workshops for the readers to figure out what they’re all about, throws in some anecdotes to support his workshops, and ties it all together with economic advice.

Asher recommends that we take our time now to figure out what we want, because we have yet to be indoctrinated in the “adult working world.” He says to hold out for an ideal opportunity, instead of taking what you can, and chastises us losers who live in our parent’s basements.

He has some good advice, but he didn’t realize how expensive housing would become (as compared to the book’s first printing in 2002), the growing unemployment rate, and the fact that most of today’s college kids have been in the “adult working world” since they were 14. The economy is changing, and here’s how to confront it:

1. Living as a team is the new recipe for success: Living in your parent’s basement isn’t the travesty it used to be. To save on funds, many grads are opting to live with their parents. You are no longer weird for wanting to save money!

2. Take what you can get: We typically want to start an actual career right out of college. But what do you do when people who have worked in your field for twenty years are suffering massive layoffs? There are also lapses in insurance to think about. You may want to think about having a “day” job with benefits, while you pursue your passion in your off time.

3. Get creative: Perhaps Asher was able to wait around for his career opportunities, but we can’t. If you want a job, sometimes you just have to invent one for yourself.

If you want a career, sometimes you have to invent your own path. Try taking more responsibilities on at your current job. For example, if you’re a future editor working at a minimum wage job, offer to edit the training manual. I know a fellow who works in data entry that just got a raise for using his IT knowledge. Otherwise, you can always contract your skills privately or start your own business

Q. After graduating from college in May, I have found a full-time position at a plant nursery near my home. I am the receptionist. Unfortunately, the closest I have gotten to using my B.A. in English has been proofreading some things. I am very thankful to have a job, but I am also worried that I am so far from getting any real experience, I will never be able to work within my desired fields of public relations or publishing. Should I freelance to get some writing samples?

Dear Readers,

Having to take a job for which you are overqualified is such common problem nowadays that it would be foolish for job interviewers to hold it against you. Instead, they should respect you for making the mature choice of doing whatever it takes to support yourself.

That said, you will have a better chance of breaking into your chosen field if you figure out a way to get some experience even while you are working full time at something else. A budding writer has all sorts of options. She can write freelance articles for print or internet publications. As a volunteer, she can approach nonprofit organizations and offer to help with their newsletters or other marketing materials.

But publishing is just one of many fields where there are many opportunities to work as an independent contractor or consultant. Sologig.com is one web source for people searching for freelance opportunities in a wide variety of fields.

If you cannot find freelance jobs, look for ways to volunteer. Choose opportunities that are challenging enough to give you some significant experience. Also make sure that there is someone willing to document your contributions and give you a reference when the time comes. In addition to gaining valuable experience, you will meet people who are likely to be impressed by your determination, and consequently may alert you when job openings appear.

Repair Resume With Resilience

Q. I have a question about resumes. I will be applying for a new internal position with my company. My resume has a two-year period of work experience that does not relate to my current or new job. (This was a time when I was out of work and was looking to put food on the table.)

Should I delete these two years from my resume, and if I do remove these years, what should take their place? The prior job (for a year) was as a private contractor. Should I extend this time frame to cover those years?

Dear Readers,

You should never fudge facts in your resume. If any falsehood is discovered, it can undermine your integrity and ultimately your employability. “I always say honesty is the best policy,” says Mary Janaitis, principal at MSJ Consulting in Oakland, Calif. “Otherwise you can get wrapped up in a series of lies. Any discrepancy can cost you your job.”

Janaitis suggests taking a close look at the opportunity you are applying for and highlighting on your resume the skills and abilities at each prior position that would advance your candidacy.

Do the same for the two-year gap that worries you. If there is no connection, then either minimize that period or omit it entirely. You can cover the gap briefly in your cover letter and point out the characteristics that make you shine, like your sense of responsibility towards your family, resilience, resourcefulness, or determination in the face of adversity, says Janaitis, and “use them to sell yourself.”

Determination is a big selling point, whatever the job. As the late Senator Ted Kennedy told his son, when Ted, Jr., asked his father why they always were the last ones out at sea practicing the night before a sailing race: “…most of the other sailors we race against are smarter and more talented than we are. But the reason why we are going to win is that we are going to work harder than them, and we will be better prepared.”

As his son wisely observed, the Senator was not just talking about boating.

Dear Readers,

Job hunting expert Richard Bolles, author of the bestseller What Color is Your Parachute?, has long considered doing a thorough self-assessment as a prelude to a successful job hunt.

In addition to releasing a revised edition of Parachute, due out this fall, Bolles has produced a cheaper, more concise guide designed specifically for job hunters facing today’s brutal job market: The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide: How to Find Hope and Rewarding Work, Even When “There are No Jobs” (Ten Speed Press, 2009). Even when pared down, self-assessment continues to be a key element of his advice.

Having a thorough inventory of your skills can help prevent you from turning into a “job begger,” Bolles says. It’s important to go into every interview knowing that, “I’m going to be a helpful resource,” and if not at this particular company, somewhere else. The point of an interview – which we are more likely to forget when we are worried about our next paycheck – is for both parties to determine whether there’s the possibility of a good fit.

Evaluating your fit with a perspective employer requires you to know the parameters of your own skills. Bolles offers useful exercises to help readers develop detailed descriptions of their past accomplishments. His list of 192 transferable skills will help you expand your ways of describing your duties. Among the choices: acting, founding, recommending, traveling, testing, expanding, enforcing, imagining, memorizing, and unifying.

My absolute favorite activity is Bolles’ list of seven possible goals to describe what you were trying to do at your last job:

• Working with the human mind, trying to bring more knowledge, truth or clarity into the world.
• Working on the human body, trying to deal with the need for shelter, food, and clothing, or health and fitness.
• Working with the eyes and other senses, trying to bring more beauty into the world.
• Working with the human heart, trying to bring more love and compassion into the world.
• Working with the human will or conscience, trying to bring more morality, justice, righteousness, or honesty into the world.
• Working with the human spirit, trying to bring more laughter, spirituality, faith, compassion, forgiveness, love for God, into the world.
• Working on the Earth, trying to ensure more protection of the planet.

You may find that more than one of these descriptions fits your goals. “If ‘just keeping busy,’ is your answer, then think of what goal you would like to have been working toward,” Bolles writes.

Another bit of unusual advice offered by Bolles is to ask your interviewer a straightforward question at the end of the last round of interviews: “Given what we’ve discussed, can you offer me this job? It would help me a lot to know.”

Bolles believes this is the most efficient way to get some feedback about your chances. “What’s the worst thing they can say?” he asks. His reasoning: If the interviewer says no, then you have some closure on the process in a timely fashion. If you get a more positive response, then you’ll also have that feedback more quickly than you would if you had been less aggressive. “We don’t ask a lot of questions because we think we already know the answer,” says Bolles. That insight actually applies to many situations, beyond job hunting.

Bolles encourages readers to create a description of their own dream job. He doesn’t expect you’ll find it, but if you at least know what you’re looking for, there’s more of a chance you’ll find a position with some overlap.

Bolles divides job hunters into two categories. The first group is composed of people who are so driven by the vision of their dream job that “they are searching with every fiber of their being,” he says. The second group is composed of applicants who have “already cut out the dream and so are only half-enthusiastic” about their search.  Who would you hire?

And what about the Internet as a job search tool? Bolles estimates that only 10 percent of job hunters land a position via internet searches, and he suggests limiting them to 10 percent of your effort.

His estimate of the success rate of those who do a thorough self-assessment is much higher: 86 percent. You choose.

I’m on the verge of quitting my job. My boss and I do not get along. If I quit, would I be eligible for unemployment insurance? I am tempted since the federal government just extended benefits for another 13 weeks. A smart move?

Dear Readers,

The prospect of collecting unemployment benefits is rarely a good reason to quit your job. In fact, it’s generally true that if you quit, you are not eligible for benefits. This safety net was designed to lend support to those who lose jobs through no fault of their own.

That said, most states have some exceptions for extenuating circumstances. In Wisconsin, for example, if you quit because your paychecks bounce or you have to relocate to a different market to keep your job, you may be eligible. In Connecticut, you may be entitled to benefits if you quit for “good cause,” which may include reasons like caring for a seriously ill child or spouse. Even so, you have to be available for full-time work.

Because unemployment is administered by each state and the rules change periodically, it is important to check with your state labor department to find out the latest requirements. Even if you do become eligible for collecting unemployment checks, either because you are downsized or quit for what is ruled “good cause,” you will be required to engage in a job hunt. Since you are unhappy in your current situation, why not get a head start?

Interviews Galore

My friend is applying for an executive position. She’s been interviewed more times and by more people than for any other job she’s ever held, and still there’s been no decision. What’s going on?

Dear Readers.

Now that the high unemployment rate has put employers in the driver’s seat, they are being more selective than ever. They also more cognizant of “the costs of making a wrong decision,” says John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the Chicago-based outplacement firm. Often it takes six to eight months to realize that a mistake was made, says Challenger, which means at least half a year’s salary can be wasted.

Consequently, employers, whether they are hiring executives or temporary employees, are beefing up their screening process, confirms Mike Steinmetz, vice president and general manager of Manpower Inc.’s Midwest division. “Some of the larger firms have been trying to reduce risk through multiple rounds [of interviews], getting multiple people involved,” he says. Rather than be interviewed simply by a prospective supervisor, for example, a candidate also may have to meet with the supervisor’s supervisor to make sure there is a consensus on the hiring decision.

The hiring process is also more likely to include “behavioral interviews” and other sorts of assessments, such as skill tests. Behavioral interviews incorporate sets of questions that “attempt to elicit a candidate’s behavior in concrete situations that parallel what might be found at the company,” Challenger says. When Steinmetz interviews candidates for managerial positions, for instance, he typically inquires about difficulties they encountered and how they dealt with them. “I don’t want all rosy stuff,” he says.

Steinmetz notes that “soft” skills, such as leadership, teambuilding, conflict resolution, and the ability to motivate employees who are not direct reports, are highly prized. The best way to prepare for an interview nowadays, adds Steinmetz, is to come with some specific examples that can illustrate any number of these traits. “If the illustration can answer two or three questions at once,” that’s great, he says. “I like it when I don’t talk very much.”

With so many layoffs, Steinmetz notes, many “A-players” have been downsized. Whether companies are hiring new employees or hiring back old ones, “they are trying to upgrade their staffs by identifying and adding the available A-players.”

Candidates do not have to be proficient in every single area. Screening also helps employers identify areas that need coaching or on-the-job training once you are hired.  Most of all, you want your interviewer to view you in the following way: as someone who is reliable, trusthworthy, teamwork oriented, inquisitive, and always looking for a better way to do things. “I much prefer someone with those skills and mediocre technical skills than the other way around,” says Steinmetz.  That’s because technical skills are more easily taught.

I’ve got a disability that’s not obvious to anyone but that can occasionally make it hard for me to work. It is usually controlled by medication, but that’s not 100 percent reliable. Is this something I should disclose during a job interview?

Dear Readers,

If you are a job seeker wrestling with this question, you are not alone. Depending on who is doing the estimating, somewhere between 17 and 32 million people of working age (16-64) have a disability. As defined by the U.S Census, a disability is “a condition that limits or prevents working.”  Even almost two decades after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was drafted to provide equal opportunity to people with disabilities, this group has among the highest unemployment rate in the U.S.

Whether you are disabled or not, take a minute to think about the various ways a disability can affect someone. An enlightening chart in Richard Nelson Bolles’ book, Job Hunting for the So-called Handicapped (Ten Speed Press, 2001), may broaden your perspective. Under the heading, “No Two Disabled Persons Are Alike,” the chart lists some of the variables. For example, some disabilities are hidden while others are visible. They may range from mild to moderate to severe to profound. They may have occurred at birth (congenital) or after age five (adventitious). They may affect one’s ability to see, hear, speak, move, think or learn, or feel or behave. In areas that are not affected, the disabled person may be normally or extraordinarily gifted. The disability may be viewed either as a disaster or a challenge, and it  may result in social isolation or support.

If you have a disability that is not always apparent, deciding whether to disclose it to a prospective employer can be a difficult decision. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers a worksheet on its website that can help anyone think through this issue, whether you are wrestling with a permanent disability or temporary medical condition. It lists possible emotional reasons you may want to keep the condition to yourself (I feel guilty.), or tell others (I feel dishonest – I’m just not comfortable keeping it a secret.). It lists practical reasons to consider as well (Examples: I need to take time off for medical appointments; I’m afraid of a bad job evaluation; I need an on-the-job accommodation; or I need a medical leave of absence.)

The MS Society’s accompanying “Disclosure Decision Worksheet” helps people chart the possible positive and negative consequences of your decision, based on why you are informing your employer, whom you tell, and how much you say.

If you decide to disclose your condition, or you have no choice because it’s readily apparent, Bolles lists numerous employer fears that you should plan to address. Among them, along with his advice, are the following:

It may cost more to hire this person: If hiring you will entail no extra costs, make that clear. If you will require some accommodations that cost money, lay out the expected expenses and provide an upper ceiling on what it will cost, expressing your commitment to come in at or under that figure.

I don’t understand the disability, and I’m afraid to ask: Ask the interviewer if they have any questions. Explain what you do well, what your limitations are, and list the things that you’ve learned through being disabled.

Won’t this person be a safety hazard?: Share your past safety record.

What if it doesn’t work out and I have to fire her. Am I inviting a lawsuit?: Explain that people with disabilities are fired at the same rate as everyone else.

This applicant may have trouble communicating with other employees: Make sure that you are articulate and animated during your interview. Demonstrating your communication skills is the most effective way to allay fears along these lines.

What if a person with a history of mental illness turns violent on the job?: Discuss a potentially volatile situation in the past that you handled with aplomb.

Still up in the air? Additional information and guidance can be found from the Job Accommodation Network, a government-funded website that covers job accommodations, self-employment, and small business opportunities. Another useful source is the Epilepsy Foundation of America.

I am a director of a college-level educational service who routinely spends much time hiring new employees. Standards are high and hiring is competitive. Applicants can find very specific application instructions including minimum job requirements and information about our services in many places: on the application itself, our website and brochures, and by simply visiting (and even using) our service in person.

Despite all of this easily available information, my last three interviewees have had 1) little or no idea of what we do and/or 2) spoke incorrectly to the point of insult about our services and the people who use them. They all expected me to then explain to them what it is we do – essentially to do their homework! (They all arrived either 15 minutes early or late, and addressed me by my first name.)

What happened to preparing for an interview? What about learning as much as you can about the job beforehand? Being on time? And while we’re at it, being courteous and adopting an appropriate level of formality?

Dear Readers,

You can see from the above letter that job applicants, especially those who are still in school or who have just graduated, still have to learn the basics when it comes to interviewing for a job. All job applicants need to realize the importance of making a good first impression – and that it starts from the first piece of communication, even if it’s an email.

If you are a teacher or parent, please share the above letter with your students or children. You will be doing them a huge favor.

And Once They’re Hired?

I overheard an employee treating a customer disrespectfully. She’s generally a good employee, but she has gotten very defensive when I have tried to correct her in the past. Any advice?

Dear Readers,

Even the most skilled manager can have difficulty keeping her criticism constructive. But that’s generally the goal. Sound advice can be found in Richard Gallagher’s new book, How to Tell Anyone Anything: Breakthrough Techniques for Handling Difficult Conversations at Work (AMACOM, 2009). Gallagher, a corporate trainer, suggests “starting at a safe place,” which means first asking the employee about her reaction to the customer. He suggests a three-part approach: 1) observation: “I can tell you’re frustrated,” 2) validation: “Lots of people feel that way,” and 3) identification: “I’d be frustrated if that happened to me.”

Gallagher admits that putting that much energy into being supportive of people who are doing something wrong initially “feels like drinking poison to people.” But he claims it is useful because “It makes it clear you understand their view of the world, so they have nothing to argue about.” This sort of understanding gives you power for the next step: engage the other person in solving the problem.

Next comes the step of asking questions about the situation. In this case it would be something like, “What are your expectations for interacting with customers?”  “The goal here,” Gallagher writes, “is to be curious, not furious.” After some back and forth, it is easier to be frank about the problem. You might say something factual about the need to hold onto customers. And explain that keeping customers requires that each customer finish a transaction feeling respected, even if they don’t seem to deserve it.

Finally, you should ask for her help in meeting the company’s goals regarding customers.

Gallagher offers several options that reframe criticism: Instead of telling people they are doing a bad job, tell them what standards they could meet to help them do a good job. Instead of saying what is unacceptable, let them know what will work better. Instead of telling them to change, show them how they will benefit.

In real life, following a several-part approach when you are angry about an employee’s or colleague’s behavior is no easy task. Gallagher suggests stepping away from the situation, if you can, until your emotions calm down.  He also points out that this sort of approach requires much practice.  If you have trouble with it, try again the next time. Even occasional interactions that incorporate empathy and reframed criticism can vastly improve overall relations in a workplace. So don’t give up.

I never thought having 25 years of experience would be a liability, but that seems to be the case when you are looking for a new job. Is there any way to turn the negative perceptions about “older workers,” true or not, to my advantage?

Dear Readers,

Even if you have false teeth and use a walker, there are ways to take a bite out of the job market and sail past your younger competitors. Most likely you have collected a lengthy list of accomplishments, navigated a rough patch or two, and developed perspective that only age can bring. All you have to do now is convince a prospective employer that, in addition to your unmatched experience, you have tremendous energy and enthusiasm.

Charles Hays, vice president at Right Management Consultants, Inc., gives a monthly seminar for job hunters over 50. He offers the following tips to boost your chances of success:

Attitude Matters: “If you think you’re old, you are,” says Hays. Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle pays off when you interview. Work in some mention of your life outside of work “so interviewers get to know the whole person.”

Appearance Counts: Some older workers show up at interviews wearing ill-fitting clothes commenting that, “they just want to feel comfortable,” Hays says. If interviewers are looking for a reason not to proceed with the hiring process, those applicants just handed it to them. Stick to tailored clothes and an up-to-date look for a good first impression. Also important is upright posture, a lively gait (if possible), and lots of eye contact.

Animation Helps: What gets a higher rating from interviewers – experience, communication, enthusiasm, or personality? Answer: enthusiasm. Research shows that it “wins by quite a bit,” Hays says. Upgrade your mildly positive, I-can-do-that-in-my-sleep approach to true enthusiasm for the position.

Emphasize Your Work Ethic: The view that older workers have a stronger work ethic than the younger generation “is the biggest thing older workers have going for them,” says Hays. To underline this point, mention the times you have gone the extra mile, worked after hours, and held fast to your commitment to a stellar attendance record.

Stretch Often: To counter the perception that people age 50 and older are inflexible, demonstrate involvement with new managers, different product lines, and expanded responsibilities. Keep current with technology and management styles. Managers who came up through the ranks and have trouble adapting when their organization takes a flatter, more inclusive approach often lose their jobs, Hays says.

10 Is Better Than 35: “Everybody wants to tell you their life story,” says Hays, but it’s far better to focus on your accomplishments of the last 10 years.  This true of your resume, too, which he advises keeping to two pages. One way to stand out, especially if the company you are applying to has experienced some ups and downs, is to indicate your accomplishments in both growth and consolidation environments.

Short Answers: Another stereotype is that older people ramble on. Keep your answers short and to the point. Start with “what” not “how,” Hays advises Prepare a few sentences about your most impressive accomplishments and stop there. If your interviewer wants to know more – the details of how you did it – she will ask. “Pay attention to the eyes,” Hays says. If they start wandering, you’ve lost her and should stop talking so she can redirect the conversation.

Reassure The Youth. If you will be working for someone younger, she might feel threatened by your experience. Stress your largesse. Among the things you might say: Which needs do you think I can fill?  How can I help you grow?

Over-qualified? To head off the question of whether you will move on if you find a more challenging position, pare down your resume. “We tell people not to fluff up their resume, but nothing says you can’t dumb it down,” says Hays. When one of his clients applied to a company that was smaller than the department he had previously run, the client omitted numbers from his resume that made the contrast too apparent, and “it worked out quite well,” says Hays. He landed the job. Furthermore, he enjoys it and has no plans to move on.

I’ve heard that job interviewers size up applicants within the first seven seconds of meeting them. Is that true?

Dear Readers,

When top television executive and Republican strategist Roger Ailes was a lowly producer, he helped conduct the first interview with Charles Manson in thirteen years. Manson, who brutally murdered actress Sharon Tate and six others, had been given nine life sentences in a maximum security prison for the criminally insane.

Ailes opens his book “You Are the Message” (Broadway Business, 1989), still a popular guide to communication, with the scene in which he and Manson meet for the first time and size each other up. Ailes claims that because he projected great confidence in the first few seconds, Manson backed down from his initial attempt to appear menacing and turned obsequious. “Research shows that we start to make up our minds about people within seven seconds of meeting them,” Ailes writes.

While others have cited similar findings, the time span varies slightly. You may have slightly more time to impress your interviewer: up to 30 seconds.

Why are first impressions so important? Because they are often face-to-face, they are vivid, and stick in one’s mind, making them hard to erase and replace.

When your initial encounter is face to face, you are judged more on your appearance and body language than your words. Being well-groomed and conveying an upbeat, warm, and confident attitude will help you make a good impression. If you are speaking over the phone, a positive and pleasant tone of voice also may trump what you have to say.

That doesn’t mean words do not count. If you can work the other person’s name into your first couple of sentences, that can increase receptivity to your message. Also key is demonstrating that you are a good listener. Pay close attention and then ask follow up questions, which signal that you are interested in what your interviewer has to say.

First impressions are not flawless. People can be distracted by a candidate’s most obvious attribute, especially if it is sociability, and tend to overlook factors that may be more difficult to detect, such as intelligence level. They also may be affected by their own moods. According to some researchers, people in happier moods make more accurate snap judgments. Cultural differences can also get in the way of accurate interpretations. What is considered outgoing in one culture, for instance, may be considered reserved in another.

Keep that in mind if you don’t get a job, or if you find yourself judging someone else harshly after just seven seconds.

WEB-BASED WORRIES

When a jobsite asks you to copy and paste your resume into a 1-inch opening, are people at that company able to see other documents on your c-drive?

Dear Readers,

Copying and pasting your resume into a corporate website does not give the recipient access to anything else on your computer, says Joe Dukler of Computer Geeks in Milwaukee, WI.

You should worry, however, about what happens to the information you do send. Don’t include a social security number on your resume, Dukler says, and “make sure you are sending it to an actual, decent company.”

The reasons to be cautious are numerous. For one thing, internet-savvy thieves set up fake corporate names with fake job openings in order to solicit personal information in hopes of eventually stealing your identity.  Once these thieves have your resume in hand, “They may have someone sitting on the internet trying to find out more information about you,” says Dukler. Their goal: tapping into your credit card accounts and other financial assets.

Even going through a well-known online employment service such as monster.com carries risks. Monster.com’s website admits that the company “recently learned our database was illegally accessed and certain contact and account data were taken.”

The site also warns users that their email addresses could be used to target “phishing” emails asking people to confirm their usernames and passwords.

If someone you have never heard of contacts you with a job offer and asks for personal information, do not fall victim to yet another scam targeting job hunters.

And you thought your only problem was finding another job!

The other day I was at an interview and one of the questions was, “What are your weaknesses?” I consider this a depressing, senseless question. How does one answer this? I said, “Chocolate.”

Dear Readers,

Interviewers generally ask three kinds of questions, says Charles Hays, vice president, Right Management Consultants, Inc., a career transition firm. The first category consists of positive questions in which they ask you about your accomplishments. The second aims to get at character traits, which is another chance to extol your strengths. These are questions like: “Tell me about yourself,” and “Where would you like to be in five years?”

The third category, negative questions, can be the toughest. While it’s probably okay to give an answer with some humor – like the “chocolate” retort – come prepared with a more serious response as well.

First deflect the question by rewording it, says Hays, who advises his clients to prepare two to three responses to this question before each job interview. You can do that by identifying an issue, followed quickly with an explanation of how you are addressing it. If you are in sales, for example, you might say: “I really wouldn’t call it a weakness. My bottom line is sales, and I don’t always focus on record keeping, so I need to keep my eye on that.” Your goal, says Hays, “is to downgrade the weakness and show what you’re doing to correct it.”

As important as what you say is how you say it. “It’s a psychological test,” Hays explains. “The interviewer wants to see how defensive you get, and what you’re willing to admit.” In other words: total denial will not serve you well, but a little honesty and a lot of preparation can win you the job.

JOB HUNT

ENERGY BOOSTERS

After several months without work, it can be hard to keep your spirits up. With rising unemployment, engaging in a job hunt can seem futile. How can you motivate yourself?

Dear Readers,

This question comes up often. Rather than go to “the experts,” who generally have little first-hand experience with being unemployed, I decided to ask Mark, a former manager in the manufacturing industry who has been out of work for several months. Does he get discouraged? How does he keep his spirits up? “I definitely have some experience with the emotional ups and downs of unemployment and sometimes total lack of motivation,” he replied. But he won’t give up. Among Mark’s strategies:

Put Yourself on the Clock. I find that I start feeling guilty if I’m not spending every waking moment working on my job search. So next week I will try something that I know I should have been doing the whole time. I am going to put myself on more of a strict schedule, and when I’m done for the day, I will try not to think about it much.

Get Out of the House. I work out and go for a run. At times it’s hard to get motivated to even do that. But I have yet to find a time when I regretted it. It’s also to helpful to go to the library or the bookstore. Being around people, even if you’re not interacting with them, helps to change your mood.

Meet Friends for Lunch. This is a great way to get some reinforcement and maybe even have a few laughs. Friends also may have some new ideas or connections.

Volunteer. Knowing you are helping others may also improve your feeling of self worth, which gets lost during unemployment. It is also a constructive way to network and possibly pick up some new skills.

Write Down Your Own Strategies. Writing down these thoughts seemed to help for some reason. I would suggest listing the things you find that make your days more enjoyable and productive during an extended job search. There are many ways to push yourself, and as each day or week goes by, your list should grow.