If we analyze the development of organizations we observe different management models which have been evolving according to the context and particular business situations, in scenarios in which there are changing market conditions or new business opportunities present themselves. Generally, organizations establish their strategy based on 2 central concepts: processes and human resources. In other words, organizational leaders ask themselves the following: do our processes support company growth? Do we have a solid commercial strategy ready for entering a new market? Do we have structures that allow flexibility when making decisions? And the most important question: do we have people ready to assume new organizational rolls?
These and other doubts arise in a competitive business environment, but in this scenario what would you do if you lost your job? The feeling of uncertainty and worry as well as many other questions go through our heads in such a time, even more so if we have a family to maintain, school tuition to pay, a mortgage and other responsibilities.
Through this article, I plan to give you some tips that will help you overcome this transition and labor reintegration.
One of the most important factors for success in a new job search is a POSITIVE MENTAL ATITUDE. Your positive mental state should demonstrate your experience, all that you have to offer, your future and what you plan to do with it. This will not be easy and you will find many obstacles along the way. Be aware that if you are planning, you should organize and start with a full time work search strategy, prepare your resume, write presentation letters, establish a contact database and follow up on each of your prospects. All of this will reduce your transition period. But remember, you should plan your activities from your first day of unemployment. Open your computer to an excel spreadsheet and begin to consolidate your contact database as well as prospective employers and companies. You should also begin to map your market’s recruiters. The most important factor is to prepare your PROFESSIONAL RESUME, highlighting achievements and abilities, preferably in no more than 2 pages. Remember that your resume is a personal and professional image of yourself and you should carefully plan what you want to communicate to the person reading it so that it will convince them to call you for an interview. If you achieve this, half of your work is done.
Throughout this process family help will be very important. Sit down with them and be very honest about the situation. Speak with your children and spouse and establish a plan to restructure family spending budgets. It will be difficult but this process will affect all of your family so they should take an active part in helping since you will face different disappointments. There will be a lot of dead end work, many unreturned phone calls, difficult secretaries and unanswered letters. But wait for it. Accept it. Deal with it but don’t give up, keep moving.
, I’d like to share some tips that you should consider during your labor reintegration period:
• Establish a daily work routine which includes physical and mental activity; try to keep the same schedule you had while working. Wake up at the same time every day, continue your exercise, reading and dressing routines and, most importantly, create a space in your home specifically for your job search. The basics needs are a computer, internet, telephone and a printer if possible.
• Build your contact database. The support given by such a system will be key to your search. Start a rough draft with the names of all the people you know and especially those that you have interacted with during your work experience. Call them and tell them your situation, meet with them so that they get to know you better and that way you may find more work opportunities or they may refer you to other contacts.
• Establish contact with professional organizations, chambers of commerce and specialized magazines. Participate in seminars in your specialization which will allow you to converse with other professionals and remember that this source will be the most important in the process.
• Establish contact with headhunters, freelance recruiters, outplacement consultants, employment agencies and, most importantly, use social networks for your transition process. All you need is internet connection and look for pages like Linkedin, Twitter, Monster, Laborum, Bureman, Computrabajo, etc. which will help you establish new connections and contacts with business that are looking for professionals.
• Do a personal evaluation of your personal and professional abilities and this will help you clarify your strengths as well as those aspects which you should work on. This will strengthen your professional profile. Remember that this process is not immediate but it will be a great help in identifying yourself.
• Prepare presentation letters. A letter of presentation can be extremely potent in differentiating yourself. The first paragraph should grab attention as much as it can without being too far from the standards. In the letter you should mention the most important things about your profile, experience and abilities. The second short paragraph may act as a modulating point for achievements within the body of the letter. The last paragraph should include the type of position that you are looking for within the market. Finish the card by requesting an interview and saying thank you.
• Always be prepared to receive calls. When it happens you should remain calm and be very sure about your resume and your achievements. Be prepared to answer questions in a clear and concise manner. Don’t make any mistakes at this point. When you receive a call from a recruiter you are being interviewed and interview rules apply. Don’t oversell yourself or give more information than requested. Try to get a personal interview. It gives you an additional opportunity to get their attention and reinforce important points.
• Follow-up is a key factor. Remember that the majority of the recruiters receive hundreds of resumes and letters weekly. You should have an organized spreadsheet in which you can identify to whom you’ve sent your resume as well as your contact information. If they don’t call within 2 weeks, it’s likely that they have forgotten about you or that the process has been delayed. Have the telephone numbers close at hand and call to check the process status, quickly review your field of specialization and the level of position that you are looking for.
• Before attending an interview review your resume. Arrive early and always bring a copy of your resume. Dress and self-care are important since it is the first thing that the interviewer will see. Don’t make any mistakes here, first impressions are crucial. You never get a second chance to leave a first impression. In men’s case, a lot of care should be taken with the suit, tie, belt and socks used. The best is to always something moderate in taste. For women makeup should not be over-done and you should not wear too much perfume. Simple and conservative accessories are a must.
• Look for basic information about the organization for which you will interview. Study their products, history and profitability as well as problems, structure and culture. This study will help a lot in having a better field of action during the interview. Show interest and give examples which may show the interviewer why you are the person they are looking for.
• Never bring up the subject of salary expectations until the process has advanced. Tell the recruiter that you are interested in the position and if you must give a range of salary. However, if the subject never arises it is always better to avoid it in the first interview. Remember that your objective is to get a second interview.
• Finish the interview by thanking and asking questions about the next steps in the process.
If you take these tips into practice you will reduce your transition period since they are logically designed to help you accomplish your goals in sequence. Surely the first three months will be the most complicated, but remember that planning and organization will be very important in the process so that you may relocate yourself within a new organization.
Good luck and feel free to leave your comments or future questions.
Alberto Loyola
Training and Development Manager for the South Andian Region
PepsiCo Foods
