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Jobless? Stay alert for ambush interview
If you've been unemployed lately, you know that one of the most difficult aspects of the situation is the loss of mental sharpness. People get fuzzy when they're not working.
With a big chunk of time allocated to the job each day, employed people have to make the most of the commute, lunch hours and even days off. Calls are made, errands are run and birthdays are remembered.
Can the same be said of extended periods away from work? When a strict schedule is relaxed, people tend to get less done. It seems they tend to let go of a few brain cells as well. That's not tragic -- just inconvenient. It leads to surprising mishaps, such as losing datebooks, trying to start the car with the house key and coming a day early for appointments.
This would be somewhat amusing if it weren't for those pesky human resources professionals who seem to expect more, not less, of people without jobs. For reasons I've never grasped, there exists an unspoken understanding that job candidates have to be better and smarter than the people already working at a company.
This drive for perfection has created a tremendous burden on candidates. Never mind the endless requests for seemingly unnecessary degrees or extensive experience; what about the requirement that a candidate be "on" 24/7?
According to job-search advisers, including me on occasion, candidates are supposed to be ready at all times for meaningful conversations about their skills, their goals and the global economy. On top of that, they're never supposed to leave the house unless they look their best -- advice that certainly has led some job-seekers simply to stay home.
You won't escape anything at home, though. The phone undoubtedly will ring just as you're stepping into the shower after breaking up a fight between your dogs (who now are howling in the back entry).
When you pick up the phone, the businesslike voice on the other end will announce, "I'm calling about your letter of the 19th," leaving you clutching your towel and wondering which of the 12 employers to whom you wrote last week this actually might be.
It's really not fair, is it? The caller had all week to decide to make this call. You, on the other hand, are placed on instant audition and faced with split-second decisions about how to handle the conversation.
When it comes to unequal situations in the job search, my favorite comes from the interviewers who insist they will throw out any resume with a typo. Last month I smiled politely while an HR person said, "Grammatical errors in resumes are something I look down on." Hmmm. But she gets to keep her job while ending sentences with prepositions?
While we're waiting for the declaration of national "Lighten Up Week," here are a few tips to stay as sharp as possible during a period of unemployment.
1. Start each day with a routine related to job search, such as reviewing your leads or reminding yourself of your goals.
2. Establish your "on" times for the day. For example, you might make and take phone calls from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. and let the machine catch them at other times.
3. Dress neatly for errands and social events, even if you don't expect to run into anyone. Casual is fine; sloppy is risky.
4. Place cheat sheets near the phone and in your car to remind you of a few key skills or experiences you want to share with employers.
5. When you meet an acquaintance unexpectedly, remember to phrase things positively. Not "I'm still unemployed" but "I'm looking for a job in ___, so tell me if you hear of anything."
In a way, these tips are just a bandage. Until you are on an employer's payroll again, the reality is that you'll have to be ready for anything, all the time.
Because that's a tough task mentally, give yourself occasional afternoons off, away from phones and acquaintances. When your batteries are recharged, you can put your cape back on and face another day as Super Candidate.
- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice. com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.
