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Copyright 2005 Joel Vance
Anyone can find a job. That’s right, I said “anyone”. And I meant it. But the
caveat is: I didn’t say what kind of job. You can go out and start flipping
burgers, and whine about the tough breaks life handed you when your company
down-sized, or you can reach higher, and go for that job you really want, and
know you have the experience and enthusiasm for.
Reaching higher means being on your toes, in every sense of the words. You’ll
have to stretch yourself too- make that extra effort to overcome the
obstacles in your way. Nobody said getting the right job would be easy. But
it’s there, waiting, if you’re willing to reach.
To show you what we mean, I’m going to give you an example of one executive’s
ego-crushing layoff. Down but not out, this man took personal circumstances
that could have held him back, and built on them so that he stood on a solid
foundation and put that perfect job within his reach.
Sean Davidson* was a senior level marketing manager. His company was
downsizing, and in a performance review, it was felt that Sean was the staff
member in that type of position that they could most do without. What
followed was eight months of frustration, and confidence testing, as he
attended job fairs, network events, and searched Internet employment sites.
Then he landed an interview for a job that not only matched his skill set,
but which he wanted badly. How did he overcome the negativity of his layoff?
When asked about the gap in his employment, Sean took the initiative and
spoke about strategic mistakes he had made in his last position, and how the
slow growth in their industry, had led to a decision to lay off staff. He
then went on to talk about new growth areas and the how a company can make
the most of the opportunities offered, and increase their market share. His
explanation and proposals, not only showed his awareness of current market
conditions, but also displayed his business competency.
He had turned the focus of the question from why he was laid off, to showing
what he had learned from the business conditions that caused it, and how he
could help the interviewing company to improve their position. And he got the
job!
*Names changed to protect confidentiality
About the author:
Joel Vance is an Human Resources expert who has been in HR for 17 years and
interviewed 3,159 people. He has also taught at 4 major universities around
the country and currently has a best selling book on interviewing entitled
The Perfect Interview at http://www.theperfectinterview.com
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