Copyright (c) 2009 The College Of Public Speaking
Unemployment in a recession is a nasty business. It is a horrible shock for many talented people. However, it's important to bounce back quickly. Get that all important sales document, your CV into shape and ensure that all of your recent achievements are highlighted. If you haven't worked in a customer facing environment, it's highly likely that your interview skills and confidence could well do with a boost.
Redundancy can be like a death in the family. It fills people with the fear of an uncertain future. When will I get that next opportunity to return to work? Would changing career path now be the correct decision? It hurts not to be working - it hurts not to feel needed. It hurts not to be surrounded with one's friends and colleagues. If you are single and home alone, it's quite an alienating experience. If you're married, you have the personal uncertainty to worry about as well as the concern for your family's future. Can you continue to afford piano lessons for your daughter? Are her drama lessons absolutely necessary?
The good news is that help is at hand and if you fall into the category of person who has had a job which is not customer facing, you will probably need that little bit of assistance to fire up your confidence and get you speaking and selling yourself like a professional.
The first thing is to update that CV. Keep it tight, accurate and full of your workplace achievements. For example, since taking over as Head of Export Sales in 2005, your sales figures have been best in the company and broke all industry trends. If it's true, don't be shy about making that very clear. The interview is the opportunity to put the flesh on the bones of this occurrence. Explain how half of your sales force left at Christmas 2006 and you recruited, trained and retained your new staff and received a prestigious sales awards. Tell them about your project management skills - how you had to manage your time between London and Tokyo, product launches across continents, languages and cultures takes some effort. Speak enthusiastically about your positive input - if you are not enthusiastic, do not expect your interviewer to pick up on your major achievements.
Enthusiasm is infectious - it sends positive vibrations of personal creativity and success. People like to work with successful people. People like to work with creativity. It is a personally rewarding experience. Confidence is the key. Sadly, if you have been out of work for some time, it's highly likely that your confidence has taken something of a dent. However, there are people and organizations that can help you. Don't be afraid of asking for help when it's needed. Think of this learning opportunity as an investment in the future, not another cost when you can least afford it.
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Vince Stevenson has been nominated for a number of prestigious awards for his work in the voluntary sector. Vince is a founder and director of the College of Public Speaking, one of the UK's leading presentation skills companies and has taken over the personal development brief. Visit the College of Public Speaking at => http://www.collegeofpublicspeaking.co.uk/Interview_Skills.html
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