Absolutely Abby's 7 Lessons from Sandy: Taking Your Job Search by Storm

Absolutely Abby, AKA Abby Kohut , shared 7 tips in her presentation Lessons from Sandy: Taking Your Job Search by Storm when she presented to PSG CNJ (Professional Service Group Central New Jersey) January 22. Kohut had been traveling throughout the country with the goal of helping a million job seekers when Hurricane Sandy hit the Northeast area. She traveled back with her husband to check on her home, family and friends and came up with  a few ideas of how to use what we all learned during the storm and apply it to our job search.

#1 Be Prepared

Take a drive run to the job during rush hour to make sure you can find the company and aren’t bothered by the commute. Taking a practice drive will boost your confidence because you won’t be worried about getting lost or being late for your interview.

Dress to impress for the job you are seeking. This translates into women wearing pants or skirts suit and a man in a suit. Dresses, khakis and blazers are not enough to impress those in a position to hire.  Applicants should dress to impress even if the office dress code is casual.  It is an unfortunate fact of life that people judge with their eyes first.

Make sure that  you have at least 10 SAR (Situation Action Result) stories to share in your interview preferably ones that relate to the job description. Create a brag book that show your accomplishments and bring a list of your references already typed out.  References should be prepped beforehand about the job you are applying so that they can expect a call.

 Recruiter or hiring manager become uneasy when an applicant knows nothing about the company. Job applicants should research the company  on the company website and check industry trends in online and even print periodicals so that they are knowledgeable.

#2 Be Prudent.

Hurricane Sandy taught many of us this lesson.  Never complain about anyone or anything unless no one can hear you. This includes social media. You may think you are venting to friends on Facebook but once something is posted online it is near impossible to get it removed. It goes without saying that an applicant should never complain or say negative things about a former boss or company in person or online.

Negativity could be a reason that you are not getting calls but job applicants have to remember that are other reasons why job seeking process is be slow. Human Resources and recruiters are inundated with candidates and will only call if they have an open position or they feel you would be a good fit for a job.

Remember that you must be  meticulous with all communications going to HR or recruiters. Typos, grammar and spelling mistakes can keep you from getting an interview. HR and recruiters  may not take the time to tell you what is wrong they just won’t contact you if your materials aren’t professional.

#3 Be Willing to Partner.

Ask from help from others and not just from close family and friends.  Join job search groups, ask for LinkedIn introductions, get a job search buddy and post job leads to Yahoo groups and LinkedIn pages. The more people know that you are looking the more likely you are to get a job.  You also have to make sure that you get out of the house and network. Two people found jobs from leads they gathered at the Whine and Dine Absolutely Abby Networking event in October 2012 where job seekers met with a numbersof recruiters and hiring managers.

#4 Be Persistent.

Set goals that you can reach such as saying you will apply to 10 jobs a week or you will attend at least three job search meetings a week. These goals keep you motivated and they are something you can control. Do not make a goal of saying you will be hired in four weeks because that many parts of that process are out of your control. It is important to be accountable to yourself in your job search.

#5 Be Pliable.

You must be willing to be flexible in your job search. Some job applicants won’t consider temp, consultant or contract positions but these jobs may leads to more opportunities down the road. You may also acquire new skills and contacts on these short term jobs that may help you obtain other positions. It is also important to be flexible with hours and the commute.

#6 Be Patient

The successful job seekers realize that finding the right job takes time. It is not in your best interest to stalk the recruiter or hiring manager. During the interview it is a good idea to ask the interviewer when they will get in touch with you. Follow-up this question by saying that you will email or communicate with them in whichever way they prefer in a few weeks if you don’t hear anything about the job. It is a good idea to check in every 2-3 weeks if you haven’t heard anything from the company.

#7 Be Pleased

Be grateful that you have a house or place to stay, food and water and that your families are okay. Job searching can bring out the negative in people and you don’t want those feelings to follow you on an interview.   Make a list of the top 10 things you are grateful for and read those items to yourself each morning.

Absolutely Abby is the author of several career advice books. Her website is  http:/www.absolutelyabby.com.  On Thursday, January 24 Absolutely Abby and Whine and Dine HR Networking Group are hosting a networking event starting at 5:30 p.m. the Fox and Hound Bar and Grill in Edison, NJ. Click on this link to register http://storiesfromtheroad.eventbrite.com/.