March forward is the attitude we should be having at the moment. Things are slowly picking up and companies are hiring....slowly. So what can you do if you don't have a lead or an interview?
It's time to brush up on your resume, relook at the projects you did at your last job where you exceled at. The number 1 mistake that people do is they forget to mention the Powerpoint presentation that gave the "ooohs" from the audience they were presenting to. Or the fundraising event that gave your company a good name. The reason why is that when folks get layed off, they tend to be reactive and be in panic mode and forget that looking for a new job is a full time job. This means you have to redo you resume over and over again just like any project you have to do at work. My advice is take the time to reflect and do a bit of soul searching. I know that sounds new age but the reality is that you are the only one that knows what you have done and are capable of doing.
What happens if you have a void in your resume due to job searching? The number 1 answer that comes to mind is you've been looking all that time. Why not think about the volunteer work you did in the mean time? Or the personal projects you've always wanted to work on and you finally did? It is imperative to describe the time and the action, task, and the mission you were trying to accomplish during this time. You will be surprise what you've accomplished when you put in down on paper. You may think or worry that it won't look professional but there are ways. For example, you were helping your daughter sell girl scout cookie. How would you mention that on a resume? This is how:
Volunteer Work:
Fundraiser Leader: Girl Scout Association of New England (GSANE)(or wherever)- Developed and implemented fundraising strategies to increase funds for GSANE. Strategically sent massive promotional detailing to corporation and small businesses. Increase sales from 5% to 15% in the course of a monthly timeframe....Blah Blah Blah. Get the point? Ok, now its you turn to try this out.
Have fun do this...you'll be suprise what you come up with, resourcefully speaking.
