ATTITUDE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL - THE KEYS TO SUCCESS AFTER LOSING YOUR JOB

Staying positive and knowing how to network effectively will help you to secure a new job, writes Conor Lally.

Losing a job can sometimes be a character-building exercise which could enhance your career prospects over the long term according to Rowan Manahan, managing director of career management group, Fortify Services.

Mr. Manahan said that the first thing someone should after losing their job is to take stock of themselves (professional strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes etc.) and to try and remain upbeat – “The worst thing you can do is go around with a hangdog attitude. Interviewers are like dogs and horses - they can sniff out fear. And desperation. Or, worse yet, lack of self-belief."

Becoming a job-hunter again can be very daunting, particularly if the redundancy has come as a shock or if you have been in the position for a number of years, he said.

“In a case like that, your network can be a little rusty. And make no mistake about it, when you lose a job, networking really is crucial. You have to keep in mind that every single person you know knows 30 other people really well and any one of them could be potentially helpful to you in finding, or finding out about, your next position.”

A candidate’s network will rarely actually procure them a job, but it will give that candidate access to the information that can ultimately lead to a position. “It can mean that you’ll find out that a certain organisation is expanding. That means you can get your CV (highlighting the right things) on the right desk at the right time. You have to be plugged in to know what is going on."

It is important that you not get too pushy in your networking – “You shouldn’t get a friend to set you up for a lunch with someone they know and then whip out your CV half-way through. You should never make the networkee feel awkward or in any way uncomfortable. Subtlety is the key.”

Mr. Manahan said that when it comes to your CV, less really is more. “A CV should be concise and should only comprise information that is immediately relevant to the position that you are applying for. It should be detailed for the preceding five years of your career and briefly highlight the years before that. Any CV that you send out should be carefully tailored for the sector, organisation and role that you applying for,” he said.

It is also important not just to list your responsibilities from previous positions, but also to cite contributions and accomplishments, he added. “People buy to fill a perceived need and they buy for the benefits that the purchase will bring them. Hiring follows exactly the same principles.”

Amazingly enough, appearance is still an often-neglected factor at interview. “In a redundancy situation, with all of the financial pressures that are involved, even if the mortgage payment is looming, you may need to invest in upgrading your physical appearance and your wardrobe. The key area to focus on is accessories – that is where people will notice your effort. Human beings place a lot of store in a person’s appearance and never more so than in the interview process.”

Finally, he said, losing a job can be turned to your advantage. “Five years after losing a plum position due to restructuring, downsizing or whatever, if you have picked yourself up, dusted yourself down and are going for a promotion in your new company, you have an edge. You have concretely demonstrated that you have guts and stamina. You may be up against the proverbial captain of the rugby team, someone who has never taken a knock in his life. Flip that on its head for a moment – that person has never really been tested. You have. Use that to your advantage.”