Knowledge

Talking to your kids about a job loss

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by Outside-In® Career Transition Coach

There are a lot of challenges surrounding a job loss but one that can be more manageable than finances or the next job search is your children’s reaction. Of course the old cliche that honesty is the best policy holds true here, although your message needs to be tailored to the age of your audience.

First things first: make sure you actually talk to your children rather than thinking “they won’t understand” or “we’ll just tell them I’m on vacation.” In one way or another, no matter their age, your children will suspect that something’s up. And if you don’t discuss your new status, children will speculate and their imaginations will conjure up all sorts of possibilities.

Before you ‘sit down’ to have the conversation, be very conscious of how you feel about your job loss. Leave any negative emotions at your old desk or out in the car. At this point what’s more important is how your child feels rather than how you feel.

For toddlers, keep it very simple and brief. Parents magazine/website suggests these words:

  1. “Work doesn’t need me anymore so I’ll be home…”
  2. “My work/job is done so I won’t be going in to that office…”

With elementary school children you can offer broader explanations:

  1. “My company closed so I’m looking for a new job.”
  2. “My company is trying to save money so some of us are looking for new jobs.”

With teenagers, offer a full explanation and try to engage them in conversation. Tell them your news, why you’re not working and what your plans are. High school kids may already know friends and classmates who’s families have been affected by job loss or change. If you encourage your kids to talk, you’re in a better position to address concerns, real or imagined.

For children of all ages, be sure to offer your thoughts on how they can help. For example:

  1. “I need quiet this afternoon because I have a phone interview.”
  2. “We can still do fun things but let’s think about free activities.”
  3. “Little things like turning off lights when you leave the room can help.”

There are some key things to avoid so you don’t instill greater fear and lasting concern especially if your children aren’t really old enough to understand. Blaming others won’t help a child who is too far removed from your job to understand. Talking about the bad economy can be a bad approach because the reports of the weak economy are ongoing. These things could be overwhelming to a child.

Talking about how difficult finding a new job can be rather than your plans to get a new job presents only a negative perspective. Just think in terms of complaining about the uncontrollable circumstances is negative, while discussing your constructive steps is positive. That’s the influence you can have as a parent in developing a child in the long run: by focusing on the possibilities rather than the negatives will instill optimism in children that will carry over into adulthood.

For further perspectives, visit http://www.parents.com/parenting/work/how-to-explain-unemployment-to-kids/

Image from freedigitalphotos.net

How do I answer the question: “why did you leave your last job?”

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by Ed Weirauch, Career Transition Coach

Job interviews can be one of life’s most stressful situations. And fearing the question, “why did you leave your last job?” can be a top source of stress for you.

But today, the answer to this question carries less weight than it did prior to the 2008 economic recession when lay-offs became especially common. And compared to the weight this issue carried ten or 15 years ago, it’s almost a non-issue. In the “old days,” people stayed at jobs for years, so why would you leave?

Our first message then is to breathe a sigh of relief. Yes, you may be asked this question but your answer, especially a prepared, brief response will likely fall pretty far down on the interviewer’s list of important points.

Honesty & Brevity
When your job change was due to a workplace development such as a merger, downsizing, restructuring, realignment or closing, your answer should be easy and to the point.

  • My company merged with another. 
  • Profits were below expectations so there was a downsizing. 
  • Leadership took a new approach so there was a restructuring. 
  • The company closed.

In general, this is all you’ll need to say, brief, to the point, no hard feelings or indication of guilt, just very objective. Don’t be tempted to fill any silent gap. If the interviewer is looking for more, make him/her ask for it rather than volunteering information. And if you are asked for more, continue to be very brief and general.

Less is More

Those are easy situations to explain. Increasingly common today are job changes based on more subtle circumstances that can often lead to a feeling of “you had to be there” to understand. Our first advice piece of advice is a don’t: Don’t even try to explain or tell your story. You may end up digging a hole or going in a direction that reflects poorly on you and/or raises more questions than answers.

Instead, invest time to think about the bottom line of your situation and develop a one sentence answer that best summarizes your move. Here are some examples:

  • I saw the direction the company was going and didn’t see myself as fitting. 
  • My job description changed drastically which would move me away from what I do best. 
  • I want to move in a different direction in my career. 
  • I wasn’t being challenged which is something I miss. 
  • I feel that I accomplished/contributed everything I could and its time for something new. 
  • I want to feel excited about going into work again. 
  • Advancement opportunities are limited, I want to see what else is out there.

Advancing the Conversation
Of course answers like this are far better than lying, pointing the finger at somebody else, revealing a weakness or expressing sour grapes. And, they help move the conversation in a more positive direction, potentially opening the door for you to answer a follow-up question:

  • What do you do best? 
  • In what direction are you going? 
  • When do you feel challenged? 
  • What can you contribute?

Be ready to answer these questions even if you aren’t asked them. So think of this as a two-part question. IF you’re asked, why did you leave your last job, be ready with an objective answer and then be prepared to elaborate:

  • “I didn’t feel challenged after exceeding my sales goals so I’m looking for something new…” 
  • “My work had become routine and I’m looking to be challenged…” 
  • “My job description moved away from what makes me tick so I’m looking to get back to that…”

And Here’s One More “Don’t”  

Never answer the question by talking money. So these are not options: 
  • “The pay just wasn’t there.”
  • “Nobody got a bonus this year.”
  • “My kids are headed for college, I need to make more money.”  

These may be true for you, but the potential employer is most concerned with what you can do for him/her and the new company. So that’s where your focus must be.

So Here’s Your Strategy
If I’m asked ‘why did you leave your last job…’ answer a little about me and a lot about what I can do for them.”

Images from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Insider Tips for Job Interview Success

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by Rich J. Kolodgie, Managing Director 

“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called you.” (Tom Peters, “The Brand Called You”, Fast Company, Issue 10, August 1997.) 

Interview Preparation the W5 Model 
Well, what better way to market the brand called you, than in a job interview? And, preparation, preparation, preparation… will help you to sell yourself.

So, let’s get prepared, by following theW5 Model:

 

Hiring Manager’s Evaluation W.A.S.
Once you have finished the W5 prep, then begin to think about what recruiter and hiring managers are looking for when they are interviewing you. In most cases the three main things they are evaluating is:
Willingness – Are you willing to do the work that they have for you?
Ability Do you have the skills and abilities to do this job?
Stability – Are they comfortable that you have the work history that demonstrates commitment?

So, you can change the conversation flow in an interview by keeping your pulse on what the interviewer is most interested in. For example, around “Willingness” ask questions first and use rapport building time wisely. Around your ability to do the job, prepare and tell good accomplishment stories, as people tend to remember stories and not facts. And, in the area of stability, point to previous roles with solid commitment and indicate your intended commitment level.

Probably most important is your ability to tell good accomplishment stories. We suggest that you be prepared to talk about your accomplishments in terms of concrete examples:

Action – What you actually did.
Situation – What was the situation you were dealing with at the company at that time?
Result – What was the outcome? How did it help the company? And, quantify, where possible.

Interview Blunders 

There are lots of things you should do to prepare, but how about some interview blunders to avoid?

  • Showing up late – the reason will never matter
  • Getting the dress code wrong
  • Forgetting the follow-up thank you note 
  • Obvious embellishment or padding 
  • Talking about salary, hours, benefits, perks 
  • Speaking poorly about previous roles/companies 
  • Not listening to the question – The Zone Out 
  • Being overly familiar (talking about the picture on the wall.) 
  • Putting the interviewer on the spot.

Five Steps To A Successful Interview
So, hopefully some of these tips and tools for interviewing success will help you, and in closing remember these five things: 

  1. Proper Attitude – Must know who you are and what you bring to the table.
  2. Arm yourself with info about the company and position.
  3. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
  4. Let the meeting flow. 
  5. Follow up.

Our expert career coaches at Barton Career Advisors work every day helping our clients to interview for success, and we would be delighted to assist you.