Light at the End of the Tunnel

(This post was written by Jim Barrett, a Full-Time Placement Consultant at Blaine and Associates, Inc.)

It's a difficult time. I probably don't need to tell you that. It's a time when all of us need to realize that in order to snag that interview, that elusive job, we need to be at the top of our game.

We all know someone who has been laid off, someone who is at a loss for what they should do next. The immediate question is: "What's next?"

Here is what I suggest: take a minute to inventory your skills and decide what you need to add to that skill set in order to explore other career opportunities. Contrary to popular belief there are employers hiring but you need to be proactive about getting yourself, your resume, your presentation of you in the best possible shape. Attend a resume workshop, brush up on your software skills by taking a class, read up on the "do's" and "don't's" of interviewing. You need to be ready when the opportunity presents itself. Make no mistake, things will turn around and you need to use this time to learn how to market yourself. Network, talk to friends and former coworkers, keep your name fresh in their memories.

I have seen the best of times and the worst of times in my thirty plus years as a consultant in the employment industry. It is my objective to prepare you in every way so that you are that #1 candidate employers dream about. I want you to walk away with a job offer. Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but you'll get their faster if you have the right tools for the (no pun) job.