On the Market - Now What Do I Do?

Got the pink slip, contract ended, re-entering the job market or just plain want to leave the old for the new? Well, don't fret. There are some things you can personally do to take charge of your destiny. If you find yourself on the job market during this recession, remember the following:

• Stay positive. Keeping an upbeat attitude will help you move forward. Your demeanor shows through on an interview and with the people you interact. No one wants to work with a Debbie Downer and surely won't hire people with a negative personality. If you need to hit the gym for an hour, place happy post it quotes everywhere, or have an hour meeting with a trained professional use it to vent out your frustrations then Do It. Find and keep your outlet that helps you stay happy. Remember, if you lost your job it is only a crossroad. Take the best from your last position and try to apply it to what you're looking for in the next. Take the worst from your last position and leave it at the company you just left.
• Get your resume ready. Use the job boards and post it on the main boards. Also, find the niche boards that fit your specialty and post it there as well. If you apply for a job or are working with recruiters on finding your next gig, please take their advice and if they recommend changes to your resume, make the changes. You're going against a lot of competition today and want to make your one marketing tool stand out. Think of the 700 people that recently applied for a janitorial position for a school in Ohio. Who do you think is going to land an interview? The people who's resumes stood out for the job. If you background and experience can lead you in a few directions on your next position, have different versions of your resume handy.
• References. Get in touch with at least 5 people you've worked with before and make sure it's ok with them to use them as a reference. If you've worked at more than one company and you worked at your last company for less than 5 years, get references from prior places of employment too. Always get a prior manager. Depending on the role your interviewing for will also depend on the type of reference you'll need. If you're going into a customer facing role, a prior customer would be a great reference. If you're heading into an upper management role, prior upper management (i.e., peer, prior manager) would be another great type of reference. Letters of recommendation are good too, but be careful with them as they are not always geared to the specific job role your applying for.
• Social Media. Hopefully, you've already established a presence. If you haven't join LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Get re-connected with people. Give them an eye into who you are. If you have a specialty niche, join a board and post to the forums. Act the expert you are. When you get to know some of the regulars, let them know you're actively looking. You never know if someone is looking or if they have a heads up on a job.
  
• Networking Groups. Find your local groups in town and find out when they are having events. Sign up and go to them.