"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore"

Imagine that you've spent hours and hours studying for an algebra test and that you feel reasonably confident that you're ready for the exam. You show up, take your seat, and the teacher hands out the exam papers to the class. You begin to read, and to your great dismay you discover that the exam is about history, not algebra.

How could this happen? You're reasonably sure that the teacher said to be ready for an algebra test, so that's what you studied. When you question the teacher about this surprising turn of events, you're told that sometimes things change unexpectedly and that you just have to adjust to the new circumstances.

This scenario is pretty much what has happened to a lot of people who are caught up in the groundswell of change that has occurred in the economy over the last year and a half.

Jobs and futures that we once thought were secure are now gone like a wisp of smoke from a campfire. That doesn't mean that new jobs and futures aren't out there, but they aren't going to come find you...you have to find them...and the rules for how to go about it are completely different than those you used to get and hold onto your former positions.

It's human nature to want to hold onto the familiar in our lives, sometimes even when the familiar is not all that good. It's also natural to grieve the loss of a job or any other big change in life. In my consulting practice, I tell displaced clients to give themselves a few days to a week to feel sorry for themselves, then put it in the past and focus on the future.

That focus, however, has to be properly directed and channeled in order to bear fruit. An old skill set, even if it's a skill set that still has value in the new economy, is not enough to get you in the door for new opportunities. No matter how good you were/are at what you used to do, there are a lot of other people who are also good at that task and you're competing with them for fewer positions than there used to be in your field.

The economy will turn around again, but employment figures are a lagging indicator. Expect that it will be another year to sixteen months before you see significant hiring again...and some fields are not going to come back at all. Employers will generally try to get more productivity out of the remaining work force before they will consider adding new people. In the meantime, unless you have the resources and the patience to wait it out, you would be advised to adjust your focus to the new standards required for re-entry into the job scene.

Getting noticed, nailing the interview, and negotiating the compensation package require different skills and knowledge than what worked in the past. Don't be a victim to your own reluctance to recognize that "we're not in Kansas anymore."

The Only Stats That Matter

Are you getting interviews?

Are you getting job offers?

Nothing else counts. OK, you can tell yourself that it's a number's game (and it really is) and that if you just send out enough resumes you'll eventualy get an interview. But is it THE INTERVIEW that you want, and is "eventually" soon enough for you? Would you like to reduce those numbers and increase your chances of getting the interview, sooner rather than later?

If you do get an interview, but you don't get a job offer, that opportunity is gone. Do you ever leave an interview thinking to yourself, "I wish I'd said...."?

In this economy, you can't afford to send out less than the best representation of who you are and what you have to offer, and you can't afford to blow an interview opportunity because you were not prepared for the experience.

If you're fortunate enough to get the job offer, have you experienced the "winner's curse"? That's the feeling you get when you're dealing with someone and they immediately accept your terms, which makes you think, "I was too low...I could have done better."

All of these experiences are common, mainly because most people so rarely have to go through them. These are people who are very good at what they do but who haven't had to market themselves in a very long time and don't really know how to do it, especially in this buyer's market where the rules are totally different than they were during the booming economic times of a couple of years ago.

Unfortunately, we don't get "do-overs" in the job and career search process. Each opportunity is too valuable to waste. Knowledge of a few "do's and don'ts" in resumes and interviews can make an amazing difference in your effectiveness in the job and career search. Take the time to get it right.

If you were going to take some kind of important exam or engage in some demanding physical activity in the near future, would you study and prepare your mind and body for what you knew was coming? Of course you would! Don't let something as important as your job and career opportunities go to waste because you were not ready. It's not that hard to do, and it can make all the difference between failure and success.

Watch out for job scams

Following a disaster, such as a hurricane, flood, or some other havoc-wreaking event in people's lives, there are some who would take advantage of those who have been affected by these events. The current economic climate, while not as sudden or violent as a natural disaster, has nonetheless had a devastating effect on many who find themselves unemployed. These circumstances make some people easy targets for the scam artists who are only too happy to separate them from their money.

Here are a few "watch out!" tips to consider if you're one of the unemployed statistics:

1. Don't pay anyone any money who says they can find you a job. Reputable executive search professionals ("headhunters") get their fees from the companies who engage their services. They don't charge candidates. You should never pay for "exclusive" or "confidential" job leads.

2. Don't sign any contracts or agreements with any organization or individual who says they can help you tap into the "hidden" job market. There is no hidden job market. Recruiters and employers don't hide their positions...they try to make sure people know about them so they can fill them.

3. Be especially wary of those "work at home" scams that require an up-front investment on your part. I've never seen one that passed the "smell" test.

4. When dealing with a recruiter, don't share personal or confidential information that is irrelevant to the job search. Information such as your social security number and/or your date of birth are generally not part of the phone interview process. That information may be asked on a formal employment application, but that is generally done in person on the day of the interview.

5. If you think you may have given out confidential information to someone you don't completely trust, contact the credit bureaus (Experiean, Trans Union, and Equifax) and tell them to put a note on your file that you must be contacted in person before any new accounts are opened in your name. This is a good safeguard against identity theft.

6. When dealing with anyone who says that they can help you with your career search, get a thorough explanation of what they intend to do and what it will cost. The good ones will be glad you asked and happy to explain it to you.

7. Even though you may be tempted, stay away from the Internet "diploma mills" that offer bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees for "life experiences." They're not worth the paper they're written on, and most employers and recruiters will check them out if you list a degree from one of them on your resume. If it turns out to be bogus, your chances at the job vanish.

If you see or hear of other scams out there, let me know and I'll publish them.