Working Wounded: Finding Steady Work

D E A R   R E A D E R S: I get a lot of e-mails from people who've been laid off and describe the journey from being toast of the town to being just toast. The following e-mail is unique because it goes far beyond the complaints that seem to fill up my inbox these days. Read on for a fascinating, and somewhat surprising, take on what it really takes to get a job today.

Dear W W: I was a senior director, a published author, a PhD, a speaker at trade shows and had a $125,000 salary. I'd worked hard and was happy about my accomplishments. Then the bottom fell out and my company downsized. At 40 I was unemployed for the first time.

  After the initial shock I picked myself up and said, I'll be back on top in no time. Six months went by without a glimmer of a job prospect. With my unemployment insurance and savings gone, I took a $7 an hour job as a telemarketer selling lawn service. This was a time for action, not self-pity.

  I took some drastic measures. I removed degrees and certifications from my résumé; some companies are more likely to hire someone who is not a threat to upper management. Next I changed my titles. OK, I admit this is a little misleading; instead of "VP of Consulting" it read "Consulting Manager." The statements are true, I did manage consultants. This generated some callbacks.  

  During the interview I'm always asked, "Why are you looking for a position that is less that what you did before?" If the person asking is an older person I am very forthright with my response, "I've been trying to get back into the job market and the jobs that I did before just aren't there. I'm willing to take a step of two back in my career to join the company."

  I'm also often asked, "Won't you leave if you get a better job offer?" I respond, "I consider myself to be very loyal. If something did come my way, I would discuss the situation with my manager and HR to review my options with the company."

I believe that it's important in a job interview to not seem too needy or anxious. Take the time to get to know the person who is interviewing you and be relaxed, but serious.