Today I want to introduce a new blog.  Its from a site that  I ‘ve spent a good  many hours on looking around at jobs.  They’ve recently launched a new blog and below  one of their writers has contributed today’s post.  As a bonus it doesn’t hurt that this month they are focusing on   Jobs in cornwall .  Anyway here is today’s entry. Thanks again Tony

On a first date  we often try and put our best foot forward.   However if that foot isn’t real then two things can happen.

First of all we get into a relationship based on lies and it leads to issues later. Second, if the “foot” so to speak is just too far from who we  really are  and we are not world class actors we end up tipping our hand  and we are instantly identified as fakes.

Its the second issue  that we are more concerned with when going after a job.  In a difficult job market we might be willing to become anyone to get the paycheck and in reality its a job we are after not a relationship. As long as we give the employer what they are paying for our own personality is a side issue.

Professional human resource interviewers however have seen all kinds of bluster and fake personalities. They’ve seen the bloke that acts like he is the answer to the company’s dream of  increasing  revenue by 2 million pounds a year and they’ve seen the kind that pretends to  bend backward to be a team player  at every turn but who actually turns out to be the greatest distraction the company ever had.

Somewhere in the presentation of your credentials there has to come across something real and again since most people are horrible actors (only they don’t know it)  the surest way to come across as genuine in  the presentation of yourself is to  well – actually present yourself honestly and objectively as yourself.

Both honesty and objectivity is required.
That should start with the resume.  You need a good one and you need one that accurately represents who you are in the best light for the express reason that YOU believe it. I remember the first time I got back a resume  for a professional resume writer.   At first I thought “did I get the wrong resume”?  The guy in the resume sounded super qualified.  I didn’t consider myself that accomplished but as I went through the resume there were no lies.  This was an objective  assessment of what I had to offer. It merely highlighted my REAL good points. Honesty with objectivity didn’t  require the lowest possible evaluation of myself.

When I went in to the interviews that followed I could walk in with a better sense of who I really was. I didn’t need to fake anything in the interview either. Because I had confronted the real me in the resume I could come across as confident to meet the job  and it was all me.

I have however been in the position of going in not really thinking I was qualified for the job and not seeing my good points.  So I faked it. One of the most awkward moments in life is when you are doing a sales job to the interviewer and you can see written all over their face they are doubting every word. Its then you realize that  you aren’t getting the job and  you shouldn’t consider  getting one as an actor either.  Some times its true – its just best to be yourself

Okay  life is not looking so bad after all.  Not the job of my dreams and not  full Time but it puts  bacon on the table.   Will update you more when I have the time. Lots of preparations and I’ll bring you along for the journey  shortly.    Good interviewing skills work. That’s all I Can say for now.

Here are some important rerources if you are in the hunt for a job:

For resume information -  resumes

For some great dressing tips see Gq’s article – http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/style/how-to-dress/how-to-dress-job-interview

For specific  jobs available in England  you can check these  top sites form a major UK search site -  Active Jobs in Cheshire , Jobs in London, Jobs in glasgow

Sending out resumes,  playing phone tag sitting in front of people who are actually paid to judge you while they have the power to make or break your life.  The life of the unemployed  is filled with more stress inducing work than being employed.  A lot of the time we have had a rough interviewing day we retreat straight back home and gather up energy for the next jaw grinding session scheduled in a day or two.

We don’t want to talk about being unemployed so we lock ourselves off from  the kind of social interaction we used to have but its perhaps the best time to become more socially active. After all the number one  thing about an interview is to be relaxed and convey a sense that you are an asset to the position.  IF we relax anengage wth others then we tend to be far more loose and not as wound up.

So I did the unthinkable. I actually started looking around for things to do that DON’T pay money.