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Depression and Job Loss
Depression is often predicated by job loss and long-term unemployment, most of you would say, "Well, DUH!" It doesn't take a rocket scientist to connect the dots on that assumption. What many people don't realize is that depression actually makes it harder to gain reemployment, thus creating a cyclical spiral-down effect. Often, clients who seem to have the most difficulty finding new jobs have been struggling with depression resulting from their job loss and subsequent unemployment period.
In a 2002 study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, psychologists Richard Price, Jin Nam Choi and Amiram Vinokur of the University of Michigan detail the results of a study they conducted of 756 recently unemployed individuals. Their study seemed to indicate that secondary stressors of job loss such as financial strain and loss of personal control are the true culprits that lead to depression. The study also found that elevated levels of depression "may reduce the likelihood of reemployment."
So what is depression? Depression is defined as "a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked esp. by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies." In general, depression is diagnosed in two different senses - one is situation depression or depression that is caused by an event such as a death of a loved one, a divorce, medicinal side effects, or a job loss. The second is clinical depression, a condition that is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Clinical depression may be worsened by events such as a job loss but usually antedates the event. Depression is NOT a character defect! It is as real an illness as diabetes or heart disease and affects 18.8 million US adults (that's 9.5% of the population) at some point in their lifetime.
Unemployment produces profound changes in the lives of adults. When laid off, workers experience loss of structured time, valued relationships, status and identity, and loss of goals. Add to these losses the loss of income and increasing financial pressures and you have a prescription for depression in even the strongest, type A personalities.
If you are dealing with depression as a result of a significant event such as a job loss, here are a few things to remember:
- One out of every five or six workers is unemployed at some time during each year (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- There is no such thing as a career with one company for your entire life anymore so adjust your mental thought processes. If you have been laid off, it's not unusual.
- The worst thing you can do is nothing. Be diligent in your job hunting but also use the windfall of time to get out and help others. Volunteer your time instead of sitting in front of the television. Not only will volunteering help you avoid depression, it will give you a purpose and help extend your network.
- Talk to someone. Keeping things all bottled up is the equivalent of mental constipation. It will make you sick eventually. Talk to your family, your spouse, your friends, or your pastor. If you feel you would be more comfortable, talk to a therapist. It is NOT a character flaw to seek a shoulder to vent upon.
- Seek help. There are people who are ready to listen and to help.
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JOB TRANSITION NEWSLETTER |
August 2, 2009 |
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Hello Everyone~
Welcome to all our new readers and we sincerely hope you find our weekly newsletters helpful in your job search! This past week over 1,400 people subscribed and we continue to be amazed at how so many people are finding their way to our website and subscribing. We also added 12 new clients to our coaching practice and we want to welcome you also.
I want to briefly talk about an ussue that came up frequently during our free coaching sessions last week. Many of the resumes we reviewed were passive job discripitions not dynamiic branding documents. When you are competing with hundreds of others for one job it is imperative that you understand two things; key word searches used my applicant tracking systems today, and your professional experience needs to lay out specific, mesureable accomplishment, not be a long description of everything you did on the job. If you do not understand what I mean and would like to discuss your resume with us, the invitiation still exists to have us give you a free review of your resume. Simply E mail us your resume to mjackson@JacksonLifeCoaching.com and one of our coaches will arrange a free "sales-pitch free" telephone coaching session.
Have a Great week, take time to enjoy your family and friends; get some exercise to reduce that stress and keep your head up! If we can help in any way please let us know.
Kindest Regards,
Mikal Jackson
Twitter: MikalJackson
SKYPE: Mikal.Jackson
Yahoo: Mikalj69
AIM: HRmikal1
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| Assessing Your Search Efforts! |
If you're still looking for a job, now is a great time to assess some of your job hunting techniques. It is always a good idea to take a step back every once in a while to confirm that you're on the right track and doing all the right things.
From time to time, it is necessary to stop and determine what you think is working best and what is not. If you find yourself temporarily off course, don't worry-it's okay. Keep in mind that finding a job is not an exact science and you will experience a lot of trial and error along the way.
The most important thing is to stay optimistic and motivated. In addition to maintaining that positive outlook, here are some simple ways to stay on the right track:
Get the Skills You Need. Are you finding that you are not qualified for jobs that you are applying for because you don't have the right skills or educational background? Now may be a good time to consider looking at furthering your education. There are a lot of available schools, from traditional to online, that can offer you the flexibility that you need to get educated, get more interviews and secure that job you have always wanted.
Keep Practicing. You might think that going on several interviews for different jobs might be a bad sign, but actually, the more interviews you go on, the more practice you get and the more opportunities you have to refine your interview techniques. So stick with it. Every interview will be a learning experience that you can apply to your next interview.
Seek Out the Help of Friends. Ask a few of your closest friends or family members for some honest feedback on your interview techniques or to review your resume. Friends and family have your best interest in mind and will provide honest feedback. They also have their own experiences to share of what works and what doesn't. Also, don't forget to utilize your list of networking contacts throughout your job search to provide you with advice along the way.
Be an Informed Job Seeker. When interviewing with a potential employer, don't just talk about yourself. It may sound crazy, but instead of just tooting your own horn, research the company by reviewing their latest press releases or reading to find out the latest news about the company through industry magazines so that you can be knowledgeable and ask more specific questions. You can also demonstrate your value by explaining how you can help their company with a specific product or area of their business.
Reassess Your Job Alerts. Automated job alerts are a must job search tool to ensure that you're not missing out on any great job opportunities. Now that you are in the process of reevaluating your job search you may also want to reevaluate your job alerts to confirm that they are yielding the best possible results. Make certain that you are targeting only the types of jobs you really want. Modify your alerts or set up new alerts to be automatically alerted of opportunities that truly match your job search criteria via email. One of the biggest issues most job seekers have when assessing their job search is that they are not happy with their resume because they find it difficult to sufficiently put their responsibilities down on paper. Does your resume portray you in the best possible light? If not, seek out the help of a professional resume writing service to help transform you into a memorable candidate. Resume writers can be used at anytime throughout your job search. Is now a good time for you?
Develop a Professional Resume
Now that you've assessed your job search, made some changes to your approach, and are on track to landing your dream job, its time to put your new job search methods to the test. Start by reintroducing yourself to potential employers by sending your resume directly to hiring managers that are ready to make a hiring decision today.
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| The Video Resume |
Job seekers and technophobes beware. Just when you thought you'd finally figured out how to craft the perfect paper resume, enter its video counterpart.
When you combine widespread Internet usage with today's user-friendly, high-quality video technology and add a healthy dose of monitor-tethered job seekers from the YouTube and My- Space generation, chances are good that the practice will eventually take its place among the ranks of accepted job search techniques.
Will you be ready? What can you expect? Do you have to run out and purchase a webcam today?
What if you consider yourself technologically savvy if you can control the garage door remote? Do you even stand a chance under those circumstances? The questions go on and on.
Let the answers begin
First, if you want to be a banker, a lawyer, a civil servant or anything resembling conservative with a capital C, relax. You may not have to be ready anytime soon. Hiring managers in conservative industries usually don't embrace cutting edge technological practices that haven't been given the societal tried and true seal of approval.
If, however, your career ambitions lie elsewhere, in, say, any other career field where the murky middle ground is more revered than avoided, then you may find that you are smiling and saying cheese sooner rather than later to get the competitive edge over other equally talented souls.
When that will be, however, is uncertain. The jury is still out on the issue. While some employers welcome the use of video resumes, others are not quite so ready to jump on the silver screen bandwagon.
According to the 2007 Video Resume Survey by career publisher Vault Inc., 89 percent of employers revealed that they would watch one if it were submitted to them, but only 17 percent of those surveyed had actually viewed one sent to them. Fifty-two percent of the 309 employers surveyed indicated that they thought video resumes were a good way to assess a job candidate's professional demeanor and presentation.
Some human resource and hiring managers, however, expressed concerned that the use of video resumes would allow employers to make hiring decisions based on appearances and that could open up a legal and expensive can of worms.
There are other concerns as well. Not all video resumes are created equally. You might have all the bells and whistles imaginable to create your resume while someone else might only have the bare, low-budget essentials.
Employers aren't the only ones who are wary. Many job seekers share the same concerns. And, let's face it: Some of us have a face meant for radio and can better communicate relevant skills, abilities and personal qualities on an in-person basis.
Replacing paper?
Will video resume ever replace the paper deal? My crystal ball says no. When an employer makes a decision on whether or not to hire an individual, he or she considers the whole package and not just what is seen on a three-minute teaser. Chances are good, at least in the next few years, that decisions to hire candidates won't be based on the video resume alone.
That same crystal ball also says that they will nevertheless be increasingly used in conjunction with traditional paper resumes and in-person job interviews.
While you may not need to run out and produce your video resume today, keep your eyes and your mind open for the day, perhaps in the not-so-distant future, when having one might give you the edge over the other guys.
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Just a final note...
Remember to check out the blog each week for additional information and videos. Also, each of our coaches man the chat room during diifferent times of the day so feel free to stop in and ask a question. Both the blog and the chat can be found on the top left and top right of our website home page.
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