Five tips for job-hunting success
Bess Bunyak, a trainer and facilitator with the Office of Economic Development Division of Workforce; and Stephanie S. Smith, licensed psychologist and owner of Front Range Psychological Associates, offer these tips:
1. Keep a positive attitude: “The job searching process is very stressful, and it’s easy to get down,” Bunyak says. “If you get an interview, you have to go in with a smile on your face. Make eye contact, offer a firm handshake. Set yourself up mentally, and assume you have the job. Confidence is key.”
2. Get out there: “I tell people to get away from the computer,” Bunyak says. Workforce Centers throughout the area provide free, grant-based, training, and community centers and libraries offer free classes and workshops, as well. “Also, get out there and volunteer, and when you find a job, don’t give up that volunteer work.” offers information on free workshops.
3. Stress relief: “Most of us have great ways to deal with stress,” says Smith, who serves as public-education coordinator for the Colorado Psychological Association. “When things are going well, we do needlepoint or yoga or head to our book clubs. But when push comes to shove, we sometimes abandon coping strategies when we need them most.”
4. Talk it out: Most important to people who face unemployment, Smith says, is to talk about it. “Whether it’s a friend or family member who will be supportive, or someone else in the same boat, you need that emotional support. Don’t be embarrassed. And if you’re too depressed to cope, there’s no shame in seeking professional help. It doesn’t mean a lifetime on a couch. It might just mean a few sessions to talk things out.”
5. Ban negativity: “Nothing will hurt you more in an interview than bad-mouthing your former company, employer or co-worker,” Bunyak says.
Maria Cote
