You’ve been laid off. I’ve been laid off. Your neighbor has been laid off. The unemployment rate is astronomical and everyone you know is looking for a job. Get over it and start acting like a grown up. There I said it. Now is not the time to freak out and worry about your situation. Now is the time to man (woman) up, get out there, and take care of your responsibilities. Welcome to the tough love post.

After you’ve taken a day or two to cry and wallow in your tears, you need a plan. I’m not really into lame quotes but take this one to heart, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”.

Take stock of your job search tools and be sure they are ready for prime time:

Is your resume up to date with your most recent accomplishments. Bring multiple copies. Be sure it’s not on wild cherry colored paper unless your interviewing for an art teacher job.
Have you organized and got permission to use references; employers are going to ask and you should have them ready to sing your praises. Be sure you let your referee know what jobs you are interviewing for and what areas in your background you’d like for them to speak to. You don’t want them flying blind.
Take a look in the mirror. Not everyone can afford an Armani suit but everyone can go into an interview well groomed and looking sharp. Will the interview team like what they see when you show up? Pants pressed. Shirt clean. Makeup neat. Shoes polished. Nails/hands clean. You get my point.
Check your attitude. I’m not a self affirmation kind of guy but you need to be in the right frame of mind when your meeting with your future employer. Do not show up with an, “I’ve already lost” or “I’m not going get this job” type attitude or you might as well not go. Carry yourself with a quiet confidence that lets them know you mean business.
Be sure your ride is clean. Your car says a lot about you. If you can’t afford to clean your car, park it at the rear or the parking lot hidden behind a dumpster. You do not want to show up looking like a million bucks while getting out of a car that looks like it has swine flu. Take your beater through a gas station car wash. This might be the best $4 you spend.
The bottom line is you need to get yourself in the right frame of mind; ready to perform. This is your time to shine and you need to embrace the challenge of the job interview (now cower from it). Prepare yourself for success. Get yourself together and go get that job.