It’s everybody’s worst nightmare isn’t it? You’re in an interview for a job you really want and it all starts going wrong. Whether it’s your phone ringing or you’re giving the longest, most irrelevant answer to an interview question ever, once things start going wrong it feels like there’s no way back. However, it is possible to get things back on track and limit the damage during the actual interview. You can also follow up with certain steps that can help to rectify the situation afterwards so do not fear, some tips are here.

Whilst in the interview

• Try not to panic: Even if you’re convinced you’ve made a massive mistake in the middle of your interview, keep calm and carry on. The interviewers may not have even noticed, or if they have, they may be willing to allow it depending on how the rest of the interview goes.
• Don’t try too hard: Ok, so you’ve been had. You made a mistake and it hasn’t quite gone to plan but don’t overcompensate by trying too hard. If you do so, you’ll tighten up, get stressed and probably go on to make many more mistakes and then comes a downward spiral. Instead, focus on executing your original game plan for the interview and try to keep your breathing even.
• Don’t dwell on the mistake – move on: Yes, you may have made a mistake, but if you keep thinking about it for the rest of the interview, you’ll be distracted and that will make matters worse. Move this mistake to the back of your mind by listening carefully to what the interviewers are saying. This will help you remain in the moment instead of thinking about what just happened.
• Control those emotions: Even if you feel like bursting into tears because the interview is going so badly, try to keep yourself in check. Keep things in perspective—it’s a job interview, not a fight to the death. If you really are emotional, excuse yourself to the bathroom so you can take a moment.

Key follow-ups after the interview

• Say ‘thank you’ in a note / email: No matter how embarrassed you are because of a bad interview, still email a ‘thank you’ note to the interviewers. It can’t logically make matters worse and is a simple sign of acknowledgement and politeness. If you are really convinced there’s no way you’ve gotten the job, just think of sending a ‘thank you’ note as an act of closure.
• Get in touch with new thoughts: The last thing you may want to do after a disastrous interview is to email the interviewers with new thoughts or ideas about the interview topics. However, by emailing them with things that have occurred to you after the event, you may be salvaging the situation. In the clear light of day, your thoughts will be more lucid and will give the interviewers a more accurate idea of who you really are.
• Don’t be tempted to vent online: Don’t dismiss your opportunity to get this job because you think it didn’t go well. There is no excuse to jump on Facebook and rant about the bad experience. You never know exactly how you came across. There is always a chance that the interviewers will consider you seriously for the role and wouldn’t it be awful if they come across you online to see a negative display of your experience with them? Also don’t forget that other employers you’ve applied to may also be checking your online profiles.
• Be sure to move on: Speaking of your other applications, if you genuinely think the bad interview is a lost cause even after you’ve followed the above steps, don’t give up on your job search completely. Focus on the other applications you’ve made and how you’re going to improve upon your interview technique. If learning from your interview mistakes helps you to ace the next interview you get, the bad interview will at least have been worth something.

For further reading and advice on interviews you may find this “How to ace the interview” eGuide helpful.

About the author:

Nisa Chitakasem, co-founder of Career Change Specialists Position Ignition, which helps people with their career change, job search and career direction.

Simon North looks at motivation in the workplace to achieve high performance and success.

Motivation is one of those concepts which relate more to outcome and output than it does to input.

In other words, it is the consequence of a sequence of situations, contexts and events which allows somebody to feel that their motivation is OK.

Where performance and motivation are similar is that performance also is about output. But both issues do require a sensible and sensitive approach to the way that people work. Giving colleagues a sense of the direction of travel that they and the team overall are taking, plus consistent and regular communications about what needs doing, as well as how they are doing in terms of their feedback, are fundamentals to keeping motivation and performance high.

The sensitivity issue comes into play in terms of listening and tuning in to every individual on a regular basis. This does not have to be formalised and structured as part of the standard appraisal process. This is much more about day to day management and supervision.

In a workplace where the war for talent is making it tough to find good workers and where key skills are likely to be getting scarcer, the need to treat people well increases every day. Avoid over-measuring --whilst it is important to measure outputs and performance, over-measurement can be a real irritant to high-performing individuals and may reduce their level of motivation for what it is that they do.

It is far better to have regular input sessions on being clear about the future and the team’s expected performance, followed up by frequent shorter feedback conversations both one on one and in small groups to check that the individual and the team are going in the right direction.

If it sounds simple that’s because it is. One of the biggest mistakes that we can make is to over complicate what is really a simple, humanistic process based upon personal relationships.

Simon North co-founded Position Ignition for Organisations, to provide innovative solutions to help organisations manage their senior and most valuable workers more effectively.

As an executive searching for jobs online it’s almost a full time job in itself – identifying the right roles for you and which ones you want to be put forward for. Here are some tips to keep you ahead of the game:

Know precisely what you are seeking:

The more clear you are on this, the more specific you can be. This will refine your area of search. It also allows you to be smart when looking at a website to see whether the vacancy is the right job, sector and geographic location for you or not. If not, don’t waste your time.

Think about what you really want and the type of role that would work for you. Establish some clear criteria and constraints, such as the number of hours you want to work, how many miles you want to commute and how important bonus, pensions and benefits are to you. There is no point applying for a role that will ultimately clash with all the things you deem important.

Know your specific step by step plan:

Before going online and searching for jobs or filling in application forms, make sure that you have a plan and a focus on what you are looking for and what roles will fit you well. It’s easy once in front of a computer to meander and to lose focus so in order to prevent this make sure you outline your targets and actions before going on to the internet.

Keep track of where you are and how you are doing on your plan. Prioritise the roles you are going for too so that you know which ones are most important to stay on top of.

Do your research thoroughly. The more that you understand about the vacancy and the organisation that is hiring the better. Armed with this information you are in a good position to fill in the online application appropriately.

Less is more when it comes to the number of applications you fill in. Usually we think that the more jobs we apply for the better chance we have of having success, yet it is sometimes actually the other way around. Focusing on doing a few applications really well and making sure that you are genuinely a good fit for them is likely to put you in a much stronger position than applying for anything and everything half-heartedly.

Get on top of your CV:

Prepare two CV documents. You might use a one page overview document that you will attach to each online vacancy and, as described in the previous bullet, cut and paste into the application other relevant information.

Prepare some useful phrases, bullet points and paragraphs on what you want to say in your online application. This is useful because you can cut and paste them from a word document later, to form part of your application.

Agree with one or two people you know that they will be your referee. Make sure that you use referees who will be useful to you – maybe they know the sector and/or the function that you are applying to. The more relevant they are, the more credence can be given to them by the employing organisation. Never use a referee’s name and contact details without first checking with them.

Nisa Chitakasem, is a co-founder of Executive Career Change Specialists Position Ignition, which helps people with their executive career change, job search and career direction.

Getting a job through social media is not as easy as it may seem, but if you use this phenomenon wisely, it is possible to enhance your job search with it.

Mainstream media, some of your peers and social media itself may have you believe that anyone can find a job through social networking, just by embracing the medium wholeheartedly. Whilst enthusiasm is a benefit, it needs to be combined with a degree of wisdom if social media is to work as a useful job searching tool for you. Here are five ways for the online job seeker to be wise:

1)    Online reputation management is key

Carefully crafting specific tweets, Facebook updates and LinkedIn discussions targeted at potential employers is great, but keep in mind that employers can see all your status updates, photos, videos and groups, not just the ones you particularly want them to see. Unless you lock your social networking profiles, potential employers can view them even if you don’t initially contact them through one of these sites. They can just Google your name and some of the first results shown will be for your social networking profiles. So if you want a new job, it’s time to remove anything inappropriate from your profiles and to make all your online contributions professional. That said, it’s just as possible to make a positive impression on a social network as it is to leave a negative one. If you’re looking for a new job in publishing because you’re interested in books and printing, be sure to actually list these as your interests so potential employers can see how you’d fit into the industry.

2)    Be Smart with where you go

As open and accessible as social media is, possible new bosses aren’t going to come running to you as soon as you announce you’re looking for a job. You’ll have to seek them out, because it’s unlikely that they’ll actively seek you out. Twitter has an array of applications that can help you find potential employers and useful contacts. Directories like Twellow aid users in seeking out people in particular fields; keyword trackers such as Monitter highlight who’s using terms specific to your industry; and you can use apps like Twitscoop to track trends and events related to the type of work you’re interested in. On both Facebook and LinkedIn you can join groups discussing your targeted career areas, with the latter additionally possessing a Q&A function where you ask and answer the questions that will draw you into a network of potentially useful contacts. For a more comprehensive set of tips on how to harness LinkedIn for your job search read this eBook: 125 LinkedIn Job Search Tips.

3)    Network with the right people

Communicating with potentially useful contacts is about more than just asking them if they know of any job vacancies. It’s vital to spend time building up an online relationship with the relevant players so that even if they can’t immediately think of anything that would suit you, they’ll remember you if something comes up further along the line. By all means speak with people about your job hunt, skills set and ideal industry; just be sure not to make it all about you. What defines a relationship, both offline and online, is that it works both ways. Respond to your contacts’ online requests for help and contribute to the discussions started by them. Not only does it show that you’re willing to give as well as take, but it also demonstrates your expert knowledge of their particular industry or field.

4)    Be curious and open to learning

As important as it is to showcase both interest in and knowledge of your chosen industry, it’s just as important to show that you’re eager to learn and to build up your skills. Ask industry players for advice on your job search, use group discussions to get clear on things you’re unsure of, and read others’ conversations and discussions. You can also use social media to build up your experience and skill set offline. Even if a contact doesn’t know of any paid positions for you, you can press them for information on volunteering or work experience opportunities. If you’re actually aiming to gain some voluntary work experience before finding a paid job, connect with the voluntary sector experts who can sort you out with opportunities suited to your desired career path.

5)    Make sure not to limit yourself

Social media is a useful job search tool, but it shouldn’t be your only job search tool. Combine it with both offline and other online strategies like looking at relevant organisations’ websites, going to industry events and making use of your existing contacts.

Nisa Chitakasem is the founder of Career Change Specialists Position Ignition. Visit: www.positionignition.com or email: enquiries@positionignition.com to contact Nisa.

Nisa Chitakasem on why being made redundant could actually be a good thing.

If you have just lost your job or have been out of work for a while – don’t worry – this is actually an exciting opportunity for you even though it may not feel like it. If you’ve been made redundant and haven’t been working for a while it can be easy to get discouraged by the tough job market. However, if you get smart about what you do and how to target what you’re after – you will succeed.

If approached in the right way, the situation you are in now can be a blessing in disguise. Why not use it and take this time to ensure that what you do next is what you really want and what will make you happy.

Here are some tips to help along the way:

1)   Don’t rush into your job search

Unless you are really clear about where you want to be and what will work for you – do not rush it. Take some time out to reflect, to think and evaluate. Make a plan. Identify the things that are important to you and which are of significant value to you.  Don’t just rush out there filling in application forms anywhere you can get hold of one.

Spending each day on the Internet or at the Job Centre could be good if done in a focused manner but not if you are desperately trying to get out there.  Job hunting without being focused can waste good energy, effort and time.  It can also be demoralizing when you get rejected.    The less clear you are about your direction, the more likely you will be scattered and rushed in your approach, the more likely you are to get rejections.

2)   Evaluate your options creatively

Read up and find out about the areas that interest you.  Get out and about and get talking and get experimenting.  Talk to your friends, your relatives – anyone you can get hold of and whom you can learn from. 

Think about what you are good at and focus on all your strengths and skills.   Get to know yourself, your values, your talents and think about how you might like to use them.  Position Ignition can help with this if you need some support. Do not neglect your passions.  What you are enthusiastic about is really important.  Finding ways to mould your talents into a future role can be really exciting and rewarding.

Try not to restrict yourself and remember that you do not need to follow or mirror what your friends and peers may be doing.  Everyone is unique and has the right to find what is right for them.  You will have your own options and your own set of possibilities.  Exploring them can really help you get it right.

3)   Don’t accept the first job offer you get

If you are good and you are clear about what you want, there will be more offers. If it’s the perfect role for you then fine – otherwise don’t accept second best.  It is more important that you find the right role than simply taking the first thing that comes your way as you may regret it later.  It might help you in the very short term but ultimately you will be unhappy and will probably find yourself back at square one again pretty soon.  You can save a lot of time and energy if you stop that cycle from occurring again.  Be brave.  To say ‘no’ to a job offer is ok.  It’s totally fine and is a good idea if you feel it wouldn’t be the right type of job or place to work for you.   Perhaps the next one is the right one – but if you had accepted the first offer, there would be no chance for that right one to get to you and be found.

4)   Don’t give in to fear

Almost all of us are afraid of something.  We might be afraid of failing or afraid of not being able to pay the bills.  This is completely understandable but if we give in to our fears, we end up being driven by them.  It can prevent us from really going after what we want and what we should be doing.  Be aware of your fears for sure.  It is no good to ignore them or avoid them.  However, do not let them take over your life and end up guiding you in the wrong direction. Being out of work can be a great time to confront your fears and deal with them. With some good support you can confront these challenges.

5)   Stay Positive

This can be easier said than done.  If you are angry, bruised, frustrated or depressed- whatever your low feelings may be – that is ok but do not dwell on them.  You are not working and sure, that can be tough and be a challenge – but see it as something that you will overcome.  You can take control of the situation and be the one who decides where you will go next.

Where you end up, how you handle the challenge, and where you will ultimately be is all up to you.  Being made redundant or having lost a job can be the beginning not the end.  It is in your hands to make the most of this and to turn it into an amazing opportunity.  If it is too tough to face alone that’s fine – work with someone – a friend, a professional. That is what we do here at Position Ignition all the time.  Help people to figure out what they want to do next, where they want to be and exactly how to get there.  We see it through until they are at their destination.  If you are positive and you keep moving forwards, there will be great progress in the right direction and you can land that dream job!

So, if you are out of work – do not let being made redundant or having lost a job get you down - seize this opportunity and why not use the time wisely to get yourself where perhaps you may never have thought you could have been!

Have you been made redundant recently or lost a job? How did you deal with this challenge?  Do you have any tips or experiences you can share with us?

Nisa Chitakasem is the founder of Career Change Specialists Position Ignition. Visit: www.positionignition.com or email: enquiries@positionignition.com to contact Nisa.

 Is wisdom out of fashion? Simon North looks at attitudes to age.

In the modern industrial world today, wisdom is an undervalued concept. We tend to be much more interested in fast-moving, fluctuating, exciting information, trends and products driven along by speed of change in technology and media interest. Concepts like wisdom tend not to be in fashion in Western industrial societies.

In general, we primarily accumulate wisdom in two ways – through our experiences and through getting older. As we experience life, our judgement increases and is based on our ability to understand and make sense of the experiences.

Many organisations have a tendency not to look at the value of wisdom in terms of how it can grow and sustain them. Instead they tend to focus on the youth coming through and at a higher level, achievers who lead the business. At one level this is good thinking; it’s just that there’s not enough emphasis on making the most of the expertise and wisdom that already exists from the people who have grown up with the business. There’s potential here, to use that human resource of wise people in an imaginative and creative way.

There used to be a sense that when someone worked at the same place for a long time, at some point they would no longer be valued; they become part of the furniture. However, if that same person were energised whilst at work with their managers also being energised, stimulated and enthused by their knowledge, things could be very different.

If we made sure that we valued, respected and utilised the wisdom readily available by employees all around us, imagine what we could achieve? If we listened harder and understood what our team members really wanted, what opportunities would appear? Are they as engaged and productive as they could be? Are they motivated to contribute and to really achieve results at work? Have we been missing out because we’ve neglected to listen to and really appreciate our older wiser workers?

Simon North co-founded Position Ignition: launching www.positionignitionorg.com for organisations and www.positionignition.com for individuals, to provide transition specialist services to professional men and women as they navigate their way through their mid- career and transition into retirement. Simon is an experienced businessman, coach and career guide.

By Simon North, co-founder of Position Ignition.

Knowledge retention is a fundamental issue, which cannot be ignored. The number of people we lose as they leave an organisation or move into retirement and the amount of information and learning that have on board but that doesn’t get transferred is vast. This is a waste and can be managed much more effectively.

Older workers hold a lot of knowledge, insight and expertise that they have built up whilst working for the organisation. As they move into retirement, it is possible to support them through this transition and to help transfer some of this knowledge to other members of their team or elsewhere across the organisation. But - are we doing this effectively enough? Do we have the right processes in place? Is it HR’s responsibility to get this right and can it be done in-house?

The business will have moved on since these workers joined and the organisation will continue to develop but this does not mean that all of the experience someone has built up so far is useless. A lot of intricate and in depth know-how about the organisation, about how it functions, who does what, how – may all be inside one key person’s head. If that one person leaves the organisation, that’s a lot of information lost and which will take many years for another to gain. There would be costs in recruitment, in skills development and in training, which could have perhaps all been avoided if only we were smarter about keeping that key player involved.

We need to ask ourselves – is there a way that we can retain that knowledge and keep that person connected? Position Ignition’s knows that there is a way. We also know that it is fundamental to do it and to do it well. It is key for the sustainability of the organisation and to ensure continued shareholder value. It can however, only be done with real interest and insight into the individual’s world. It is also not on HR’s shoulders to come up with a solution for each person by themselves. It requires more sensitivity. A person’s journey beyond their work and into retirement is personal and the considerations can be complex.

We will need to find innovative ways to keep key individuals connected to the organisation and also perhaps mentoring others in order to keep the knowledge they hold circulating and in order to keep the machine alive. Are some of your most valuable workers soon to leave? Do you have a plan?

Simon North co-founded Position Ignition: launching www.positionignitionorg.com for organisations and www.positionignition.com for individuals, to provide transition specialist services to professional men and women as they navigate their way through their mid- career and transition into retirement. Simon is an experienced businessman, coach and career guide.