Well, the 7C Alliance Contractor Support Analyst team asked these very questions while doing the first trial of the new contractor health check call initiative.

The intention of these calls is to determine:

a)    What 7C Alliance can do to help the group, as a whole, to increase its opportunity

b)    What can be done to help an individual member specifically with increasing their opportunity, according to the needs and goals that they advise on becoming a member (which is based on the 7 C’s)

c)    What the individual member can do to help themselves

For the first and only time, we have decided to publicise the responses we have received in the 7C Alliance discussion group and are interested in feedback from other members on this initiative as well as the Open Practice Technology Network at large.

If you are interested in reading the results of the first round of Contractor Health Check Calls, please join the 7C Alliance LinkedIn discussion group by clicking on the link to the left or by cutting and pasting the following into your Web browser: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1542397

Once you have joined the group, you will be able to read and participate in the discussion by following this link: http://bit.ly/70U9oh. We look forward to your contribution to the ongoing discussion!

Written by Stuart Brown, an Associate Member of the 7C Alliance.

Hmmm, these are tough questions, but speaking from my personal experience as a ‘professional job hunter’ (and getting better with every attempt!); there are a number of things that I have found can help to keep you going.

For me, these have been:

• Knowing that there are many opportunities out there and it will take a number of attempts to get the right role. The UK employment market has been improving over the last three months, and while it may not be at the heyday of a couple of years back, it is better than the first six months of 2009. Each interview attempt will better prepare you for your next go.
• After an interview, always seek feedback. If you get the call that you haven’t been successful, remember to ask the recruiter why – you deserve it! Don’t take anything personally – remember, there are multiple candidates and only one person can get the role. If the recruiter doesn’t have any feedback from the client, ask them nicely to follow up with the client. You don’t need a detailed report – just a couple of key points that you can work on for next time.
• Reflect back (in a positive way) as to what you can do better next time. What was it that you need to focus on? This is where a little recruiter feedback can go a long way!  Was it the questions you are asked about the role, your description on how you would manage something or did you not demonstrate enthusiasm about the company and opportunity?
• Keep and develop a support network. No one person is an island and it is incredibly important to share your thoughts and to support each other. Your network can consist of other job seekers, family and friends. Consider mixing your network – meet people both online and in the real world. I keep in touch with a number of job seekers who encourage me when going for an interview, and I in turn do the same to them. A win-win situation!
• Consider practicing your interview technique. Practice by writing up half a dozen likely questions and having a family member or friend question you in a mock interview. There are also some brilliant online videos which ask questions which you can practice your responses such as jobsite. On the flip side, if you have a computer with a web camera, give some consideration to using it to film yourself giving answers to some likely questions. You may feel a little silly, but it can reduce any feelings of anxiety and it could help you to spot some of your personal traits when nervous such as “ums” or “ahs”, playing with your hair or touching your face. When you are conscious of these, you can work towards minimising them.

There are many other tips out there that can help, but these are some that have worked for me. Of them all, I think the most critical is making sure you have a support network and remember, this network is a two way street – if you support others when they need it – you will be supported in turn!

If you are interested in discussing some of these further, look at joining the 7C Alliance discussion group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1542397, where some great discussions are taking place with regard to the type of help that people need to secure their next contract.

Written by Stuart Brown, a member of the 7C Alliance

About Stuart Brown:

Stuart is an Associate Member of the 7C Alliance.  He provides services to the 7C Alliance on a voluntary basis for facilitating sharing of knowledge about Social Media, including raising awareness of its value, as well as currently being on a part-time contract to 7C Alliance Limited where he is working as a CRM Business Analyst reviewing and refining the Contractor Support Analysis and Contractor Resource Administration functions.  He can be contacted at 7C Alliance Limited by email to stuart@7c-alliance.com or found on LinkedIn through clicking on http://uk.linkedin.com/in/stuartkbrown

About The 7C Alliance:

The 7C Alliance is a Professional Association of IT, Telecoms and other independent technology contractors and consultants who come together to support each other through coaching, mentoring and marketing activities based around each and every member’s set of 7 C’s – which is what they have realised and accept as being what each and every contractor needs to be aware of for survival and success on contract.

About 7C Alliance Limited:

7C Alliance Limited is the company, incorporated by Matt Miller – the inventor of the 7 C’s concept – to provide services to The 7C Alliance.  This includes the setting and management of online forums,  facilitating the provision of coaching and mentoring services, industry-level and professional meetings, events and training as well as other activities to support the professional development and lifestyle of the independent technology contractor.