Be brief, be brilliant, be gone

Being a coach means sometimes saying what's hard to hear. This is one of those times.

If you can't prioritize and get to the point in your communications, you're probably not getting hired.

A more leisurely pace can set in during unemployment. A different, slower rhythm to your days. And you might miss the social banter of being around others. But letting these influences seduce you into falling into a casual, unfocused communication style can kill your chances with potential employers and networking contacts.

The same economic situation that caused your unemployment also affected everyone still working. While your pace has slowed down, theirs has sped way up. Survivors at all companies are hanging on by working harder to get more done - with less resources against fierce competition and the continued threat of going under.

Want a job? Start wearing your watch again. Say what you need to say efficiently. Be respectful of other people's time. There, I said it.

If you can't communicate succinctly and concisely with those currently working, you don't give the impression that you can adapt to the pace demanded in business today. You may have the technical goods, but with lots of talent on the street you also need to show that you "fit in."

When your own pace has slowed it's all the more important that you appreciate that others' hasn't. Monitor time to meet their needs rather than expecting them to adapt to yours. If you've adopted a more casual approach to meeting times, know that being 10 minutes late to coffee doesn't mean that the other person can give you 10 on the tail end. More likely you've irritated your contact and shortened your time with them.

Also your conversations with others are probably taking much longer than you are registering. An interaction I had with a potential client who has been out of work for a while illustrates this. We talked twice. The first conversation lasted 28 minutes (since I charge by the hour for some of my services, I have a habit of checking the 'call duration' monitor on my phone.) The next day, 20 minutes into our call I referenced that yesterday's call had also lasted over 20 minutes. The other person was genuinely surprised and said "it only felt like about 5 minutes."

I'm sure the 28 minutes did only feel like 5 to them. To get back in the game, though, job candidates need to pick up the pace - and a watch - and be aware of how much time is really passing instead of going on their slowed down "feel."