I’ve landed my longest gig since being laid off.  Getting here wasn’t easy though.  Along the way I faced post interview flubs which needed quick fixing and suddenly had to pick between two potential offers after months of getting zero.

For the next two months, I’ll be casting a show about women who are in debt.  I can send more information about it to anyone who wants it (just e-mail me at cweissman@bbcnyproduction.com).

But this post isn’t about my gig.  It’s about how indebted I am to the people who helped me to land it.  They offered me some sound advice for three tricky situations, and I wanted to share it.

Problem 1: Completely blanking on the name of one of the two people you sat down to interview with:

*I would send a thank you e-mail to the one you remember and add in something about asking him/her to thank everyone else who took the time to meet with you.  Or, maybe you could call him/her and say you wanted to send a thank you note to the other person directly and ask for the spelling of his/her name. – Brian Veeder

My Solution– I called the interviewer who first made contact with me and asked to confirm both e-mails.  The connection was fuzzy, which led to the next problem…

Problem 2: Discovering one of the email addresses you have confirmed is actually incorrect, after it bounces back.

*While it is easy to send an e-mail as a thank you, I think actually taking the time to write hard copy stands out. For those reading this, if you are unsure what to write, just google, great thank you letters…  - Bernie Siegel

*Personally, I would get right down and call the individual who brought you in and explain to her that one of the emails bounced and you want to confirm the correct address with her… This shows your tenacity, thoroughness, ability to stay cool and focused and follow up abilities. Things like this happen all the time when solving problems on a job as well as in life… Get it done so you don’t have to worry about it.  -Gloria Schramm

*How about snail mail (regular mail) through the USPS?? You could even drop a thank-you note off at the front desk of the building. The follow-up thank you is so important — especially since that is when you tell them you want to get to the next step. - Lorraine

*I would call her, explain what happened and hope for the best.  -My Aunt Sharyn

My Solution: E-mailing the account which didn’t bounce back, explaining that the other address seemed incorrect - that I wanted to confirm it so they both knew I appreciated their time and consideration.  I received a polite e-mail with the correct address in minutes.

Problem 3: Being on the spot to accept an offer when you are still waiting to hear back about another.  You would kill for both jobs and don’t want to burn any bridges.

*The employers will have to understand that the freelance gigs could conflict.  Just be open and honest, saying you’d LOVE to commit, and will, but please understand the situation. Companies lay their conditions on the workers. It can’t always be one way.  - Gloria Schramm

*If they offer you the job today, I’d just say that you had another interview for a longer term position earlier this week and could they give you at least some time to contact the other place and ask for an update, if they say no, then you’ve got a decision to make.  The thing I always tried to do with interviews is at the end ask what their timetable was for coming to a decision, you don’t have to be pushy about it but if they’re going to take 2 weeks to hire somebody  it helps to know – Brian Veeder

My Solution – I trusted my gut and went with the second job.  The woman who referred me for it said I was a hard worker who could get things done.  Ultimately, I wanted to prove her right.  I let the other employers know (via e-mail) of my decision/thanked them for their time and provided them with solid alternates so that they weren’t left hanging.  When they called me back to thank me, I knew the advice of others had helped me to remain in good standing.  Good thing, because in two months, I’ll be back in the breadline.

-By Cara Weissman, Contributing Writer and author of My Unemployment