Job loss is an emotionally taxing, ego destroying and desperation inducing feeling all too common in the market today. People switch jobs often and often see themselves as transients seeking the next best, bigger, better opportunity. Companies are seen as less committed to their employees and constantly ‘restructuring,’ be forewarned when you hear this terminology in the in a post holiday meeting, beginning of the year.
The truth is most ‘high achievers(top 5%) are almost never susceptible to the inevitable yearly or quarterly cuts.
Lay offs or termination can be the start of a new journey. Remember you are never a ‘finished product,’ learn from where you were and move forward.
Best Thing To Do Is Acknowledge How You Feel
- Mourn the loss of job for a week or so, it’s going to feel terrible for a bit. Make your calls, emails and importantly, gather your references, please choose wisely. If you don’t know, find areas of improvement, consider a course or some type of action to address weak areas.
- Its ok to lay around for a couple of days with a pizza, netflix and a sorry for yourself attitude. Just make it short lived, take a va or staycation. File for unemployment asap and begin budgeting for the next several months.
- Seek the support of your friends, or from a pro. Time and thought breed new perspectives. Remember “Layoffs’ are usually financial, company wants to save money and bring in people for a lesser salary in many cases
Time to Dust of the Resume-Update and Linkedin Profile/Personal Website/Portfolio
Update the resume and consider rewording job duties. You have all the time in the world at this point, remember resumes should focus on accomplishments and positive metrics. Consider a job coach to expediate the process and land interviews in less time. Turn Linkedin profile status to ‘Open to Work’.
Brainstorm A Networking “Plan of Action’
Reach out to old job mates, friends, alumni connections Mix in person networking events in with online reach outs and quality professional conversations Join all of the major job boards such as Indeed and ZIprecruiter, explore niche/industry specific websites. Practice your “Elavator Pitch,’ be mindful on how you explain your current situation.
Stay Goal Minded and Use Time Wisely
I would advise waking up near the normal weekday time and make the job search a full time job. Use spreadsheets to calculate weekly metrics,, job applications, interviews, recruiter phone screens. Brainstorm and cultivate a list of local companies you might be interested in. Assess what’s important to you, whether it be company culture, industry specifics, salary, products trends, opportunity for advancement, ect. Use this time and opportunity to focus on what you are really seeking professionally.
Work on Skill Development
You should probably have some idea of the areas that need work. Sign up for a skills course related to your field, Online schools such as Udemy are a great Creates a boost of self confidence, keeps skills sharp and improves overall brand of self and marketability.
Temp and Freelance Opportunities
So many opportunities exist these days for temp, remote and part time positions in numerous industries. Reach out to local agencies, very simple google search. Better yet, set up an appointment to drop of a couple of resumes and chat with someone in the office. This method produces the quickest results. Land a full time role after a few months temping.