Surviving A Job Loss – The First Steps
I came across an article quoting finance writer Lita Epstein’s book, “Surviving A Layoff: A Week-By-Week Guide To Getting Your Life Back Together”, that I thought I should pass on. Since more and more people will have to face this challenge before things start rebounding (and they will), it may help some of you out. Here are some of Ms Epstein’s tips…
1. Work your way through the anger you feel over losing your job before you start your job search. Strong emotions are natural in situations like this, but sitting in the interviewee’s chair while you’re still fuming over this is not going to make a good impression on the interviewer. He or she will likely understand why you’re upset, but they aren’t going to think “Let’s hire this angry, bitter individual right now!”.
2. Be prepared for interviewers to ask about the circumstances around your layoff, and have an answer ready – it should be a story you can tell in about 30 seconds, no longer than two minutes. Keep it factual. You should practice delivering this story in front of the mirror, then to your friends or family – when you can recite it with no hint of anger, you’re probably ready to start looking for a new job.
3. Talk about this layoff and the changes it will bring with your spouse and kids. Hopefully you’ll only have to go through a short transition, but things will be different for a while, and you will probably be under greater stress. It’s important for everyone to understand that this isn’t the end of the world, and for your kids to know (if they’re younger) that Mom or Dad being angry or feeling down isn’t their fault and that it will pass.
4. Remember that more jobs are found through networking than through ads, both in skilled trades and professional fields, and you likely have more contacts than you’ve ever thought about. Think of your former coworkers or bosses, the equipment suppliers or service providers you’ve dealt with on the job, business associations or unions you belong to and more. Let them all know you’re available, and what you’re interested in doing next.
5. You probably know about tailoring your cover letter to the position you’re after, but you can also do this with your resumes. Instead of writing just one and handing it to everybody, write each one differently and emphasize the skills most relevant to each job you apply for. This is especially important if you’re changing fields and those skills have to be seen as transferrable. You may know you can do anything and everything, but the managers at the plant, the body shop and the TV repair place have to know it too. So make sure they do!
6. Think about posting your resume(s) on or in job-search websites. This will be much more productive than just reading their listings, as their software searches through posted resumes using keywords specified by different employers. If you’re helping them to find you as you look for them, you’re more likely to find each other.
Lastly, don’t forget to take advantage of any government services available to get you through this ordeal. You pay for them, either through payroll deductions or taxes, so use them! And don’t feel bad about doing this, helping you out in a pinch is what they’re created for. So let them.
Good luck to you!
