Getting laid off sucks. OK, I said it. I don’t care what the reason is…corporate acquisition, “right-sizing”, bad sales, scandal, or bankruptcy, you still end up in the same place – unemployed. Now what do you do?
I look at layoffs as another life changing event that you have to work through. You might be going through similar emotions like a death in the family. At least it feels that way. The routine that you have gotten used to including getting up every day, getting dressed, having your venti Starbucks and going to work just got majorly disrupted. Your emotions are going crazy. You might experience a brief feeling of joy (“I’m glad I’m out of there”), a feeling of loss and sadness (“I have worked with every day for 10 years with great people and I won’t be working with them anymore”), anger (“How could they do this to me and my family after all I have done for this company?”), or surprise (“I didn’t see that coming. What do I do now?”).
If you have been out of the job searching mode for a while, you have to learn the new way of finding a job. Finding jobs in classified ads in newspapers have been replaced by job boards and sites like Monster, Careerbuilder, SimplyHired, Indeed, Beyond, ZipRecruiter and Execunet to name a few. You might be able to find a recruiter or career counselor who will help you find employment. There are a few things that I suggest before you get started.
First of all, clear your head of all of the negative thoughts about the last job. It’s done. It’s over. Bury it and learn from it. One of the biggest struggles people face after a layoff is self-doubt. Your life just got turned upside down by a layoff and either you want to blame the ex-employer or yourself. If you caused the separation by poor performance or attitude, fix it. If they caused the layoff, move on. It happens. I worked for a small industrial supply company that was a fun, great place to work. The owner wanted to retire and sell off his companies. He did everything he could to find a buyer who would keep things going status quo and that’s what he was told at the time of the acquisition. Unfortunately, he couldn’t control the changes that occurred at the buyer’s executive level. Their acquisition strategy changed and many people got laid off, including me. It happens. Close that chapter. Start a new chapter in your book of life.
Believe in yourself. You have talent and experience. Now you need to get others to see it. I strongly recommend creating or updating your profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the largest and most powerful business networking site on the internet. You need to be there. Your profile needs to be clean and to the point. Who are you? What do you do? How can you help another company? Although it’s important to tell future employers what you have done where you worked, it is also important to speak to their needs and let them know how your talent and experience will help them.
Network. Talk to former suppliers, people you know, and join groups that have similar interests to you. Get your name out there. The more eyes looking for your next opportunity, the better. LinkedIn is an excellent networking tool. The bigger your network, the better the chance you will know someone who knows of a new employment opportunity. LinkedIn does a really good job of connecting you with people who know people working at your target company that you want to work for. Get them to introduce you. It’s much easier when applying for an open position to have someone who knows you and works where you want to work to recommend you.
Update your resume and post it on several job boards. Create alerts that email you daily jobs that match your profile. This makes job searching easier. Answer the job posts that match your needs.
This is my 20th blog post on LinkedIn. I figure that a good way to let a future employer know who I am and how I approach my career of branding, synchronized marketing and ecommerce is to tell them through LinkedIn and my personal blog, www.gregpalmer7.wordpress.com. I also have more information about me on my website, www.gregoryapalmer.com. I suggest creating your own website and blog. Self-publishing has never been easier. Social media is an excellent way of getting the word out that you are looking for your next employment opportunity.
Remember, put the layoff behind you. If you caused your layoff or dismissal, fix it so it doesn’t happen again. If you didn’t, learn from the experience and move on. Don’t linger in the past. Look forward to your next employment opportunity. Stay positive. Attitude is key. Know you are talented and have the skills for your next position. Get the word out about who you are through LinkedIn, job boards, networking, your website and blog posts. Your next adventure is just beginning.
gregpalmer7 