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Layoff recovery
Getting laid off from your job or even worrying about a
layoff can turn your life upside down. Here are eleven strategies, far beyond
polishing your resume and taking advantage of company and government
unemployment benefits, which will help you survive a layoff and come out the
other side.
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Allow yourself time to
mourn the job loss.
Our jobs are often a large part of our identities and losing the job
challenges who we think we are. A typical mourning process may follow these
steps: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Recognize when
you are in mourning and work your way through it. Do what you can to get to
acceptance. You probably will not like the situation but when you accept it,
you open the door to putting more energy into recovery.
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Be honest with yourself and
others. This is
not your fault. You got caught up in layoffs just like hundreds of thousands
of others every year. Hiding the facts just makes it harder to follow through
on recovery.
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Focus on the positive.
Work to keep a positive attitude with yourself, your family, your friends and
your network. Everyone knows you have every right to be upset but you will
get more of what you concentrate on. Concentrate on the good things you still
have in your life and strive to create more. One tactic is to create a list
of all the good in your life and all the good things you have done. Keep this
handy so when your spirits fall, read the list. It’s better than coffee to
perk up your self-esteem. Your attitude, good or bad, shines through.
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Make layoff recovery your
new job. Use
the time you have to work on finding a new job into a job. Start by just
making a plan to get through one day to the next and then develop it into a
detailed plan that engages all your resources to take you where you want to
go.
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Look for new opportunities.
If you are like 75% of people, you may have been deeply dissatisfied with your
job at some point in time. Consider what you want to do differently and use
this as an opportunity to try to find something that better suites you. The
fact is you are being forced to change. Try to capitalize on that. Be
cautious, however, of trying to completely reinvent yourself. It takes time
to build skills, experience and a resume that you can sell to potential
employers.
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Invest your new “free
time.” Now that
you are not working, you may be uncomfortable with 8 to 10 hours of time that
was previously filled up with work. This can be both boring and distressing.
A good way around this challenge is to make a plan to use your time in ways
that will take you closer to reaching your goal of a new job and are enriching
to your mind and soul. Make time an asset and invest it well.
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Set aside 1 to 8 hours a
day for job hunting: this is you new job so work at it – make sure you are moving
forward on your plan
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Take on part-time work:
don’t be afraid to supplement your income with jobs related to your
profession or even those that you normally would not have considered
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Invest in education:
read a library book or go back to school
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Donate to good causes:
helping others is a great way to help yourself – donate your time and skills
- volunteer
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Do some things that are
enjoyable:
enjoy friends and family or do other things that are both enriching and
enjoyable. Just don’t spend money.
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Mind your money.
The loss of income is second only to the potential loss of self-esteem with a
layoff. One of the great challenges of a layoff or other job loss is that you
probably have no good idea of how long you may be out of work. Yes, some will
infringe on your lifestyle but look at this as an investment in avoiding
bigger financial problems. Here are three things to do monetarily to try to
reduce the stress of lost income:
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Cut expenses drastically:
no more lattes, stop the cable, sell the big car, eat at home, etc. There
are at least 30 things in your life that you can trim. Make a list.
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Replace income:
beyond unemployment, work whenever and wherever you can. Use your job and
life skills to find work.
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Stop losses:
cut out waste in your life. Recycle and reuse.
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Network, network, network.
This is part of your new job. Every day you must make contact with at least
one person. There are some great strategies for networking so hit the library
and the net and read about how to do it effectively. Networking well is a
skill. The more you learn about how to do it, the more effective it will be
for you.
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Talk with your friends and
family. It may
be tempting to withdraw from the people who are close to you but this is the
wrong thing to do. Let them know that it does bother you but that you are
committed to making the best of it and you will appreciate their help and
support. Keep them informed, as appropriate, on your job search. You never
know how they might be able to help you beyond providing moral support.
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Accept the need for change
and compromise.
The only guarantee you have right now is that nothing will ever be the same.
You may actually come through this with a better job and a better life but it
will be different. Be willing to let go of the past in favor of the future.
Understand that sometimes it is almost impossible to meet or exceed the old
salary and working conditions. Consider the stage of life you are in and use
your best judgment when making new life and job choices.
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Persevere.
Perseverance may be hard to come by at times but going on is a demonstration
of a good work ethic and commitment. Even in the later days of a long search
you can point out how hard you are still working and how that will help your
prospective employer.
Layoff recovery summary
Layoff lay off, downsized, fired, rightsize, reduction in
force, severance, mass layoffs, and a pink slip: they all add up to personal job
trouble. Recovering from a job loss begins and
ends with what and how you think about yourself. Your job is what you do not
who you are. Apply these strategies to make the best of this bad situation.
Yes, it’s work but getting a pink slip is does not have to be the end of the
world…it just feels like it sometimes.
Steven C. Martin
Business Solutions – The
Positive Way
www.profitpro.us
About the author: Steven Martin is the president and
founder of Business Solutions – The Positive Way a consulting firm that focuses
on company profitability. His new book “Instant
Profits” Making Your Business Pay” is written for small to medium- sized
businesses that may be hurting from increased costs and slowing sales or want to
avoid those problems. He walked out on a toxic boss on July4, 1997 and has been
independent ever since; having reinvented his career from engineer, manager and
executive to consultant. He completed his M.Sc. in Creativity and Innovation in
1999.
Resources for layoff survival
Computer Training Online
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