Dealing with Job Loss

It sad but true, we’ve all been there.  You’ve just been told that your position has been eliminated, there is a RIF (reduction in force), we’re down-sizing, we are consolidating functions, you’re being laid off, or you’re fired.  Say it anyway you want but the bottom line is the same.  You no longer have a job.  Now your thoughts turn to, “oh s*** now what am I going to do, and why me?”

Well the truth is it is both too early and too late for that.  It’s too early because you’ll have plenty of time in the near future to ask and answer those questions for yourself and it’s too late because the why me is because someone else is more qualified, more valuable, more resourceful, or more political than you are. So “suck it up buttercup” no time for “a pity party” right now.  You have some real work to do!

Now what do you do?  Things get boiled down to the essentials real quick don’t they?  What do you need to do NOW?

Get a notebook.

On page 1 write What Now.  In the middle page of the notebook write Who Now. 

Under the What Now start listing what needs to happen first and foremost in this SURVIVAL MODE.

Consider seriously things like:

• Stop buying Lotto Tickets.
• Call the kids and tell them they cannot continue at Yale/Harvard/Brown/ or Georgetown and need to plan on state or community college.
• Cancel the lease on the BMW’s and get a used car.
• Sell the 4 wheeler, the skidoo, the 12 speed bike and start running or walking instead.
• Conserve your money.

Under the Who Now start listing everyone you know because everyone is a potential lead or contact.

• All your professional association society members.
• Your family and extended family.
• The mailman, the butcher, the doctor, preacher/minister.
• Former colleagues and headhunters.

Tell each and every one that you are out of work and you would appreciate any help or leads they might provide.  Don’t be ashamed.  As said before, we’ve all been there and it’s amazing how people are sympathetic and will want to help.

Contacts and a network is what’s going to land you a job in the long run but don’t exclude want ads, Indeed, Monster, and most importantly LinkedIn and your professional groups like APICS, ISM, PMA, QSR, etc.

On the last dozen pages write Outside the Box and brainstorm and list all the crazy spin off things you might do that might generate a little revenue, like:

• Write articles and posts.
• Apply to teach at a local/community college (adjunct professors are in demand).
• Consider being a consultant, tutoring, or take a part time bartending gig.
• Computer repair, light programming, etc.

You can’t do anything about the past except to remember what happened and prepare for the future.  Don’t allow yourself to be caught like that again.  Look to broaden yourself, gain more knowledge, and make yourself more valuable and less disposable.  The past is the past but you still have a life to live and responsibilities to address.  Now is the time for you to examine yourself, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and a time to be honest so as to be in a position to improve.

As you perform this self-evaluation it’s also time to develop a resume.  There are lots of sites offering to do this chore for you the same as some headhunters that charge a big fat fee to get you a job.  DON’T DO IT!!  Write your own resume and don’t buy a job and don’t “pad” your resume or lie.  Lies will catch up to you and many have lost great jobs for untruths!

Starting a resume is a daunting job but you can do it.  It’s just like a book report only it’s an outline of your working life in reverse chronological order.  Start with your last job listing your job title and the month/year start and end date.  Outline your duties/responsibilities and most important list your accomplishments and quantify them with dollars or percentages saved or increased sales, etc.

You’re out of your old job but now you’ve got a new one and it’s a full time job not a part time one.  You’ve got to put in at least 40 hours per week to get your next job and more hours are better.  Unless you’re blessed it takes time.

• A mid level manager takes 3 to 6 months.
• Executive level takes 8 to 15 months.

DO IT ALL and KEEP DOING IT!!!!!

OK, now you got an offer!

• Don’t accept immediately.
• Say that you’re pleased, but you would like time to review the written offer and to discuss it with your family and you’ll get back to them.  Give them a date, within a few days, and stick to it.
• Don’t stop looking, mailing, and calling.  Lots of things go bad at the last moment.  Until you have a written offer in hand you don’t have a job!!!

Here are a few hard earned tips:

1. Know your strengths and accomplishments.
2. Summarize them in an “elevator pitch.”  That is prepare a practiced “pitch” that you can spew out in less than two minutes that details your desired job/position, most significant accomplishments, education, and preferred location.  Practice, practice, practice.
3. Lot of people are really busy and don’t have time for lengthy discussions, but can and will help.  So be enthusiastic, be considerate, be concise, be professional and don’t drone on and on in a monotone voice.
4. Be flexible, be flexible, be flexible in terms of position and location.  I know many very good and qualified people that lost out on great jobs because they would not consider a commute or a change of location.
5. Generalize and do not recite your resume.  Be engaging, be friendly and do not be hopeless or depressing.
6. Join in seminars and association meetings for the unemployed.  This helps develop a network. Help someone out.  You’ll need them some day.  Inside info is how more than 50% of hires occur.
7. Maintain your network afterwards.  Don’t sever ties once you get a job.
8. Stay current, read, and maintain your industry contacts.
9. You’d better become a sales agent if you ever plan on working again!
10. You’ve got to clean up and SELL YOURSELF.  You can’t talk like a box kicker.  You can’t dress like a rag picker.  You can’t have hair to your knees.
11. You’ve got to tell a story.

Well, that’s it.  This is the short and sweet list about how to come back.  The only other thing you really need to ask yourself is if you want to be back in the system again.  Maybe it is time for your own brand, but that is a different question.

Your path to business success.