Did you hear about the 8,700 jobs getting cut from Pepsi? Or 13,000 jobs from American Airlines? Or Kraft’s 1,600 layoff? That’s what Caroline Ceniza-Levine writes about on her Forbes article titled 10 Career Steps to Take After A Layoff. Read the article here. It’s a very tactical, short article that helps you get grounded as you start your transition.
From this side of the fence (that is, having gone through miserable job search, and having survived), I can say that the second point, stay positive to yourself, is very difficult. As much as you want and try to stay positive, things happen. And one thing after another can really drag you down. But, if you let the negativity take over, that becomes your message, and your stench, and people won’t want to help you until you are ready. It’s easy to read about, hard to do, but absolutely critical.
Caroline’s fifth point, prepare your story to explain what happened, is also critical. We want to tell people “the truth,” or our side of the story, so we don’t look like we were fired. We might throw in a pinch of truth about how our former boss was a loser, or a dash of reality about how doomed the company was, but in reality, your story needs to be absent of those elements and ONLY portray the best, most professional you. This includes any body language and wink-wink gestures. Stay professional, and focus on the task at hand, which is getting more networking, interviewing and job opportunities!
Her sixth point, collect contact info for when you leave, is also more important than you might think. The best way to manage and organize all of that is in JibberJobber (which is a tool I designed in my job search, six years ago). Put those contacts and their information into JibberJobber, and figure out which relationships you wan to nurture.
I’d like to caution you about the eighth point, take time to asses and reflect. Caroline says “take a few days”… yes, a few days. DO NOT TAKE MONTHS. As I’ve travelled the country and spoken to job seekers, the ones who take months off to figure out their life seem to have a hard time getting back into things… if nothing else, just network hard and effectively, even if you don’t do any other job search tactic.
She has more… read her entire article here.
