Landing on Your Feet: 20 Ideas for Surviving a Layoff

Landing on Your Feet: 20 Ideas for Surviving a Layoff If you, or someone you know, have been affected by a job loss, this article may help. It contains 20 useful tips for landing on your feet. Landing On Your Feet 20 ideas for surviving a layoff

"I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to let you go." Downsizing... Rightsizing... Reorganization... Reengineering. Call it what you like. But being on the receiving end of a layoff can erode your self-esteem--if you let it. Don’t despair! Here are some ideas to help you survive a layoff and take the next step in your career.

1. Take control. You can let a layoff paralyze you, or you can take charge and welcome the challenges and rewards that come with change. The right choice is pretty obvious. 2. Mourn and move on. Feelings of sadness and anger are common and normal. But you’re better off to focus your energy on constructive job search activities as quickly as possible. 3. Reaffirm your self-worth. Layoffs can be emotionally draining. Recharge by writing down all of those things you like about yourself and your life. 4. Learn from positive people. Listen to individuals who give you encouragement and helpful advice. Avoid those who want to wallow in misery. 5. Review your financial situation. Look for ways to practice financial conservation. It will buy you more time to find a job that matches your skills and desires. 6. Organize your contact information. Make a list of those people you’ve recently worked with, including co-workers, key department contacts, customers, and vendors. These individuals are a great source for references and job leads. 7. Confirm your references. Talk with colleagues at your recent company and ask if you can use them as references. 8. Ask your ex-boss for a letter of recommendation. It helps to have written proof that your termination had nothing to do with you or your work habits. 9. Obtain letters of appreciation from recent co-workers. Organizations looking to hire are most concerned with how well you can work with others. Co-worker testimonials can help answer this critical question. 10. Practice talking about your strengths. You’ve heard the old saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Don’t be shy about promoting your strengths--it’s the best way to convince employers to hire you. 11. Enhance your skills through training. State employment agencies offer a number of free training programs, and so do many staffing firms. Take advantage of them. 12. Read and learn. Your local library is a great place to find information on designing an effective resume or sharpening your interviewing skills. 13. Don’t procrastinate. The sooner you start your job search, the sooner you’ll experience success. 14. Make your employment search a full-time job. Spend 40 hours a week doing things that will advance your search--you’re likely to get hired much faster. 15. Set and prioritize weekly goals. Preparing a list of reasonable weekly goals is a good way to make your job search more manageable. Assign each task a priority level--low, medium or high. 16. Don’t restrict your job search to the want ads. Try different search methods: make cold calls, set up informational interviews, or take out a classified in the Employment Needed section of the local paper. 17. Be persistent. The more employers you contact, the greater your chances of finding a good job. 18. Don’t forget to network. Did you know that most job openings are never formally advertised? That’s why it is critical to tell everyone that you’re in the job market. 19. Ask for help. Don’t be shy about accepting assistance from anyone. The more people helping you, the more likely you’ll be successful in your job search. 20. Stay positive! You will find another job!

Bonus Tip: Get help!

Here’s another tip if you’ve recently been laid off: remember to put a staffing service to work for you! They can provide access to jobs, job search assistance, and free training programs.