Orethapedia

Moving forward after a layoff can be scary. You can do it.

What will make you successful is taking a minimum of 24 hours to process this shocking change to your employment status.  I remember the first time I was laid off and I remember the second time I was laid off too!

Breathe. Yes, I said breathe. I personally know the fear of people with loved ones depending on them. The first time I had a desperately ill mother depending on my salary. The second time I was staring middle age in the face.

Being laid off is not a reflection of your skill set.

That said, the last thing you want to do is send your resume to dozens of companies and pray a recruiter will call you. That’s not a strategy for success. What will make you successful is taking a minimum of 24 hours to process this shocking change to your employment status. Being laid off is not a reflection of your skill set. Most of the time it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the company going a different direction.

Here are two useful strategies I used.

Create A Schedule

Creating a weekly or daily schedule will keep you on track. Determine when you’ll network and how many people you’ll talk to, which days you’ll search for viable jobs, how often you’ll redraft your resume for the jobs you’re interested in, and how often you’ll practice answering potential interview questions. Creating a schedule and setting your intention and a goal for each day will help you feel accomplished, like you’re moving your job search forward, even if you’re not getting traction right away.

 Take Your Time

Don’t rush to send in an application to a “perfect” job with a resume that isn’t quite ready. Your approach and demeanor when interviewing and networking are just as important as your resume and LinkedIn profile.