What Am I Going To Do Now?

The rumors are for once true and after devoting time and energy into a career at company X, when the layoffs hit, your name was on the list. First comes that sinking feeling of what am I going to do now. Then, as you’re walking out to the car with a box of desk stuff, you realize that tomorrow is a sleep late day, go sign up with unemployment, and the desire to “take some time to catch up on some stuff.”

The fact is, most of us will be unemployed in our lifetime. According to government statistics, we will have 15 different jobs in several different careers. And it takes longer to find work, about 90 to 180 days. So the question remains what to do?

Relax and don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world, even though it feels like it. Because we identify our sense of self with our job, the loss of employment affects us hard. But, what has happened is that on the journey of life, we get to take a new path. Here are some suggestions to make the trip go smoothly.

What To Do, What To Do

When you sit down and begin to create your notes for your resume, look at your accomplishments first. The duties and responsibilities of a job are the routine tasks. What you want to do is look at what you did; promotions, awards, raises, certificates earned. And you want to quantify it. Don’t just say “I was a cashier”, instead try, “accurate cash handler who is able to serve over 100 customers while providing attentive Customer Service by helping the customer.” The second answer gives the reader information on the quality of your work.

Who Do You Know

We’ve all heard, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” And in today’s job market, those words ring with an unmistakable truth. Now is not the time to throw a pity party and cut yourself off from the rest of the world. It IS the time to work your network.

Contact everyone you know; family, friends, former colleagues, ex-supervisors, anyone you know. Call these people and ask them the magic questions, are you hiring? And don’t forget the equally important follow up question, do you know anybody who is hiring. Remember, you don’t know who the people in your network know. A name, a lead, anything you get from a personal source is worth more than answering an ad. The company looking to fill a position will be more willing to take a chance on someone who was recommended than just off the street.

What Else Can I Do

With all of the opportunities out there and the skills (transferable, technical, job specific) you possess, deciding on what you want to do can be confusing. To find out if moving into a new field is right, you need to have accurate information. One extremely cost efficient way is to take an on-line assessment. Career sites, like gettinghired.com, offer a free workplace skills assessment to see if the new career path that you want to follow will lead to success. Plus, this will give you leads and insights into other fields where your skills can be used.

And since these are job sites you can post your resume and see various job listings. This is a productive way for to learn more about ourselves and have employers find us based on what skills we can bring to the table.

Punch The Clock Everyday

You have to treat looking for work just like a job. Get up everyday, write out a daily schedule to follow and follow it! Make those follow up calls, network, read the business section of the newspaper, ask questions, and do your research. Research the job market, opportunities, companies you want to work for, trends and patterns. Read anything current you can find that has information on the career you want to enter. The better informed you are, the better decisions you can make concerning your future.

Losing your job is not the end of the world. Instead, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. And by doing the little things, the light at the end of the tunnel won’t be an incoming train, but a clear path for a more rewarding and fulfilling career.

By: Frank J Giudice