In today’s job market, it often doesn't matter if you're a superstar, work longer, harder, and faster than the next person, or cut your baby teeth with the company. If the company can't afford to keep you, there's little you can do about it. As you're sitting there with the proverbial pink slip in your hand, reeling from a whirlwind of mixed emotions, which probably include a combination of shock, fear, sadness, and anger, it suddenly hits you. Your life has been thrown into a tail spin – and usually through no fault of your own!
But as upset as you understandably may be, the worst thing you can do is let yourself crash. You have to gain control of the tail spin, right the plane, and set a new course. Will that be difficult? In our current economic recession, probably. But can it be done? Definitely. Here are a few ways to get back on track.
First, if you feel like you need a little time to mourn the loss and regroup, it’s important that you take it. Starting a job search feeling overwhelmed, sad, and bitter is not likely to be productive, which in turn will only make you feel worse. However, it's equally important not to wallow in pity or engage in other self-destructive behaviors, such as drowning yourself in alcohol to ease the pain. Give yourself some time to grieve (depending on the person, this may take an hour, a day, or a week), then pick yourself up, jump back into the pilot's seat, and right the plane.
In order to do that effectively you first must accept that there are things over which you have no control. For example, you can’t control what happened. “What if's” right now are definitely not your friend, and if your focus remains on the past, how will you be able to focus on what you’re going to accomplish in the future?
You also can’t control the job market or the economy. If governments throwing billions of dollars into world markets cannot stabilize jobs or the economy, rest assured you cannot. It is what it is (at least for now). Your focus needs to be on what you can control. And what is that? Well actually, it's quite a lot.
One of the most important things you can control is your energy level. Turn whatever negative emotions you may be feeling into positive energy. Turn anger into action. Turn fear into motivation. Turn disappointment into excitement over new possibilities.
Another way to boost your energy level is to exercise. Even fifteen minutes of walking a few days a week can increase your energy (not to mention your overall health). Yet, energy unused is energy wasted. You must funnel your newfound energy into positive forward movement. Tackle the job search as if it’s a new job – because in many respects it is. You need to be organized, efficient, positive, strategic, and set goals for yourself just as you would in a new job.
You also have to control your confidence level. You are the same person you were before you were laid off. You may have more worries and feel more stress now that you’ve lost your job, but you have the same strengths and the same positive qualities you had before. Therefore, when you call about possible job opportunities, and especially when you go into job interviews, let your confidence show. If you have the time and the money, you also may want to consider taking a class or two to further boost your confidence, strengthen your resume, and show prospective employers your initiative.
Other important things to control are your direction and focus. Use networking as much as possible for job leads. The large majority of jobs are found through social networks, not through passive on-line or newspaper job searches. And the good news is that if you don’t have a ready-made network, it’s easier than ever to create one by using the Internet to reach thousands of people who may have leads that could land you the job you want.
Once you find possible opportunities, you need to control your focus if you want to maximize your chances of success when applying for jobs. No one likes rejection. It brings people down. So don't apply for jobs in which there is a high probability of being rejected. That's not to say that you can't or shouldn't try new directions if you weren't happy with your past line of work. However, the likelihood of being hired in a field where you have no experience or training at a time when the job market is so saturated with prospective applicants – well, let’s just say it's not very high. So focus on a realistic target, then send out targeted resumes to targeted companies that will give you the best chances of securing a job interview.
You also should do everything within your power to stand out to prospective employers, particularly in today’s extremely competitive job market. Triple check your resume for mistakes and have another set of fresh eyes check it as well. Your resume is your professional calling card, your door opener to an interview. If there are errors in it, what does that say about your attention to detail? Another important tip – never handwrite corrections on a submitted resume. If your address or phone number has changed, retype it! Why would prospective employers think you would be concerned enough about your job responsibilities or their business if you aren’t concerned enough about your job search to take the time to retype your resume?
You also should do your homework, especially if your error-free resume lands you an interview. Find out everything you can about the company and the interviewer before you go in. The more you know, the more impressive you’ll be.
Finally, control your attitude. Simply stated, a positive attitude increases your chances for success whereas a negative attitude increases your chances for failure. That is universal to every aspect of life - school, relationships, sports, and yes, job hunting. Then, once you get your foot in the door, your attitude becomes even more critical. Be positive and confident, but realistic and honest. If you aren’t familiar with a particular software program or aren’t skilled in a particular area, don’t claim you are. Instead, point out a similar skill that you do possess or show an eagerness to learn the new skill. And most importantly, no matter how angry you are about the lay-off, don't go into interviews badmouthing your former boss or expressing feelings of anger or bitterness over what happened. It will only reflect negatively upon you and reduce your chances of being hired.
Have you had a bad turn? Yes. But you can do this. Just keep your head up and your hands on the controls. Expect the first part of the ride to be a little bumpy and scary. All tail spins are. But once you right the plane, you have an opportunity - a chance to set a new course to a new destination on a new life’s journey. Here's wishing you a safe landing!