Jose-Andres Alegria Getting laid off might be one of the top 10 worst experiences as an adult. Not having a job is just so mentally and financially stressful, especially if you don’t like to sit around doing nothing. Getting laid off is like a sucker punch to the gut. It still blows even if you have savings and can get by for a while without a steady income. The only time someone might be happy to get laid off is if they get the fattest severance package ever. Even then, does anyone enjoy looking for a new job? Here are some tips for if you ever get laid off. (Hopefully, you never experience this.)
Tips For Getting Laid Off
Process
Getting laid off is a sucker punch that no one likes to get hit by. Give yourself a day to process what happened. You have to reorient yourself. Change your perspective and mindset so you can go job hunting without being down on yourself and doubting your skillset. I don’t know about you but I am good at negative self-talk. So when something like getting laid off happens to me, all I do is doubt and belittle myself. I am my biggest bully. And it’s not a close race. You don’t want to bring that sort of energy into an interview. Trust me. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Time To Update Your Resume
Technically you should update your resume every once in a while, but who has time for that? The last thing I want to do after I’m done working for the day is do anything work-related. The best thing you can do before you sit down in front of your resume is list all of your accomplishments. Writing out your accomplishments and then picking the best ones is the best way I do it. If I don’t do it this way, I write about the first thing that pops into my head. By the time I’m halfway done, I think of two or three accomplishments that highlight my skillset better than the first. Work smarter, not harder. List your accomplishments, pick the best ones, then update your resume.
Figuring Out The New You
Getting laid off is like a breakup; you have to figure out who you are post-break-up and what you might want in a new relationship. Do you want to work at a start-up or something more established? Would you rather be at a big or small company? Are you looking for a new role or an entirely different career? You need to take the time to figure out the new you. This doesn’t mean you should sit on your butt for weeks and do nothing but have a little introspection. While getting laid off sucks a lot, it is a chance for you to make any changes you might want in your career or life in general. No job is perfect, but there are better fit out there for you.
If you can write what you want from a new job, it will make job hunting so much easier. You can immediately throw jobs that don’t fit your needs off to the side. It’s sort of like apartment hunting. What are your top three most important things when looking at apartments? (I need an AC, a dishwasher, and laundry in the unit or the building. Parking is cool, but not a must-have for me.) Figuring out what luxuries and necessities are a must-have for you in a new job will make applying to new jobs less hassle.
Applying
Job hunting is a full-time job. The most annoying thing is when places ask for a resume and then still make you fill out their online application, which asks for everything already on your resume. One of the best things you can do is set a schedule for job hunting. Set aside time for actual hunting through jobs while also leaving time for reworking your resume to better tailor it to specific applications. Schedule time to practice answering questions you know are coming in the interview process. Setting a schedule will help alleviate the stress of the unknown. You can sit by your phone or a computer waiting to hear back or take solace in the fact that you are putting in the work, and something will turn up from your effort.
