Sunday, February 20, 2011

I just lost my job... now what?

Today's economy can be downright scary. If you recently lost your job, this blog to help you succeed. Losing a job can be one of the most terrible things anyone can ever experience. The good news is that you can find a job... even in today's economy. More importantly, you have been given a huge blessing. You have been given the opportunity to finally find the job and career of your dreams.

The key is to not take your job loss personally. It is natural to think "I just lost my job... now what? What should I do?" and to just want to jump on Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com and start searching for new jobs. Yes, you can certainly just go online and start looking for a job. However, before just jumping in, take a step back to reflect, sort through your emotions, and follow this recipe to job hunting success.

1) Grieve
Losing a job is often like a death. It is OK to grieve. Take a few days to just cope with the loss. Resist the temptation to just dive into getting another job. You need to take some time off to rejuvenate yourself.

2) Understand that Everything Happens for a Reason
Know that you will be better off. Most people lose their jobs because they hate their jobs anyway and deserve better. It is the universe's way of helping you move on. Most people in your shoes have found their lives would not have been nearly as fulfilling had they not gone through a job loss at some point. In many cases it was the loss of a job that drove people to finally find a job that they could actually enjoy.

3) Take Time Off
Take a day or two off. Most likely you need a short vacation. There are many inexpensive things you can do to temporarily take your mind off of your troubles. The job hunt will require you to be at your peak performance and by taking some initial time off you will put yourself in a better position to succeed.

You can go to a museum or the zoo. You can go for a long bike ride or a walk. You can go fishing, play pool, swim or go for a massage. You can even go to a retirement community or a hospital to brighten up some one's day. Doing charity work will put your situation into perspective that life can be worse. The idea is for you to relax and take your mind off of your situation so that you will be refreshed for your job-hunting journey.

4) Learn from Your Experience
After your short time off, get a note pad and a pen. Write down your learning experiences from your past job. Where did you excel? How could you have improved your performance? What did you enjoy about your previous job? What would you like to avoid in future jobs? The key is to learn from the experience of losing a job. That way you turn a negative event into something positive.

Next, write down your greatest strengths. This could be anything from your ability to communicate to the fact that you are a hard-worker. Maybe you are a great cost-cutter or you have a unique ability to motivate others. Whatever your strengths are, write them down.

5) Determine Your Ideal Job
On a fresh sheet of paper, write down the traits and characteristics that would make up your ideal job. Maybe you want a job where you can work out of the home. Perhaps you want a job working for a small entrepreneurial company. Maybe you even want to change careers.

Once completed, compare your strengths to your ideal job characteristics. Identify those positions that fit your talents best, yet allow you to do what you enjoy. Write down all the possibilities you can think of. You now have your target market (list) of opportunities.

The job search is like a trip. Before getting in a car, you first pick out your destination and then decide on the best route to get there. With your target list of opportunities you have identified your destination. And, as a result of your short vacation, you have a full tank of gas. Now, plan how you can best get to your destination' your ideal job. Your friends, family, ex-coworkers, ex-customers, stock brokers, and doctors, along with the Internet, recruiters, newspapers, and industry events will all be possible routes you can take.

6) Believe in Yourself!
The most important step you can take is to believe in yourself and be proud of you. If you don't believe in yourself, no one will. Don't take a job loss personally. In this world, it happens to the best of us. Don't pay attention to the negative media. The bottom line is even if unemployment is as high as 12% in some areas, 88% of all people are still employed. That is a B+ in most schools. So, keep your head up. Be proud of who you are. Determine your destiny and go get it.