Making Lemonade, Chapter Two: Getting Up Off the Couch Before You Ever Land There

The process of confronting one’s own termination can be rather similar in its phases to the loss of a loved one.  This is especially true of employees long embedded in their career with one particular company.  The immediacy of disbelief is followed by a sense of betrayal, engendering the next stage, which is anger:  itself a two-edged sword.  Properly channeled, righteous anger can serve as the impetus through which you vow to succeed and begin to do so by devising a well thought-out job search.  Directed inward, however, with self-recriminations of – “What did I do wrong?” - anger may lead to depression and ultimately, inertia:  the inability to move forward.  The longer you are held captive by your emotions, the more difficult it is to resume your entry into the work force.

Although your termination may have had nothing whatsoever do with your performance and everything to do with a lackluster economy, it may nevertheless be inevitable.  Before you succumb to the fears that can leave you wondering how you are going to get up off the couch much less conduct a job search, pull your head up out of the sand.  Rumors of takeovers and downsizing usually have their basis in reality.  The signposts pointing to layoffs and company closures are usually quite visible; face them squarely in order to be prepared.  The most glaring signal of all is the advice of an employer who assures you that you have absolutely nothing to worry about.  In most cases, we have usually found the opposite to be true.  So as not to precipitate a mass exodus of employees who must run the ship until it sinks, an employer is compelled to paint a rosy picture for you.  Don’t believe it.  The bloom is off the rose, so be proactive.

Conduct an honest assessment of your skills, strengths, and weaknesses.  No one can do this for you, and if you cheat, you only cheat yourself.  Your lists should indicate our specific skills (i.e., sales presentations, establishing meaningful relationships with clients) and accomplishments (i.e. “increased sales volume by 6% over the prior year”).  If you have traveled 60% of the time as a sales representative, for instance, and are weary of the road, determine what percentage of your week, month, or year you are willing to travel for business.

Make a second list.  What if the well of your industry is running dry?  What if, for example, the widgets that your company has produced for the past forty-three years are now being manufactured more cost effectively overseas?  If you had to transition into another industry, understand and be able to speak intelligently about the transferable skills that you have acquired, which will have value in another industry.

Start your job search.  Your first steps are a well-crafted resume, cover letter, and follow-up letter. Without the resume and cover letter that must sell your skills and drive a potential employer to contact you, you have little chance of getting your foot in the door.  And without a follow-up letter, you may be perceived as uninterested in the jobs for which you have gained interviews.

Network.  If you are a member of a professional organization (i.e., the American Nurses Association) and have caught the wind of change blowing through your company, take a more active role in terms of your professional affiliation(s).  Attend meetings regularly and speak with your peers, including those in the position to hire.  Join your local Chamber of Commerce, or several Chambers of Commerce, in order to make those vital professional connections.

If you have been blessed with a job that has provided you with a customer base satisfied with your service, and if you feel safe enough with several of your customers, you may wish to “put feelers out” concerning potential positions.

The Internet.  Never underestimate the power of the job boards:  the most wide-reaching tool for your employment search.  For additional information and guidelines, for those not quite familiar with the major job boards, please see other articles on our Website.

Interview, interview, interview!  Even if you are not fully prepared to make the break from your employer before he is forced to terminate you, arrange as many interviews as you can.  By familiarizing yourself with the questions that employers will pose, and by understanding the questions that you yourself should be asking the interviewer, you will gain the knowledge and confidence that you require to sail through what you may not have experienced in a number of years.  And, you never do know when one of those “test interviews” will yield your next job!