Things to do Following a Layoff

Getting laid off is one of the worst feelings in the worlds, without questions. It is not only bad for you, but its also bad for the management.

In today’s economy, many Americans are having to deal with the consequences of layoffs each and every day. Today, it’s hardly uncommon for one person to be the victim of a layoff multiple times in their career.

Everyone knows what happens when you get laid off, but what happens after all of that? The best thing to do when you get laid off is to R.I.D.E. it out:

Reflect:
Getting laid off is an incredibly stirring process. You may be getting very angry, sad, confused, or some odd mix of all of those three. But, this is normal. Many people who were recently laid off think that ripping their supervisor a new one is the best plan of action, but it’s not.

Instead, take some time for yourself to reflect on your employment time there, relationships with your colleagues, and your personal accomplishments. Forget everything negative in your life, and just focus on the positive things for a while.

For the next few days, decompress, and just try to relax. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go to a cinema for a matinee on Thursday morning? Well, here’s your chance to find that out.

Inventory:
Once you’ve calmed yourself down some, it’s time to get organized on your search for a job. Take a personal inventory on yourself. Take some time to collect your thoughts, inventory all of your past work and skills, review and organize your personal network(s), and figure out what you have and what you will need for this new chapter of your career. Make sure that you want to continue following the career path that you are on or not.

Develop:
Develop a plan for your job search. Blindly sending your resume to tons of different employers can be dangerous and unproductive. Research the companies that interest you and tap your personal and professional networks to connect with people at your target companies. Make sure that you resume, cover letter, and social media profiles are well updated.

Execute:
After you have finished all of the other steps in this process, then it’s time to come up with a plan, and execute it.

The common passive approach of posting your resume on some big job board, or spraying your resume out to every remotely interesting job, and hoping that someone may notice you, isn’t going to work. Instead, follow your target companies and participate in discussions with thought leaders on professional forums, meet some business and thought leaders online and even at industry events, and make sure to stay up to date with trends and technology in your field.