Help! I’ve Been Laid Off!

Carol thought that her
life was going along fine. She had a job as an editorial assistant at a monthly
fashion magazine. She had a cute apartment in a funky-but-chic neighborhood.
She had a group of pals who got together on weekends to hang out and talk about
their boyfriends, or lack thereof.

One Friday morning her
boss asked Carol to step into her office. The office door was closed. Carol was
informed that because of a drop in circulation her position was being
eliminated. Her boss was very sorry but Carol had ten minutes to clear her desk
and leave the building.

A half-hour later Carol
was back in her apartment. She had no job but the bills were not going to
stop. Carol allowed herself a few minutes of bitterness and anger at her scummy
boss. Then she got busy, and she was better off because she was prepared. Here
are a few tips to follow to make sure you are ready for an unexpected
transition:

Keep your rsum up to
date. No matter how secure you may feel in your job, it could end anytime.

Leave on good terms.
Even if you think your boss is the lowest form of pond scum and should be
boiled in oil, swallow your pride. You will need a recommendation from this
person. Make sure you get a glowing letter addressed to To Whom It May
Concern.You will have this letter as part of your arsenal of career
materials.

Contact your state
unemployment office. If you were laid off through no fault of your own, you may
be entitled to unemployment benefits. Get them. You may not receive as much as
you were making, but it will be a huge help.

Don’t be bashful. Call
everyone you know and spread the word that you have been laid off (tell the
truthdon’t be coy) and that you are looking for a new position. Networking is
often key to landing a new job.

Review your finances.
Don’t go out and charge a new outfit just to make yourself feel better. You
need to be in survival mode.

If you can afford to
spend a few bucks, hire an employment consultant for an hour or two. A pro can
help you brush up on your rusty interview techniques and alert you to weak
spots in your presentation.

Think about what is
truly important to you. If you live in midtown Manhattan, are you determined to
stay there? Would you consider moving elsewhere? Or, if you really want to live
where you are, are you willing to consider other work? Having to face an
unexpected job change can be a good time for reflection and consideration of
dreams and ideas that you may have pushed to the background.

Is retraining
necessary? Carol needs to consider her job prospects in the industry for which
she is trained. If Carol worked on an assembly line, chances are that she will
have a difficult time finding another similar job. She may need to consider
going back to school to learn a new job skill.

Stay upbeat. Carol
can take some comfort in knowing that she is not alone: according to the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the second quarter of 2008
employers initiated 1,534 mass layoff events that resulted in the separation of
299,886 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days. That doesn’t even count
the number of small layoff events involving fewer than 50 employees at one
time.

Layoffs are nothing
personalit’s just business. With determination and flexibility Carol will be
soon back on a good career track.