Follow these four tips precisely if laid off

Gannett News Service

There are four strategic things to do if you're laid off — in a specific order. And the first one is not calling up everyone you know to ask if they know of any jobs. Odds are you'll come across desperate and unsure of yourself. Besides, asking people if they know of any jobs is not a smart job-hunting strategy.

Step one: Vent

• Even if you suspected the layoff, you'll be hit hard emotionally.

• You just lost a chunk of security. The place you went to daily and people you interacted with are no more. Part of how you define yourself has disappeared. Not to mention your paycheck. Let it sink in, and talk about how mad, relieved or scared you are.

• Talk to a professional counselor to help sort out what you're going through.

• Examine whether you contributed to anything that's happened, and if there's some part of yourself you need to work on.

Step two: Put your life in perspective, then define your goal and strategy

• Talk to a financial planner so you know where you stand with your finances, how long you can live comfortably without a steady paycheck and how you might need to readjust your lifestyle. Without a handle on your finances, you'll make decisions based on fear.

• Examine what you want to do. Maybe it's time to switch industries, work part-time, find a more suitable career or employer, go back to school or start your own business. If you don't have a clue as to what to do next or how, get professional help.

• When you have an idea of where you want to head, write down and post your new goal where you can see it. Plan your strategy. If you want to work for companies with family-friendly policies, conduct research and decide whom to target and how.

• If you decide to go to school to get trained on Web design and need to work part-time, create a plan to get a part-time job that gives you exposure to this field while studying.

Step three: Develop your marketing tools

• Write a brief summary about yourself that you can recite in three minutes or less. Include your objective, why you're in the situation you're in (without sounding angry), what you've been doing the past 10 years and an overview of your skills and knowledge.

• Create a resume that reflects your new objective and tells not only what you've done and where, but why that made a difference.

Step four: Line up your cheerleaders

• Opportunities come about because someone refers you or shares information that leads to an opening or to someone with the power to hire.

• Write and call people who know you, like you and are willing to help you achieve your goal. Meet them to talk about your objective and get their advice on how to get there and refer you to others.

• Don't ask people for jobs. That puts them in an awkward position, and they probably won't know of any.

• Stay involved in life. Make your search your new job. Plan your days just like you did when you had a job. Then knock off, relax and have a life just like you did before.