Laid Off 2 Steps Before Taking Time Off

Laid Off 2 Steps Before Taking Time Off Tweet Ive been laid off myself, and I know how it is. The first thing you want to do is recover from the shock of losing your job and the stresses of having one! You may not have had a vacation in a long time. You deserve some time off. But there are at least two strong reasons why you should take a few small steps toward your job search first. First, jobs come through people, and people are everywhere, all the time. Networking isnt always a planned thing. Opportunities can come unexpectedly and suddenly. If nothing else, you may be asked What happened to your job? and the answer you give can nurture opportunities or squelch them. You need to prepare to communicate positively and clearly. Second, its easy for a few weeks off to turn into a few months, while the doomsday clock of long-term unemployment (generally, six months or more, with a bit more leeway during tough times) ticks in the background. Taking even a baby step or two helps nip procrastination in the bud. So before you take a couple weeks off, spend several hours over the course of a couple of days doing the following. 1. Prepare your answers to three key questions. You will often be asked these three questions: What happened to your job? What are you looking for now? Would you tell me a little about yourself? (or Um, can you remind me what it is you do, anyway?) Your answers to these questions are sometimes called your Exit Statement, Job Objective Statement and Elevator Intro (or Positioning Statement), respectively. Exit Statement: Its natural to feel sad, anxious or angry after losing a job, and youll need to talk about your feelings with those closest to you. But advertising your wounds to the wider world can hold you back. A brief, positive, forward-looking answer assures others that youre ready for job leads, introductions, and other valuable networking opportunities. Example: Im proud of what I achieved during my five years with XYZ Co. Unfortunately a business decision was made that resulted in the elimination of 150 jobs, including mine. So, Ill be looking for new opportunities along the lines of Job Objective Statement: Your answer to What are you looking for? should be as clear and specific as possible. Try to include a job title (or a few related ones), the industry or industries youre focusing on, what size of company you prefer and the geographic area youd consider. A quick summary of these points will greatly help others understand what kind of information and introductions youll be interested in. Elevator Intro: Of course, the next question after What happened to your job? is Can you remind me what it is that you do? In a networking situation, you answer this with your elevator intro, a super-short (maybe 10-30 seconds) summary of your occupation/skills, stated in a way thats positive and interesting. You may want to end with yourObjective. Example: Im a product manager. Most recently I led the development of several cool new features of the Yada-You iPhone app for Silicon Tech Inc. Now Im looking for (Note: Just because youre unemployed doesnt mean you arent still a product manager, business analyst or whatever. Thats your profession, even if youre currently between jobs. Own it!) 2. Round Up Your Resume Resources. If youre thinking of hiring a professional to assist with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile or other marketing materials, dont wait until the last minute. You dont want to have to choose someone based on availability rather than skill. Many writers have a normal turnaround time of a week or more, and may have a waiting list as well. Make the appointment ahead of time. Look for credentials like a certification from a major resume writers association, and ask to see samples. Ask about the process, which ideally should be more in-depth than just a written questionnaire farmed out to a subcontractor. If youre a do-it-yourselfer, break the ice by identifying some resources and planning when youll start. My blog is a good source of information. I havent yet written a resume book, but there are some good ones by trusted experts like Wendy Enelow and Susan Britten Whitcomb. Open a path between yourself and opportunity. That way when youre finished enjoying a little rest and recreation it will be that much easier to move forward! Laid Off 2 Steps Before Taking Time Off Tweet Ive been laid off myself, and I know how it is. The first thing you want to do is recover from the shock of losing your job and the stresses of having one! You may not have had a vacation in a long time. You deserve some time off. But there are at least two strong reasons why you should take a few small steps toward your job search first. First, jobs come through people, and people are everywhere, all the time. Networking isnt always a planned thing. Opportunities can come unexpectedly and suddenly. If nothing else, you may be asked What happened to your job? and the answer you give can nurture opportunities or squelch them. You need to prepare to communicate positively and clearly. Second, its easy for a few weeks off to turn into a few months, while the doomsday clock of long-term unemployment (generally, six months or more, with a bit more leeway during tough times) ticks in the background. Taking even a baby step or two helps nip procrastination in the bud. So before you take a couple weeks off, spend several hours over the course of a couple of days doing the following. 1. Prepare your answers to three key questions. You will often be asked these three questions: What happened to your job? What are you looking for now? Would you tell me a little about yourself? (or Um, can you remind me what it is you do, anyway?) Your answers to these questions are sometimes called your Exit Statement, Job Objective Statement and Elevator Intro (or Positioning Statement), respectively. Exit Statement: Its natural to feel sad, anxious or angry after losing a job, and youll need to talk about your feelings with those closest to you. But advertising your wounds to the wider world can hold you back. A brief, positive, forward-looking answer assures others that youre ready for job leads, introductions, and other valuable networking opportunities. Example: Im proud of what I achieved during my five years with XYZ Co. Unfortunately a business decision was made that resulted in the elimination of 150 jobs, including mine. So, Ill be looking for new opportunities along the lines of Job Objective Statement: Your answer to What are you looking for? should be as clear and specific as possible. Try to include a job title (or a few related ones), the industry or industries youre focusing on, what size of company you prefer and the geographic area youd consider. A quick summary of these points will greatly help others understand what kind of information and introductions youll be interested in. Elevator Intro: Of course, the next question after What happened to your job? is Can you remind me what it is that you do? In a networking situation, you answer this with your elevator intro, a super-short (maybe 10-30 seconds) summary of your occupation/skills, stated in a way thats positive and interesting. You may want to end with yourObjective. Example: Im a product manager. Most recently I led the development of several cool new features of the Yada-You iPhone app for Silicon Tech Inc. Now Im looking for (Note: Just because youre unemployed doesnt mean you arent still a product manager, business analyst or whatever. Thats your profession, even if youre currently between jobs. Own it!) 2. Round Up Your Resume Resources. If youre thinking of hiring a professional to assist with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile or other marketing materials, dont wait until the last minute. You dont want to have to choose someone based on availability rather than skill. Many writers have a normal turnaround time of a week or more, and may have a waiting list as well. Make the appointment ahead of time. Look for credentials like a certification from a major resume writers association, and ask to see samples. Ask about the process, which ideally should be more in-depth than just a written questionnaire farmed out to a subcontractor. If youre a do-it-yourselfer, break the ice by identifying some resources and planning when youll start. My blog is a good source of information. I havent yet written a resume book, but there are some good ones by trusted experts like Wendy Enelow and Susan Britten Whitcomb. Open a path between yourself and opportunity. That way when youre finished enjoying a little rest and recreation it will be that much easier to move forward! Laid Off 2 Steps Before Taking Time Off Tweet Ive been laid off myself, and I know how it is. The first thing you want to do is recover from the shock of losing your job and the stresses of having one! You may not have had a vacation in a long time. You deserve some time off. But there are at least two strong reasons why you should take a few small steps toward your job search first. First, jobs come through people, and people are everywhere, all the time. Networking isnt always a planned thing. Opportunities can come unexpectedly and suddenly. If nothing else, you may be asked What happened to your job? and the answer you give can nurture opportunities or squelch them. You need to prepare to communicate positively and clearly. Second, its easy for a few weeks off to turn into a few months, while the doomsday clock of long-term unemployment (generally, six months or more, with a bit more leeway during tough times) ticks in the background. Taking even a baby step or two helps nip procrastination in the bud. So before you take a couple weeks off, spend several hours over the course of a couple of days doing the following. 1. Prepare your answers to three key questions. You will often be asked these three questions: What happened to your job? What are you looking for now? Would you tell me a little about yourself? (or Um, can you remind me what it is you do, anyway?) Your answers to these questions are sometimes called your Exit Statement, Job Objective Statement and Elevator Intro (or Positioning Statement), respectively. Exit Statement: Its natural to feel sad, anxious or angry after losing a job, and youll need to talk about your feelings with those closest to you. But advertising your wounds to the wider world can hold you back. A brief, positive, forward-looking answer assures others that youre ready for job leads, introductions, and other valuable networking opportunities. Example: Im proud of what I achieved during my five years with XYZ Co. Unfortunately a business decision was made that resulted in the elimination of 150 jobs, including mine. So, Ill be looking for new opportunities along the lines of Job Objective Statement: Your answer to What are you looking for? should be as clear and specific as possible. Try to include a job title (or a few related ones), the industry or industries youre focusing on, what size of company you prefer and the geographic area youd consider. A quick summary of these points will greatly help others understand what kind of information and introductions youll be interested in. Elevator Intro: Of course, the next question after What happened to your job? is Can you remind me what it is that you do? In a networking situation, you answer this with your elevator intro, a super-short (maybe 10-30 seconds) summary of your occupation/skills, stated in a way thats positive and interesting. You may want to end with yourObjective. Example: Im a product manager. Most recently I led the development of several cool new features of the Yada-You iPhone app for Silicon Tech Inc. Now Im looking for (Note: Just because youre unemployed doesnt mean you arent still a product manager, business analyst or whatever. Thats your profession, even if youre currently between jobs. Own it!) 2. Round Up Your Resume Resources. If youre thinking of hiring a professional to assist with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile or other marketing materials, dont wait until the last minute. You dont want to have to choose someone based on availability rather than skill. Many writers have a normal turnaround time of a week or more, and may have a waiting list as well. Make the appointment ahead of time. Look for credentials like a certification from a major resume writers association, and ask to see samples. Ask about the process, which ideally should be more in-depth than just a written questionnaire farmed out to a subcontractor. If youre a do-it-yourselfer, break the ice by identifying some resources and planning when youll start. My blog is a good source of information. I havent yet written a resume book, but there are some good ones by trusted experts like Wendy Enelow and Susan Britten Whitcomb. Open a path between yourself and opportunity. That way when youre finished enjoying a little rest and recreation it will be that much easier to move forward! Laid Off 2 Steps Before Taking Time Off Tweet Ive been laid off myself, and I know how it is. The first thing you want to do is recover from the shock of losing your job and the stresses of having one! You may not have had a vacation in a long time. You deserve some time off. But there are at least two strong reasons why you should take a few small steps toward your job search first. First, jobs come through people, and people are everywhere, all the time. Networking isnt always a planned thing. Opportunities can come unexpectedly and suddenly. If nothing else, you may be asked What happened to your job? and the answer you give can nurture opportunities or squelch them. You need to prepare to communicate positively and clearly. Second, its easy for a few weeks off to turn into a few months, while the doomsday clock of long-term unemployment (generally, six months or more, with a bit more leeway during tough times) ticks in the background. Taking even a baby step or two helps nip procrastination in the bud. So before you take a couple weeks off, spend several hours over the course of a couple of days doing the following. 1. Prepare your answers to three key questions. You will often be asked these three questions: What happened to your job? What are you looking for now? Would you tell me a little about yourself? (or Um, can you remind me what it is you do, anyway?) Your answers to these questions are sometimes called your Exit Statement, Job Objective Statement and Elevator Intro (or Positioning Statement), respectively. Exit Statement: Its natural to feel sad, anxious or angry after losing a job, and youll need to talk about your feelings with those closest to you. But advertising your wounds to the wider world can hold you back. A brief, positive, forward-looking answer assures others that youre ready for job leads, introductions, and other valuable networking opportunities. Example: Im proud of what I achieved during my five years with XYZ Co. Unfortunately a business decision was made that resulted in the elimination of 150 jobs, including mine. So, Ill be looking for new opportunities along the lines of Job Objective Statement: Your answer to What are you looking for? should be as clear and specific as possible. Try to include a job title (or a few related ones), the industry or industries youre focusing on, what size of company you prefer and the geographic area youd consider. A quick summary of these points will greatly help others understand what kind of information and introductions youll be interested in. Elevator Intro: Of course, the next question after What happened to your job? is Can you remind me what it is that you do? In a networking situation, you answer this with your elevator intro, a super-short (maybe 10-30 seconds) summary of your occupation/skills, stated in a way thats positive and interesting. You may want to end with yourObjective. Example: Im a product manager. Most recently I led the development of several cool new features of the Yada-You iPhone app for Silicon Tech Inc. Now Im looking for (Note: Just because youre unemployed doesnt mean you arent still a product manager, business analyst or whatever. Thats your profession, even if youre currently between jobs. Own it!) 2. Round Up Your Resume Resources. If youre thinking of hiring a professional to assist with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile or other marketing materials, dont wait until the last minute. You dont want to have to choose someone based on availability rather than skill. Many writers have a normal turnaround time of a week or more, and may have a waiting list as well. Make the appointment ahead of time. Look for credentials like a certification from a major resume writers association, and ask to see samples. Ask about the process, which ideally should be more in-depth than just a written questionnaire farmed out to a subcontractor. If youre a do-it-yourselfer, break the ice by identifying some resources and planning when youll start. My blog is a good source of information. I havent yet written a resume book, but there are some good ones by trusted experts like Wendy Enelow and Susan Britten Whitcomb. Open a path between yourself and opportunity. That way when youre finished enjoying a little rest and recreation it will be that much easier to move forward!