As the local news sources continue to announce companies that are downsizing, those who are unemployed, underemployed or anticipating job loss can find themselves feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. Feels like too many people for too few jobs. These difficult times seem even tougher when you have been employed in one company for a long time and have not experienced the drastically different terrain of job-seeking. The good news is, there are thousands of success stories from other central New Yorkers who had lost their jobs in the past decade. Here are some of their lessons learned:
1. Do not allow yourself to take on the victim role. It is natural to feel upset, betrayed and angry when you first lose your job. When this negative reaction extends for more than a few weeks, however, then it is time to shed the victim role and get on with your life. Have a pity party and get it over with. Better yet, have an appreciation party.
Take the time to appreciate all the positive things that you gained from being with your previous company: all that you learned, the years of steady income and benefits, and the people you met and enjoyed working with. Once your have cleared the negative and unproductive feelings, you will have new energy to pour into your job seeking efforts.
2. Take stock of the skills, abilities and knowledge that you bring to your next employer. Too many people see themselves narrowly and define their marketability as duplicating their previous job title, focusing on the duties they had, rather than the talents that it took to do the job successfully. These broader talents and characteristics are known as “transferable skills.”
This means that there are potentially many other types of jobs that you could be successful at, by applying your skills and knowledge in another setting. That’s why it is dangerous to only look for job titles that sound like your former position when you are considering job openings. Instead of looking at the title, look at the skills, abilities, and characteristics needed. This will greatly open up your possibilities for consideration.
3. Consider reaching your goal in two steps instead of one. In a tight job market sometimes you have to take the longer view. Only you can decide how long you can afford (financially and emotionally) to be unemployed. Rather than putting a strain on yourself and your family by “holding out” for the perfect job to come along, consider a job which might pay less, but could be a stepping stone to strategically get where you want.
For instance, an unemployed salesperson had a goal of working for the pharmaceutical industry, which is hard to get into and harder to stay in. By talking to people already in the industry he found out that pharmaceutical companies tend to recruit their salespeople from other targeted (and generally lower paying) industries. He got hired by one of those companies in a “feeder” industry, became a top performer for them, and eighteen months later was “recruited out” of the interim job by a pharmaceutical headhunter. Goal reached!
4. Spend less time on the Internet, and more time talking to people. The Internet is a fascinating and effective place to research. You can learn about what kind of jobs are out there, what skills are needed, and what they pay. In reality, however, talking with people you know and meeting new people – networking – is still the number one way that people make job connections.
This can be intimidating for people who are not natural “schmoozers” or who are feeling like they don’t have much to offer. This is why introverts and people whose self-esteem was damaged from their job loss tend to keep themselves “busy” at the computer, with the self-justification that they are working hard at their search. They need to learn that talking to just one or two people per day is more valuable than just sending out a lot of resumes. The really effective job seeker is sure to be doing BOTH.
5. Realize that all of life’s circumstances, including job change, involve some trade-offs. This can mean that to stay local, you may need to accept a lower salary, a longer commute to work, or do a type of work that is less satisfying than your previous job. If you choose self-employment, you might be gaining control over your destiny and doing what you love, but the trade-off could be that the hours will be long and you won’t have a steady paycheck for a while.
Conversely, if you open up your options by considering relocation, the trade off might be leaving friends and family, uprooting kids from their school, and facing the simultaneous unknowns of new job, new company and new community. As you understand that these decisions all involve trade-offs, it is important to take the time to map out your options, and the upsides, downsides and compromises that come with each. Have a family discussion so that everyone’s point of view is heard. It is easier to to get support and cooperation for a decision which affects the family if they have all been involved in the input process prior..
6. Use this period as a time for learning and growing. If you are one who tends to be impatient, the job seeking process can be an opportunity to develop this trait. Rarely do things come to us as swiftly as we would like, and job search is no exception. Meanwhile, use your non-searching time for the benefit of yourself and others. Consider doing volunteer work. It is a great way to meet people, and helping others helps to keep your perspective about being unemployed.
Take a class in something that can enhance your next job, such as computer skills, or something fun and interesting that you never seemed to have the time to do. This is another easy way to meet new people, and will keep you mentally stimulated and spiritually upbeat. When being interviewed by your next employer, it will be much to your credit, when asked what you have been doing during your period of unemployment, to say, “I volunteered at the local Food Bank,” or, “I took an adult ed class in Internet Marketing”.
7. Take full responsibility for the planning, execution and success of your job search. Learn the basics of today’s job search techniques by utilizing career transition services or by reading on your own from the library. Make a plan, set goals, and follow up faithfully on all networking and job leads. Keep yourself focused, motivated and productive. Don’t sit around complaining that there aren’t any jobs out there. And don’t just sit at home waiting for the phone to ring. Many jobs are not advertised, and many of them are with smaller companies who you might not have ever heard of. Read the local business publications to find out what businesses are doing, and then find a way to introduce yourself to the business owner or manager. Getting “out there” and being proactive, while sometimes uncomfortable, is sure to pay off.
Being unemployed in a slower economy can be challenging and frustrating. To rise above the obstacles and beat the odds, each person has to design his or her own plan and learn ways to keep motivated. Consider the strategies here and take the pro-active stance. Those who have been through this process successfully will tell you that getting re-employed takes focus, persistence and patience to reach the goal.
