How can you help clients build resiliency after job loss?

I work with laid off employees and job seekers. Losing a job can be an emotional roller coaster, encompassing a spectrum of emotions, from feeling down and upset to moments of depression, procrastination, and losing hope. Recognizing and understanding these emotional stages is crucial. It's vital to support yourself and avoid self-criticism. Your will need aid from network of family, friends, professional connections, mentor, and coach can help to move on. Remember, you are not alone and someone when through the same. Reach out for help and advice.

I worked for an abusive boss for 15 months. After I finally had more than I could stand, I left and was out of work for 5 months. In the United States, personal identity is tied to employment. One of the first things people ask when they meet new people is "what do you do." I was devastated to be out of work, and I felt like I had no purpose in life. Fortunately, I did find a job after 5 months, and now I help people who are experiencing the same challenges I did!

So much of our identity is tied to our jobs. When that job is no longer part of us, it's a massive loss. It's important to think of a job loss like you would any other major loss in life. As a career development professional, it's important to know our limitations, and when to refer a client to someone who can help process those complex and difficult emotions.

You must take time for self-care and acknowledge those feelings because you do not want to take those feelings into your new job search. Give yourself grace and set a timeline. When you are ready for the job search, ask yourself what you learned and where you go from here. You can begin planning and strategizing when you are targeted and focused.

Having been in this position twice in the first half of 2023, I can certainly say that negative thinking is not your friend. Positive thinking is the sure and quick way to overcome this obstacle. Here are the steps I suggest: 1. Accept that you have just lost the job as this will help you move on. Acceptance is key. 2. Express what emotions you feel in a piece of paper and how you can turn this for the good. For example, turn "I am angry at company XYZ" to "I had a blast and I've learned a lot with a great bunch of people but the time has come for something better". 3. Individually thank everyone at the company you're leaving for the great time you had with them. 4. Take as much time as you need to process your feelings.

When losing a job unexpectedly, it's very important to secure yourself financially. If you have not saved 3-6 times your monthly pay, everything which is not crucial for survival has to go. Yes, that gym membership too has to go as you can run outdoors and do bodyweight exercises for your health. Next, think of what you want in your next job. One good tactic that I like and used myself is to make as many applications as possible for the job title that you want to gauge what the market is looking for and also what type of company you would like to work for, for example, size of company & industry, etc. Once you have an understanding of what the market is looking for and what you want, you can start building a roadmap.

The one thing that has resonated with most clients in this situation is helping them in their realization of a few items: 1. There are things IN THEIR CONTROL that can be done to move them forward into their next role 2. The skills, expertise, years of experience they already have CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY--they can't even be given away. You know what you know, you've learned what you've learned. 3. After the initial reaction, shock or feeling of losing your job, let's put the emotion on a to-do list. The client needs to deal with it over time--just not all right now. Focus the energy and adrenalin that is in place right now on item number 1. Let's get those things done first (e.g., update resume/LinkedIn), interview prep.

All of these things should be done BEFORE you actually need a job. This is a major part of the reason we are on LinkedIn, to establish and maintain a network. This makes it easier to find help in landing the next gig. We should always have an updated resume ready because we never know when an opportunity will present itself. We should always have an interview ready suit which fits is clean and ready to wear. These are things that you should be teaching all of your clients. It's not only about finding a job or even keeping a job, it's about always being ready when opportunity presents itself.

Once you have identified what the market is looking for, you can start highlighting the key skills and accomplishments that will put your best foot forward to get an interview. First impressions count and your resume is the tool that gives that critical first impression to a potential employer. Resume crafting is very important, even if you already have an existing resume. Use your friends and family to look at the resume and give you feedback but the best is always to use a coach who specialises in this part. It's not only about tailoring a resume but also about explaining and telling a story attached to each bullet point. You can use the Google XYZ format to build your resume and the STAR method to tell the story of each bullet point.

Celebrating successes is important during job searches but also any time. We often dwell on the things that didn't go well or that we think should have been different, which can lead to negative spirals. But by regularly taking time to reflect on our successes, both big and small helps us to flip our perspective on ourselves, build self confidence, and clearly articulate our accomplishments. Take a few minutes daily or weekly to journal what went well so you can refer to this when crafting your resume and when you need an uplifting reminder of how far you've come.

I have been the guy to lose a job unexpectedly (ie was fired), and what I have learned and have explained to my clients is acknowledge your feelings and then move forward. In other words, don't waste time to waste time. After you acknowledge the loss and the feelings, you must encourage your client to move forward. The more time mourning the loss of the, the more time out of work.