HOW TO FIND A JOB IMMEDIATELY AFTER A LAYOFF OR FIRING

Being laid off from a job can be stressful, especially if you have invested a significant part of your career with the company.? Your emotions run high and imposter syndrome creeps in.? You begin to doubt your skills.?

However, you need to know that companies make business decisions to lay staff members and frequently it has nothing to do with you personally. ? When companies are laying off staff, they are analyzing numbers and looking at their bottom-line. Unfortunately, you become a casualty of these business decisions.

?1. Do Not Delay Your Job Search

If you delay your job search for too long your gap in your employment will increase and long unemployment gaps reduce your attractiveness as a candidate.?

You can consider taking a week off to reflect on your next career move but the quicker you get your job search started, the shorter the gap will be.

You cannot change the situation with your former employer so you should forget them and focus on your future.

2. Assess Your Skills And Interests

Regardless of whether your career is going well or not, it is a good time to evaluate your career path. Assess your skills and interests and decide on your non-negotiables. You may find that there are certain experiences that you do not want repeated.

3. Perform A Personal SWOT Analysis

Examine your internal strengths, that you can build on and enhance.

Examine your internal weaknesses that you need to resolve and reduce.

Examine factors in your environment in the form of opportunities that you can exploit and expand and threats that you need to thwart or avoid.

If there is a mass layoff among companies in your sector you need to start searching for jobs very quickly because of the competitive nature and it will be challenging to find new opportunities.

4. Perform A Personal GAP Analysis:

Once you’ve decided on the job you want, determine the areas you want to focus on developing to help you to avoid the unrealistic expectations that will lead to decreased confidence in your chosen career path. You may find that there are gaps in your skill-set that you need to close by taking courses and taking advantage of learning opportunities to close.

5. Prepare Your Prospecting Resume for Job Searching

Craft or update your resume in reverse chronological order (Last job first).

Begin by adding your previous position and include your main accomplishments. You can use your job description as a reference.? However, do not use the word responsible for, which is the language of job descriptions; begin all bulleted action statements using action words.

Do not mention that you were fired or laid off. That information should be left for a discussion in the interview, but do not give any details unless you are asked.

If you do not have a job description, use the prospecting resume to send out to prospects and post on job search sites; however, if you are responding to a job posting, customize the resume before applying.

The resume MUST address the client’s need and include the key words (skills and action words) from the job description.

6. Craft Communication Messages For Reaching Out To Prospects

Be prepared to explain what happened at your previous job. If you were fired it is more difficult to explain but it is important that you do not lie because if you do you may be blacklisted from future opportunities with the employer if they find out during a reference check.

An alternative explanation is to say that it was a business decision, and your role was eliminated.

7. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile And Connect With Prospects, Hiring Managers And Recruiters.

Reach out to your network immediately. This includes former colleagues, managers, and friends.? If you do not have the contact information, find them on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the largest professional platform.? It is unique because you can target people’s job titles and reach out to them.

?8. Practice Answering Difficult Interview Questions

Your strategy should include behavioral and technical questions.

Once you decide on how you will explain the loss of your previous job, practice explaining it to the interviewers and hiring managers. Practice with a friend/family member, mentor, or coach.

“Why did you leave your previous job?” is a common interview question. However, if the client does not ask you why you left your former job, do not mention it.

If you are led in that direction, concisely explain what happened in your past job without dwelling on it and do not say anything negative about your previous employer.

9. Focus on the future

One common interview question is “Why do you want to work here?”

You should be prepared to discuss why you want to work for your prospective employer. Focus on how you can solve their problems and how your skills match with this new company’s needs.

This video helps you to deal with the 10 most difficult interview discussions and ? questions that you can model to be successful in your interviews.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why do you want to leave your job or why did you leave your last job??
3. Why do you want to work here??
4. Tell me about a difficult situation you had in your previous job and how did you deal with it.?
5. Why should we hire you??
6. What is your greatest weakness?
7. What is your greatest strength?
8. What are your salary expectations?
9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
10. Do you have any questions?

About the Author Yvonne Robinson-Jackson

Yvonne Robinson-Jackson is a former senior director of professional staffing who has worked with thousands of job seekers for more than 15 years and reviewed and advised on thousands of resumes and LinkedIn profiles.?

She helps career professionals get hired, get promoted and earn their highest income with confidence.?

Are you feeling stress, anxiety and overwhelm in charting your career path?

Please send me a message detailing the help that you need because Career issues are urgent issues. I recognize that you can go far alone but you can go faster together!

You can message me?Yvonne Robinson-Jackson?here on LinkedIn or check out my digital business card to learn more ??MeetCoachYvonne.com??to review content for career professionals to up-level and advance.

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