Three things to do if you lose your job

As we all watch our news feeds for updates on COVID-19 and the impact it is having world wide, the next few weeks and months are likely to bring layoffs for many regardless of government intervention. Even best-case scenarios will result in significant economic disruption that may take years to recover from. If you lose your job (or think you might), here are three immediate steps to take in order to mitigate the length of time you are unemployed.

Consider a wide variety of alternative employment opportunities versus finding another job like the one you have today

Our natural reaction to finding ourselves without a job is to immediately attempt to find the same or similar job with a different company. The reason that is less likely to succeed during the current crisis is that if you lost your job, other people like you are probably in similar situations (greatly reducing your chances). Now may be the perfect time to consider creative alternatives such as:

• A completely new job or industry (if you have relevant, transferable skills)
• Multiple contract or part-time jobs at the same time (that may get you close to replacing your previous compensation)
• Unpaid or volunteer opportunities that could lead to something later on down the line (and provide you with a wider network of people to lean on)

The key is a willingness to consider uncommon ideas (at least temporarily) that may require different hours, responsibilities, and pay rates. Maybe you had already been thinking about a career change… this could be your impetus to make it happen.

Do not underestimate the power of a previous relationship

Most everyone recognizes that life is all about timing and who you know. While your first instinct may be to only reach out to those individuals you have recently interacted with, don’t forget about those colleagues and contacts from two or three jobs ago who may have a need. One piece of advice – try to avoid the generic “let me know if you have anything” request… instead be specific about what you are looking for (and based on the first recommendation above, what you would be willing to consider that would be out of the ordinary). How many LinkedIn connections do you have? If you reached out to ten of them a day for the next thirty days, you would undoubtedly get a few positive responses to build on (or they may be able to connect you with someone else in their network).

Improve your chances of someone finding you

While your best odds of finding a new position come from your personal network, it is still important to make yourself findable (yes, that is a word). As LinkedIn has arguably become the defacto recruiting tool for most organizations, your profile has become more important than your resume in terms of attracting recruiters.  It therefore needs to include keywords that they will invariably search on, and it should succinctly illustrate your experience and interests (most recruiters spend less than 10 seconds when first evaluating a candidate). LinkedIn also gives you the ability to identify specific skills (which the system can automatically use to evaluate your fit for the role and match you with postings). Even in the midst of a pandemic that is likely to cause an economic recession, there will be companies actively recruiting for positions that could be perfect for you if they can simply find you.  

If I can personally help you in any way - be it a connection in my network, advice on your profile/resume or simply someone to talk through your strategy - you can reach me at [email protected].