Vaughnchette Rudisill
President and CEO of Epiphany Consulting LLC of Virginia
I lost my job, Now What?
The most frustrating thing about job loss is that no matter how well you believe you are ready for the inevitable, the truth is you are never ready. A person can have a great dislike for their job and remark how they cannot wait to be done! Well, when the call, email or letter comes most are rarely as ready as they boast. Even if a person is one of the wise ones who have six months of monthly expenses in reserves, it goes very quickly and the unexpected can happen in the blink of an eye by way of a car repair or medical expenses now coming via COBRA.
Therefore, if you are now dealing with the reality of job loss, we are able to offer some important tips to coach you through the process until you locate your next opportunity:
- Exit gracefully. Remain the utmost professional. Work your final hours, days, and weeks with a spirit of excellence. Resist the urge to share all the concerns you had with the organization. Why? References are important, as your next employer may need to call this job. Try to avoid burning any bridges.
- Pray! Yes, once you get to your car; have a talk with God to get the courage to endure the process that unfolds. He is there for you during both the good and challenging times. A dialogue is necessary!
- File for unemployment. Go online to get benefits started, if you are eligible.
- Get your resume updated ASAP! One of the hindrances to landing new opportunities is not having an updated resume.
- Allow a 48-72 hour grieving period for YOU! Do not immediately begin calling people to share about your job loss, take a few days to get you together. A job loss is a major life-changing event and it requires some adjustment. Use this time to reflect upon what you would like to do next, think of it as an extended planning period.
- Update your social media and electronic profiles accordingly. Ensure you have a professional email address and voicemail recorded for when employers call you.
- After your (brief) grieving period, place yourself on a schedule. Each day you must have a schedule for job searching, it is a full-time job searching for work, so you will need to adhere to a schedule.
- Expect to receive interview calls, so prepare well! Be able to effectively communicate what would be the benefit of hiring you. What do you do well? What did you do to save your previous employer money, make them money or accomplish during your time there. Do some research on behavioral interviewing so you can understand the types of questions you may be asked.
- Volunteer to keep your skills current. Allocate some time in each week to volunteer. Volunteer service can be included on your resume and you never know what can come from the serving of your time.
- Self-reflect on what adjustments should be made within. There are lessons to be learned from each experience and you must always be willing to evaluate for any modifications needed, to make a better you! You can do it!
Bonus Tip: Do not lose contact with your network, keep in touch with people. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for your next role, as it may be within your inner circle! We are praying for you!
Vaughnchette Rudisill can be contacted at (757) 375-6170. Follow her on FB at www.facebook.com/LadyVspeaks. Please feel free to leave a comment or contact her directly.
E-mail me at christineroebuck@livemylifedebtfree.com.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks