Sunday, December 15, 2019

How to Turn a Layoff into a Career-Building Opportunity

How to Turn a Layoff into a Career-Building OpportunityHow to Turn a Layoff into a Career-Building OpportunityEven the best creative professionals can be faced with a layoff. I recently learned this firsthand. Here are 10 steps to help you take control of an out-of-control situation and get your career back on track.After 14 years working for HOW magazine (the last two as editor), I decided it welches time to try sohonigweinhing new. I quickly landed a job on the very small editorial team of a very small company creating content for a health and fitness website. The job allowed me to marry my personal passion for exercise and wellness with my professional life as a writer and editor.Three days after my first anniversary with the company, I welches laid off along with about a dozen colleagues. After working continuously for mora than 18 years, I suddenly found myself unemployed, and with nowhere to be the next day. Yes, there was crying (a lot of crying). Then there was figuring out h ow to box up all the junk that had accumulated in my cubicle and get it to my car in the pouring rain. Then there was calling my husband to ask him not to leave for work until I got home because I very much needed a hug.As I drove home, I realized that the next few hours and days would set the tone for the duration of my unemployment, however long it lasted. I could either wallow in sadness and anger or I could get busy plotting the next phase of my career. I decided, as I turned the corner onto my street, that I would give myself exactly an hour to mourn a job I loved and then get to work.Its been nine weeks since the layoff and I still dont have a full-time position, but I havent just been sitting around waiting for a weekly unemployment check. Ive managed to make more money freelancing and doing temporary work than I did in my previous job. I finally got around to creating an online portfolio and Ive had several promising job interviews.As a creative, whether youre a writer (like me) or a graphic designer or a developer, youre in a unique position to take advantage of a layoff or, at the very least, make the best of it. To keep myself from focusing on the negative, the first thing I did was make a list of concrete tasks I could departure on right away. As I completed each one, I added more until I found I was quite busy and didnt have time to worry.So, if you ever get called into your managers office for an unplanned meeting, dont panic. Heres your post-layoff to-do list1. Set a timerOf course youre going to be shocked, sad and angry. Those are normal human emotions. But if you dont find a way to limit the amount of time you allow yourself to grieve, you can easily get pulled into a downward spiral. You can actually set a timer or you could just make a deal with yourself to start the next day with a fresh outlook. Dwelling does nothing.2. Dust off your resumeI was lucky because it had only been a year since I updated my resume. If its been several years sin ce you created a fresh one, take time to research current resume trends to make sure yours stands out. Tailor it to each position you pursue. And dont forget to write a customized cover letter as well. Even in the era of LinkedIn and portfolio sites, telling a potenzial employer exactly why youre the right candidate is still critical.3. Post your resume everywhereBeyond the usual suspects (CareerBuilder, Monster, LinkedIn, Indeed), research local job boards and organizations that post openings. Even if you cant post your resume on some of these sites, they provide another place to search for positions. In my area, Im following job boards dedicated to PR professionals, tech professionals and arts organizations.4. Refresh your online portfolioIf, like me, you dont have a portfolio thats easy for potential employers to access, creating one should be a top priority. Theres no need to build a custom site from scratch (unless youre a web designer or developer). Go with something quick and easy like Behance or Carbonmade. I used Contently, which is specifically designed for journalists and other writers.5. Update your LinkedIn profileIn addition to updating your profile with all the details youre adding to your resume, take some time to connect with former colleagues. If any of your contacts are also seeking jobs, theyll be in a great position to recommend you to hiring managers. Be sure to return the favor. (Of course, this works better if youre not all looking for the same kind of role.)SEARCH OUR OPEN JOBS6. Say it on social mediaNot everyone is comfortable talking about something as personal as losing a job. But the very first thing I did when I finished blowing my nose and drying my eyes was post a message on Facebook telling my friends what had happened and asking them to send me any opportunities they came across. This turned out to my best networking and income-generating tool (see 9).7. Apply for unemploymentOK, this part is no fun, but youve been working ha rd for years and you deserve this small cushion to help you get by until you find a new job. The amount of unemployment compensation varies by state but is typically about 50 percent of your previous weekly income. Luckily, a friend had recently gone through the unemployment process and warned me Id be met with messages that might make me feel like a criminal who was trying to defraud the government. Dont let these notices intimidate you or make you feel bad about yourself. If you get stuck or frustrated, connect with a real person on the phone. You might have to hold for a long time, but its worth it. In my experience, the unemployment office employees know its a confusing and scary process and are happy to answer your questions.8. Structure your dayDevelop a daily routine so you dont slip into negative thinking patterns. I like to get up early and take my computer to my favorite cafe to get caffeinated and read email. I also attend three to five fitness classes per week and increa sed my volunteer hours with the SPCA, an organization Ive been working with for many years. As youre out and about, dont hesitate to let people you meet know that youre looking for work. In my case, a chance encounter with an acquaintance led to an interview.9. Start freelancingI told colleagues, friends and former employers that I was available for freelance assignments and landed a huge one right off the bat. In fact, Ive been able to generate so much freelance work that Ive only had to collect unemployment for one week so far. If your foray into serious freelancing goes well, you might even decide to stick with it and start your own business. Just be sure to talk with an accounting professional so you can properly plan for taxes.10. Register with a specialized staffing agencyMany staffing agencies offer temp-to-perm assignments that can give you a chance to try out a company before you commit. Some large ad agencies maintain their own freelance databases as well. Last week I got a call from a company that was looking for an on-site quality assurance consultant. That particular job didnt pay as much as I can make writing, so I politely declined. But they agreed to keep me in mind for future assignments that better match my level of experience.As corny as it sounds, Ive managed to turn a really difficult situation into a learning and career-building experience. In fact, I just got an email from a company Ive been wanting to work with for several years, but didnt have the right kind of experience until now. On Monday, Ill be starting a 60-day assignment that could turn into a full-time job and I cant waitOn that rainy morning, when I learned I no longer had a job, I couldnt imagine that two months later Id feel more in control of my life and career than I ever had before.Megan Lane Patrick is the former editor of HOW magazineand has been writing about design and creativity for more than 15 years.

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