3 Ways to Handle Losing your Job
By: Janine Yoro - Lead Writer | Contributor
Comebacks are greater than setbacks. Doesn’t life have a way of shaking things up just when you think you have it figured out? And does job security even mean anything anymore? In today’s economy
combined with ever-changing policies, the rate of unemployment seems so fickle.
As more hard-working individuals are losing their jobs, they are also being forced to
compete with a competitive market that includes new graduates, millennials, and
experienced professionals in the same tough situation. Then, the bigger challenge
comes and you have to ask, how do you set yourself apart from the crowd? How are
you going to make yourself unique? More importantly, how are you going to bounce
back? Well, here are 3 tips to help you step in the right direction.
1) Breathe.
For starters, whatever you’re doing or thinking, stop and pause. This is not the end of the world. Yes, you may have lost your job. But, you didn’t lose everything else. It’s all a matter of perspective.
Plainly, it’s easy to be consumed in negativity and trying to find the positives in a situation takes more effort. But staying positive, will always give you a better outcome. I find it helps when you take three deep breaths to allow yourself to collect your thoughts and emotions.
To help you reset, do something fun or meet up with friends. Do anything that will allow you to take a break out of your head. Then, when you’re ready to come back to the
drawing board, you’ll be refreshed with mental clarity to tackle the challenge ahead.
2) Be Confident.
To have come this far in your career, you are doing something right. Believe in your skill set. Experiences, good or bad, are lessons learned. You just have to trust that your experiences are your assets.
People shy away from the topic of layoffs or even admitting they’ve been laid off. But if you own it and can highlight it as part of your strengths, it can become a desirable trait.
Future employers will recognize you as a candidate who can rise to challenges and also successfully tackle them. Trust your tools. Whether it’s experience or education, capitalize it as your strength to offer solutions. And if you come with a combination of experience and education, be confident that you’re a force to be reckoned. In total, for someone to believe in you, believe in yourself first.
3) Be Prepared.
When you finally get to this step of the process, you need to take a moment and give yourself a pat on the back. Why? The most challenging steps are trying to get to this part of the process; and you’re here.
Be advised, this is when the nitty-gritty comes into play and the step that requires a lot of action. They say, “Luck is when opportunity meets preparation”. Preparation comes in two parts. First, you need to be emotionally prepared. Understand you may or may not get a job right away. Don’t get discouraged if your first attempts feel like blows.
Prepare yourself to have a positive attitude and have the tenacity to just keep going. The second part is the actual legwork. Start by updating your resume. If you’re interested in working for a specific company, check their website’s job listing. If you have no idea where to start, try seeking a resume expert help for guidance. There is no need for stress, when there are professionals, like our team, to help you. Essentially, you’ve already done all the heavy lifting; you just have to let us do the rest.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” – Milton Berle
