It’s not pretty, but it happens to everyone at one time or another: you were laid off. One day you had a job, and the next you are unemployed. What do you do? Panic? Watch daytime television? Not if you want to find another job! Looking for work is a full-time job, so you better have a plan.
1. Get out there.
Reach out to your contacts. You’re not necessarily asking them for a job, but you’re aiming to get the word out that you are available again and see what companies are hiring.
Join industry networking groups or at least industry groups online. Don’t write off social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter. These sites will allow you to get your updated information out there and make new contacts to help you in your job search. You can also learn a lot about a potential employer and the corporate culture through a company's site.
2. Create a job.
Fill your new found time with projects that will help you stand out from the crowd. Volunteer for friends that have businesses. If you can keep you skills sharp and avoid a large gap on your resume, then the time donated is well worth it!
Start a blog about your industry highlighting your expertise. You don’t have to be in a specialized industry to write a blog. There are blogs about everything from HR to operations and warehousing to turbines. Your goal is to make a name for yourself and make connections that you wouldn’t have made otherwise.
Get active on Twitter. You should tweet about industry happenings and your take on it. You want to impress your potential employer and be seen as an expert in your field. Don’t just tweet about that new movie you saw or the weather; make sure your peers and industry execs can’t wait to see what you’re going to tweet next!
3. Explore
Check out all of your options for your job search. In addition to the popular job searching sites like Careerbuilder, Monster and Indeed, consider working with a staffing firm. Professional staffing firms are experts at matching job seekers with positions. They often have access to job openings before they hit the Internet, and they have relationships with the people doing the hiring (as opposed to having your resume in the HR inbox with the other thousand applicants).
Losing your job isn’t the end of the world. Just ask the 8 percent of Americans who are currently without work. But you can’t wait for the right position to fall in your lap. Take control of your job search and you might be surprised at the results. Talk to as many people as possible and present yourself to the world as the authority you are. You’ll find the right fit in no time.
- Stephanie Bruha is operations manager at Kavaliro.