You’ve lost your job and need to get back to work fast. Now what?
Securing a new job is a full-time job, especially during high-inflation economic times, when businesses are more cautious on spending. This is resulting in a slower hiring process for many jobs.
If you’ve recently lost your job and need to get back to work as quickly as possible, these are your next steps.
Prioritize self-care for a few days
The reason you don’t want to immediately message everyone in your contacts with your resumé is because you’re stressed and in shock. Looking for work requires clarity, a cool head and a strategy.
To reach that clear and strategic head space, you need at least a few days to experience all the emotions and shock that come along with losing your job. See a counsellor. Keep your friends and family up to speed on what’s going on and how you’re doing so they can care for you. Do some exercise, guided meditation, or pray, if that’s what fills your cup.
Take a week to envision what you want to be doing
This is called job crafting. You take your vision and apply it directly to your job search — literally, looking for your vision (keywords that describe it) within job descriptions. I can’t stress enough how important it is to leave out negative self-talk, limiting beliefs and assumptions in this step.
To think freely, pretend nothing is holding you back as you answer these next questions: What did you love and hate about the work you were doing? Do you know why? Are they deal-breakers in any new job you might do? Are there different kinds of careers or training you want to explore that could shift your professional path long-term? Is now the right time to make that shift? Is the work you like doing matched well with the skills you have and have colleagues given you feedback about what they think you’re great at. Career counsellors and some money coaches (myself included) call this the “Likes. Skills. Feedback” exercise, where you line these three categories up side by side on a page to see if there are any common threads between them — when a common thread emerges, that’s typically the sweet spot of where you’ll be happiest in your work.
Update your LinkedIn profile and resumé within two weeks
Your LinkedIn profile might be more important than your resumé nowadays. It’s typically the first place your network and recruiters will look you up. So, make your profile stand out with a sharp highlight at the top, super clear descriptions of your experiences, interests and education, and take a professional picture that is well lit, current and clear (no blur!).
Weave your career vision throughout your entire profile, and use keywords from job descriptions that interest you. Craft your profile to be authentic (add your personal flare), and centred around what makes you and your career vision a great fit for the right employer. Tune up your resumé so that it’s consistent with your freshened-up profile. Apply all the updates to any of the job-hunting sites you’re using, and ensure any recruiters have your updates, too.
Have someone you trust review and give feedback on your profile and resumé, like a career counsellor, a coach or an HR professional who’s a good friend. And secure your references plus LinkedIn recommendations.
Fun fact: the more precise and accurate you can be with your online profile(s) and resumé, the higher the likelihood the job matches your job-search portals will render back to you will be a closer fit to what you really want.
Now, go big
Job hunting is kind of like online dating. You need to get out there a lot to find the gems. It’s just the law of probability. The more networking you do and more jobs you apply for, the more interviews, coffee chats, Zoom calls and, ultimately, job offers you’re going to have. This getting-out there part is going to feel like a full-time gig, but that’s what it’s going to take in this environment to get the job you want.
Keep your finances in check
Any spending that can stop probably should. Trim back. Cut out. Essentials only. Carefully plan your budget and pay off any high-interest credit card debt in a further effort to save. Postpone major purchases, and if freelance gig work is available, do it for now. Purge your home and sell high-value items to shore up your bank account. You may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) depending on how long you worked at your previous employer and what the circumstances were surrounding your departure, so apply and get this benefit flowing into your bank account.
When the job offers start rolling in, remember that the compensation packages are a starting point. It’s always in your best interest to try to negotiate for a higher total compensation.
Losing your job is traumatic and financially stressful. But you’re going to be OK. Take good care of yourself during the job-hunting process and be ruthless about protecting your finances.
This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.
