Layoff Survival Strategies According to Job-Hunt.org

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Jan. 25, 2006 -- In light of the recent lay- offs announced by Ford and DaimlerChrysler, Susan Joyce, Webmaster of employment portal, http://www.job-hunt.org/ and layoff survivor, offers the following advice:

Don't take it personally! Being "laid off" is NOT being "fired," although the impact on your finances is the same. People are usually laid off for being in the wrong place at the wrong time -- wrong employer, wrong location, wrong position, wrong department, etc. Being laid off is not a personal failure, so don't let it destroy your confidence. It may be bad luck, but it may not...

  Do's:
  * Try to negotiate "outplacement" benefits -- severance pay, career
    coaching and resume writing assistance, office with telephone and
    administrative support, etc.
  * IMMEDIATELY: Ask for the details on continuing your medical insurance
    coverage (assuming that you were covered by your employer's group
    health insurance at the time you were laid off). It's called COBRA --
    an acronym for the federal legislation that set it up. It allows you to
    continue to participate in the group medical plan, for a specified
    period of time, but paying your own premiums. If your employer doesn't
    provide the information, be sure to ask your state's Employment Office
    about it.
  * IMMEDIATELY: Register for unemployment compensation with your local
    state Employment Office, even if you've received a nice severance pay
    package. If you wait to register, you may find that you no longer
    qualify, so don't wait! Don't try to hide your severance benefits, but
    don't wait for your severance benefits to expire before you register.
    It may be too late then.
  * Have personal business cards made, or make your own on your computer, to
    hand out at networking events (which could include your kid's soccer
    game) or when you meet a potential employer.
  * Get support in your job search. Each state has several One-Stop Career
    Centers where you can find assistance and support.
  * If you have a little time to prepare, ask your boss(es) and/or
    colleagues for written recommendations and for their personal contact
    information so that you can stay in touch after everyone scatters.
  * Catch your breath, and deal with your feelings. Take a day (or a week)
   off to cry, if you feel like it, and rage at the unfairness of the
   situation. If it helps, and it does help many people, dump your anger
   out on paper. Write it down. Get rid of it so it doesn't sabotage your
   job search. Then, unless you can afford to be unemployed, move on with
   your life and career.

  Don'ts:
  * Don't take it as a personal failure or a sign that you're not good
    enough at whatever you do.
  * Don't hide the fact that you've been laid off.
  * Don't consider yourself "fired."  A layoff is different.
  * Don't trash your former employer in networking events and interviews. Be
    as upbeat as you can be. Fake it 'til you make it, as they say. After a
    while, you may not be faking.

  Look ahead to your new future!

Strangely, being laid off can be a good thing. We often stay in jobs we don't like out of inertia -- too busy or not quite unhappy enough to make the effort to find a new job. A layoff pushes us "out of the nest" into an involuntary job search -- which can lead to a better job, a promotion, a career change and even more happiness!

Find more information about online job searching at http://www.job-hunt.org/, recipient of Forbes Magazine's "Best of the Web" and PC Magazine's "Best of the Internet" awards.

Job-Hunt.org is owned by NETability, Inc. of Marlborough, MA. For more information, contact Susan Joyce at 508-624-6261, Susan@NETability.com.