Employers are now beginning a major round of layoffs. You may find yourself forced to look for a new job. Losing your job is one of the more stressful events that life can bring. Don’t despair! Everyone hates those feelings of rejection, but you can use this opportunity to LAND a BETTER JOB! I know you can because I’ve seen so many career counseling clients do just that. I know you will too. This article should get you headed in the right direction. -- RR

Laid Off? Tips on Getting a New Job

by Robin Ryan

Usually there is a flood of feelings that come with losing your job.  Shock. Denial. Anger. Betrayal. Fear. Guilt. Sometimes even relief. It’s traumatic. Your sense of self-worth, and for many, men in particular, your entire identity has been attacked.

Losing your job is one of the more stressful events that life can bring. Everyone hates those feelings of rejection, but coping properly will do a great deal to get you back to work faster. 

Mark was a project manager with a large wireless company. Last month he got laid off and sought me out to help him turn around his life. He made over $100K and wanted to land a good job but wasn’t sure how to start. Janet was part of a larger corporate layoff. After thirteen years with the same company, she knew she needed help to get another high-paying position. But, job search techniques have changed. Both clients learned that to succeed in today’s changing job market, they had to distinguish themselves from other applicants. That means terrific self-marketing.

To increase your opportunities to move ahead try implementing these similar success strategies:

• Write a top notch resume.  Employers want to see specific results and accomplishments.  General, boring job descriptions are ineffective; it’s noting specific results that gets employers’ attention. Define how you have saved time, increased productivity, cut costs and added to the bottomline. Make sure your resume screams, “I’m a get-the-job-done kind of person.” Use the actions = results formula, hitting only your major accomplishments and noting the experience you have that is necessary to do the job.  Action verbs like directed, created, implemented are powerful so start each sentence with one. (CLICK to take our Resume Assessment Quiz to see if your resume stands out.)

• Network!!!  63% of all jobs last year were found through contacts according to the Departmentof Labor.Others can pass on leads and introductions, even forward your resume on to a hiring manager, to insure you get a look.  Join and attend professional meetings, making an effort to meet two people to add to your network. If you have a favorite company you wish to get into, search your network and theirs to find someone inside to help you.

•  Hit the interview running.  Start the interview in the best possible way: when the interviewer asks the, ‘Tell me about yourself’ question, forget an autobiography. Use the 60 Second SellÔ.  This technique has you analyze the job duties the employer wants accomplished, then select your top five selling points — your strongest abilities, experience and skills — that demonstrate that you can do the job.  Link these five points together in a few sentences and you have created a ‘verbal business card’ that is the most effective way to begin and to close the interview.  Keep the momentum going with good, well-prepared answers to questions and practice before you ever face the interviewer. Pre-determine some specific examples of your past performance for any situational questions that come up. AND DRESS UP!  Too casual is unprofessional, but this is a mistake many people are making. You need to “look” like a role-model of the company who would fit in nicely with the image the company wants to portray. A big smile on your face is your most important asset; use it often. (Be prepared; CLICK to take our Interactive Interview Assessment). 

• Negotiate the salary. The biggest salary increases are the result of negotiating effectively with the new employer.  Know exactly what your skills are worth in the marketplace so you do not undersell yourself. (If you aren’t certain CLICK here to use our salary survey tool.) Never mention money first. Wait until the position is offered. This preserves your negotiation power. 

So what kind of results can you expect? Mark and Janet both found their job search lasted about four months. Mark’s new job earned him a $21,000 raise. Janet is now earning $26,000 more. Shouldn’t you get moving so you can be making more money too?  

© Copyright 2008 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.

Need more assistance?  Robin is available to help you achieve your goals and dreams with individual career counseling. Click here to learn more.

Robin Ryan has appeared on Oprah and Dr. Phil and is considered to be America’s top career coach. Robin has a busy career counseling practice providing individual career coaching, resume writing services, interview preparation, salary negotiations, and outplacement to clients nationwide. She is the best-selling author of : "60 Seconds & You're Hired!," "Soaring On Your Strengths," "What to Do With the Rest of Your Life," "Winning Resumes," and "Winning Cover Letters." A dynamic national speaker, Robin has spoken to over 1200 audiences sharing her insights on how to improve their lives and obtain greater success. Contact Robin at: 425.226.0414, or email: robin@robinryan.com, or visit her website: http://www.robinryan.com

Reprints release: Newspapers, magazines, online websites are granted permission to reprint this in part or whole but are required to credit the author including author's bio, book credits, and include author's website information (with link if online); PLUS email author at robin@robinryan.com and state when and where reprint publication will occur. Questions: contact author at robin@robinryan.com or 425.226.0414.