Layoff Survival Guide: Survive the Layoff Notice and Pink Slip

Did you just receive a layoff notice?

If you’ve felt the sting of a pink slip slapped into your hand, you need reassurance that you can survive a recent layoff.

You want to know immediately…What to do if you are laid off without notice?

In 2001, I was given “my walking papers” from a job I loved, without notice. Even though I was a skilled recruiter, accustomed to helping people find new jobs, I was clueless as how I should rebound from being downsized unexpectedly.

You, however, don’t have to fear a recent layoff or reduction in force, ever again. Use these tips to reclaim your dignity, survive the pink slip blues and live to work another day.

Create a plan to generate or save money for the next three to six months.

Gather up your old gold and silver, sporting equipment, unused electronics and sell it on Ebay, Craigslist or at a pawn shop. Look for part-time writing jobs, transcribing jobs and customer service positions.

If you want to survive a recent layoff, plan to earn and save as much cash as you can legally to reduce stress and anxiety over bills.

Reactivate old job leads.

Call all of your old managers and colleagues. Alert all of your neighborhood friends at synagogue, church, health clubs and other social centers that you are looking for a new job.

Have no shame: let everyone in your immediate circle of friends and family members know about your recent layoff or downsizing.

Gather the names of your last 5 bosses and 10 colleagues to build a list of solid references. Ask about current positions in their company, while asking them to recommend your skills during reference checking.

Practice your interviewing skills with former bosses and teachers too.

Polish your resume and cover letter.

Write an accomplishment-based resume for online and offline use. The online resume must include familiar keywords and industry jargon that recruiters and hiring managers in your field can recognize.

For example: a retail clothing manager’s resume would include words like “inventory”, “commission”, “managing staff” and “sales training.” Your offline resume–used for face to face interviews– should include accomplishments and bragging statements that you can use to highlight your skills and experiences.

Volunteer with a local non-profit to prevent gaps in your resume.

Once you get fired, panic sets in. You say to yourself, “I don’t want to have gaps in my resume.” Have no fear; your local neighborhood non-profit is seeking a volunteer with your drive, ambition and talent.

Volunteerism keeps your current skill set sharp, develops another new employment reference, and keeps you motivated and sane between interview and job search activities. If there is a recent layoff support group in your area, join it.

Apply for jobs immediately.

There’s no better way to survive a recent layoff than to look for a new job. Submit your resume to online job websites. Sign up for part-time work with staffing agencies. Become relentless in your pursuit of finding a new job and surviving this layoff.

More Layoff Survival Tips

1) Don’t exclude online friends as resources for networking. Tell your Facebook, Myspace and Twitter friends that you are available for work, and happily surviving a layoff.

2) Apply for Unemployment Insurance immediately. Save money for monthly health insurance or COBRA payments.

3) Separate yourself from old co-workers who want to gossip give you news about your former job. Make a clean break from your old position. Look to the future. Don’t look back.

4) It may take 3 months to a year to find a new job. As soon as you get your layoff notice, start planning for your new job and your new future.

Here are a few more layoff resources to help you find another job:

How to Answer 5 Tough Interview Questions

Negotiate a Job or Pay Raise Without Begging

How to Write a Resume Recruiters Can’t Resist

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 25th, 2009 at 7:48 pm and is filed under Job Layoff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.