How to Cope with Job Loss

Losing a job can lead to negative feelings (inadequacy, embarrassment, insecurity and devastation). Recovery can take time, making it easy to become depressed or anxious. Learning how to cope with job loss is crucial for avoiding this. It can lead to an even better future, like undiscovered opportunities or a new career path that you may not have thought about otherwise!

7 Supportive Steps
1. Try not to panic or get overwhelmed. Realize this is an opportunity and move on.
2. Allow yourself to experience natural feelings of denial, anger and grief.
3. Accept what happened. It was just a job; now look to the future.
4. Embrace your forced vacation. Relax, do projects around the house you have been neglecting, visit family or volunteer.
5. Stop all unnecessary purchases. New clothes, eating out, movies and other little luxuries add up quickly!
6. Start thinking about your next career. Update your resume, network and take classes that refresh your skills or prepare you for a new career path.
7. Start your job search. Contact employment agencies, find recruiters, search the Internet, check the classifieds and let people know you are ready for work.

Stress Relievers
Channeling any negative energy into something positive really helps fight off stress. Here are some stress relievers to try. Do what you enjoy and what works for you:
Exercise, walk, do yoga or Pilates
Help others or volunteer
Get a massage
Go back to church, practice your faith
Talk with others
Write in a journal (like in your Career Journal!)
Meditate and breathe deep – try saying “woosah” with your eyes closed
Play games and laugh
Listen to your favorite music or relaxing music
Plant a garden
Eat a balanced, healthy diet
Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake
Do not procrastinate

Calming Down During a Panic or Anxiety Attack
One of the most effective methods is deep breathing. The following exercise physically and mentally calms you. Putting your focus on the breathing and taking it off the anxiety makes the anxiety go away:
Breathe through your nose for a slow 1-2-3 count.
Hold your breath for a slow 1-2-3 count.
Exhale for a slow 1-2-3 count. Do this as long as you want; it really helps.
Stop the anxious thought and replace it with a more calming thought (weekend plans, a family trip, etc.). Or focus on something else: count backwards from 100 by 3′s, say the alphabet backwards, focus on an object around you, etc.
If possible have someone you know/trust talk to you and comfort you.
Tense the various muscles in your body for a few seconds and then release, allowing yourself to relax.
If you are able to stand, get up and walk around slowly, while “slowly” deep breathing (change of focus).
Do not lock your jaws together; this worsens any nausea in your panic attack. Relaxing your face helps.

Negative Emotions
For most of us, job loss has a devastating emotional impact. You may experience some of the following emotions.
Rejection, failure, or a sense that you did a poor job
Embarrassment or weakened identity from no longer earning an income
Anger towards yourself, your former employer, the situation, the economy, etc.
Fear or anxiety about the future, your career, your ability to pay immediate financial needs and provide for your family
Depression, which can result in even more challenges for finding a new job (changes in eating/sleeping habits, low energy, avoiding people, neglecting hygiene and appearance)
Stress over any or all of the above emotions

Dealing with Negative Emotions
Any of these feelings are a normal response to job loss, but you must decide how to handle them. If you recently lost your job, you will come across people who recently lost theirs too, which can cause more stress. Job loss is always occurring, you just did not notice because it did not affect you personally. Ignore the fact that everyone around you is unemployed. Focus on yourself. Everyone has lost a job at some point, so do not take it personally. You are not the only one, although it may feel like it now.

You must make a choice when you lose a job: dwell on it or move on. Choose to move on! Feel the pain and then do something about it. Get yourself recharged and head out in full gear for the next lucky employer to see your value. You may realize one day, that this job loss is a blessing in disguise. Many times they are! Everything happens for a reason. So if you lose your job, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back out there!


Coping Strategies
If your job loss was because of performance, learn from it for your future employment. If it was a layoff, it was out of your control. Company reorganization can result in eliminated positions.
Acknowledge your emotions, do not hide them. Take a few days to relax, recover and regroup.
Get support from friends, family and professional colleagues. Maintain the human contact and interaction like you had at work. Do not isolate yourself.
Maintain a healthy diet and avoid alcohol and drugs.
Maintain a positive attitude and receive positive outcomes. It drives you to do better and go farther. Even if you did not get a job today, you may tomorrow!
Finding a job is your full-time job now. When do you get a job, keep looking once in awhile. Always keep your options open.
If you feel depressed, (increased anger, changes in sleeping/eating, hopelessness or sadness) for longer than a week, seek professional help.
Networking is emotionally satisfying and the most effective job search technique. Instead of dwelling on your job loss, you are actively eliminating the cause of your stress. Networking gives you face-to-face human interaction, new friends, new conversation, information and insight!
During your job hunt, keep a calendar with you daily schedule. This really helps you organize, focus and execute your job search. Anything on paper (or Yahoo calendar) is easier to follow than a schedule in your head. You will be prepared and looking forward to upcoming events and tasks.

Play to Your Strengths
Even during a recession, people still have needs to be met. Ask yourself, “What are my career strengths and how can they be helpful to others?” This may mean branching into a related field that requires the same skill-set, or perhaps learning a new set of skills for a related job. You may even start your own business.

Career Counseling
If you experience difficulty in adjusting to unemployed life (job searching, cutting back expenses, etc.) or you feel lost in what direction to take your life, consider seeking the services of a professional life coach or psychotherapist. They can help you escape an emotional rut, and help you recognize your personal strengths and envision your true potential!

 

By:  Matthew Warzel, Website: http://www.mjwcareers.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Breaking Through The Job Search Barrier

“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.” – Mohandas Gandhi

“There are no jobs out there” or “All of the jobs posted on the (insert a name) job board are filled or fake”.

I hear comments like these all of the time.

There are, of course, jobs out there and the job boards would be out of business if all of the jobs were fake. Job search can be a long and tedious process. And while qualifications and experience are the driving factors, being in the right place at the right time is just as important.

So of course you can’t be everywhere at once, but you can certainly try. One key to job search is getting other people to help you look for a job.

Networking is, of course, one of the best methods (a topic for another day), but recruiters are another way for you to get other people to help you find a job. The best part is that they are free and they don’t get paid unless they find people jobs.

So, here are a few links to help you get started on your way. Where they are:

• TheRecruiterNetwork – This website provides a listing of recruiters and allows posting your profile so that they can find you. The right hand side of the page has a list of featured recruiters. Click on Job Seekers from the top of the page to link to the sign-on page. Create a free profile which will be used as a way for these firms to find you. Use the featured recruiter list to look at individual recruiters.

• Headhuntersdirectory – This site provides an online list of headhunters and recruiters that is free to use. The main page leads with an overview of the site and a regional selection page. Select your region to continue. For the US link, the next page lists all of the states down the left hand side of the page and a graphical map view where you can select your state. Clicking your state leads to a city listing to further refine your search. Clicking on a city leads to a list of recruiters where you can click on their website link to find out more about the firms, how to apply for jobs and additional resources.

• Onlinerecruitersdirectory – Another directory for you to search, look at the box “I am a job seeker” from the right hand side of the page. From here there is a wide range of choices, from Revolution in Job Search to Tips and advice. You can check jobs from the nationwide recruiter’s network, look for a job board or, look for a recruiter or headhunter. Selecting the look for a recruiter or headhunter links to a search engine. Select your criteria (location, type of job function, etc.) and you will be provided with a list of recruiters. You can then send your resume to these recruiters.

Executive Search:

• Egon Zehnder International – Egon Zehnder is an international firm that speicalizes in a number of fields and provides a few services in addition to recruiting (consulting and advising). From their main page, click the link for Executive Search. This page provides an overview, as well as a number of resources. Click on Your Career, followed by your country to link to a page where you can enter your information. You can also click on the map, select your region/office and get direct contact information.

Specialist Recruiters:

• The Maxwell Group – This search firm specializes in finance, accounting, banking and capital markets (with the exception of Accounting, tough industries these days). Their site is fairly simple, with company overview and links on the left hand side of the page for Candidate Information, Current Positions and “Contacting Us”. The Candidate Information link provides an overview of the process and a link to register. From the Current Positions Page, you can select from three categories (Finance/Accounting, Operations and Capital Markets). Clicking on any of these lists the current positions, along with salary and location. Click on Detail to see more about the position(s). The Contact Us link provides information (name, address, telephone and email) for contacting this search firm.

Good luck in your search.

 

Author: CareerAlley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

New Job Board for the Medical Marijuana Industry

Just when you thought that every niche was covered by at least one job board, along comes another.


THCjobs.com is the first job board specifically designed for the medical marijuana industry. As more and more states pass medical marijuana laws, new companies are coming in and creating jobs. People are currently looking for these positions, but are having a hard time finding where they are located online.



The site’s founder, Greg Olson, wanted to eliminate this problem. Olson is quoted, “There are a lot of people who are out work right now and this one of the few areas of the economy that is growing. No pun intended. There are a lot of companies who are looking to hire people, but there was not a single site devoted to employment in this industry. We wanted to create a platform where employers and prospective employees could connect. I think our company mission, which is to connect passionate and talented people with companies and organizations in the marijuana industry, really drives that point home. To many people the marijuana jobs that are listed on our site are their dream jobs”.



The layout of the website is very simple. You probably could not tell a difference in it from other job sites until you look at the jobs posted. There are currently budtender jobs, receptionist positions at medical marijuana dispensaries, and sales positions from companies who design products for the marijuana industry. THCjobs is also using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook in order to let people know about any new job opportunities.



The site is free to use by both employers and job seekers. Starting on March 1st, 2011 the site will give companies the option to feature their jobs for $25. Olson said, “This is an extremely fair model. We are actually less interested in money than we are getting people back to work”.

Report States Many College and University Graduates Are Unemployable

The suspicion by graduates that their degrees alone are not enough to get them a job in the gruelling graduate recruitment process has been given credence by a new report by graduate market research company High Fliers.

The report – which surveyed a range of recruitment experts including HR operatives in the UK’s largest graduate employers – showed that those most likely to get ahead in the recruitment process are people with work experience and demonstrable professional skills.

Nearly two-thirds of the recruiters warned that candidates with no work experience had ‘little or no chance’ of gaining employment at their organisations.

Commenting on the report, Liz Sayce, from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, said the results put hard fact behind what had long been expected.

“There’s no doubt that qualifications are important, but they can only take you so far,” she said. “Employers are looking for candidates who can demonstrate good social skills, excellent written and verbal communication, willingness to learn, as well as teamwork and management skills.”

She added that this was not just relevant to graduates just starting out on their careers, either: “It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, or what sort of job you want – you ignore these so-called ‘employability’ skills at your peril.”

Geoff Newman, chief executive of online recruitment company Recruitment Genius believes it is only going to become harder for graduates.

“Many graduates who do not take a vocational qualification don’t have sufficient skills compared to those who left education and immediately got a job. Indeed we are noticing many employers recruit apprentices who are generally are more cost-effective and easy to train.”

Should Workers Feel More Secure About Facebook Postings?

Earlier this month the National Labor Relations Board reached a settlement with an ambulance service company that fired an employee for bad mouthing her boss on Facebook.  The ruling, which compels the company to revise is overly broad rules regarding social media, is undoubtedly prompting other employers around the country to review their policies as well. 

Regardless of the ruling, employees should not take this as invitation to start slamming their boss or co-workers on Facebook or other social media platforms, according to workplace authority John A. Challenger CEO of global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.  “The worker in this particular case was a member of a union.  Most workers are not union members and most work in states that have at-will employment rules, meaning that unless you are part of a legally protected class, employers can fire you for almost any reason.  And, members of Facebook are not a protected class.” 

Challenger says that even if it doesn’t result in termination, bad-mouthing your boss whether on Facebook or at the water cooler is never a good career move.  He also points out that prospective employers could end up seeing your Facebook posts and decide not to hire you.

Making the Most of a Part-time Job

College students everywhere are scrambling to secure the junior (and sometimes sophomore) year internship.  Internships can help solidify career goals, can provide invaluable work experience and industry knowledge.  But not all skills are developed from internships.  Part-time jobs can also help college students develop the marketable skills that are in demand and are often overlooked by students.

For example, a part-time job in a restaurant enables the student to demonstrate customer service, the ability manage multiple priorities as well as the ability to solve problems quickly, skills that are required in any number of careers.  The college junior who couldn’t find a part-time job and started a car cleaning service shows initiative and entrepreneurship.

To maximize the payoff from a part-time job, students should first define the job they are ultimately seeking. The next step is to identify the skills required to land that job. For instance, if the goal is an entry-level position in sports marketing, a part time job at a health club can work. They may start with checking in members, but could offer to provide assistance in coordinating member events.  This would let you demonstrate strong communication skills, the ability to multi task as well as proven experience in events planning, all of which are required for a career in sports marketing.

Part-time jobs also demonstrate a work ethic.  Topping the list of “attractive” qualifications from college graduates is a work ethic.  Employers want to know if the candidate can work: can they take direction from someone; can they show up on time; are they willing to do whatever it takes to get a job done.  These traits are critical and never more so than now when employees of all levels are being asked to multi-task.

College students and recent graduates need to identify these skills on their resumes and cover letters and be able to articulate them in a job interview.  

Are You a Hunter or a Farmer?

“If executive recruiting and staffing is a barometer of how our economy is progressing, I am pleased to say that I feel optimistic about the days ahead,” says Chris Gardner, principal of Artemis Consultants. Chris leads an executive search firm that places talent in the areas of data, marketing and information services.

Chris will acknowledge up front that many people in his industry have seen a difficult time as much as anyone else over the past year or two. “In our situation, we went from being a recruiting arm for a single company to going out and representing companies across the nation. So the economy presented a unique opportunity for us to meet new people, make new friends, and let them know that we are here. It was more about building relationships with prospects rather than just attempting to set up and close business deals.”

That time invested in forming relationships is now paying off, Chris will tell you. “We have seen tremendous momentum, which began to pick up during the course of 2010,” he shares.

If executive recruiting and staffing is a barometer of how our economy is progressing, I am pleased to say that I feel optimistic about the days ahead.” —Chris Gardner, Principal, Artemis Consulting

Chris has a tremendous amount of experience identifying talent in sales and marketing. “We named our firm for Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt,” he says. “I think it’s a suitable fit. When it comes to sales professionals, a person is either a hunter or a farmer. The farmer will excel at servicing the needs of existing business, and keep the account going. But the hunter is focused solely on bringing in new business. That’s also how we operate.”

To this end, Chris is no stranger to connecting with people over the phone.  When it comes to being persistent, he acknowledges the importance of not giving up after just three attempts. “Giving up too soon in the follow up is probably the biggest mistake sales professionals make,” he says. “In my opinion you need to focus on being ‘diplomatically tenacious,’ which is being persistent without being obnoxious.”

However, Chris qualifies that point: “I do know it is important to be persistent in reaching out to people…however my experience also tells me that in some circumstances, there is a time to let go if prospects will not call you back. When you are in a situation where you have so many other people upon whom you can call, it comes down to honestly determining what is the best use of your time.”

It is a blessing when you have that many people to call upon…which in reality is a blessing we all share. There are plenty of prospects out there for everyone to serve. The needs are there, and so is the opportunity.

And those who know the nature of the hunt will be the ones that find them.

Starting Salaries Jump for 2011 Grads: First Increase Since 2008

For the first time since 2008, a college class is beginning the year with an average starting salary offer that is on the rise, according to results of a new survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

The overall average salary offer to a Class of 2011 bachelor’s degree graduate is $50,034, up 3.5 percent over last year at this time, according to NACE’s Winter 2011 Salary Survey report.  

For the Class of 2011, this is the latest sign of improvement in the college job market. Employers responding to an earlier NACE study reported plans to increase their college hiring with the Class of 2011 by 13.5 percent over the previous year, and monthly polls conducted by NACE show hiring remains in positive territory. 

While not all categories of majors posted increases to their average salary offers, the increases seen in the Winter 2011 Salary Survey report far outweigh the decreases. That’s a significant improvement over last year at this time. Currently, 67 percent of disciplines posting a change this year are showing an increase. Last year, the opposite was true, as 63 percent of disciplines indicating a change to staring salary offers were projecting them to be decreases. 

Among the disciplines in the Winter 2011 Salary Survey report, business majors fared the best; their average offer rose almost 2 percent to $48,089. Accounting majors saw their average salary offer rise 2.2 percent to $49,022, and the average offer to finance majors rose 1.9 percent to $50,535. Business administration/ management graduates saw a slight decrease to their average starting salary offer, which fell 2.3 percent to $44,171. Meanwhile, the average offer to marketing majors dipped by 1.3 percent to $41,948.

Among the technical disciplines, computer science majors posted a small increase; their average salary offer rose almost 1 percent to $61,783. 

Salary offers to engineering graduates as a group remained nearly level—a 0.3 percent increase to $59,435—but some of the individual majors fared far better. Electrical engineering majors saw their average salary offer jump 4.4 percent to $61,690, while mechanical engineering graduates also saw a healthy increase—3.8 percent—for an average salary offer of $60,598.  

Conversely, chemical engineering and civil engineering majors saw their average salary offers fall. The average offer to chemical engineering graduates dipped by 0.8 percent to $64,641. Meanwhile, civil engineers fared worst among their engineering peers; their average offer dropped 7.1 percent to $48,885.  

Data are limited for liberal arts majors, but, as a group, their average offer is up 9.5 percent to $35,633. This is in sharp contrast to last year, when they watched their average offer fall almost 11 percent.

Recruiting Best Practice: Email

There is one piece of the recruiting process that recruiters seem to be missing: email.
Yes, this sounds unbelievable but it is true. There are recruiters out there who do not follow up phone calls with emails.

I always considered email to be an integral part of the modern recruiting process because it is ubiquitous. So many people have smart phones with email capability that sending an email can be more effective than calling.

I have experienced this first hand as several recruiters have called me and not followed up with an email. One in particular has called me 3 times and has failed to email me even once. She always calls when I’m busy and never sends a follow up email. I actually tried to contact her on LinkedIn and to no avail. Needless to say, since I’m not actively searching for work, I will not call her back. Or at least not quickly as I would reply to an email.

What wrong? How can recruiters be missing out on this fundamental tool and integral part of the reaching out process?

It amazes me.

Recruiters, please use email as a follow up tool. You will close more business.

Good Luck!

Boston Technical Recruiter`

 

Contributed by Boston Technical Recruiter, http://www.boston-technical-recruiter.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Active Career Management

There are three things in this life that you absolutely have to manage, or at some point they will catch up with you. The first two, health and finances, are best handled by your doctor and your accountant. The last essential, your career, is what we’re here to help you with.

Half the people in my family are retired from a local Fortune 500 company. My relatives put in their 30 years, earned their retirement, and now live off their company pensions. While there are still a few jobs out there with this arrangement, the vast majority of companies no longer expect their employees to stay in one place for their entire career. While many employers do focus on employee retention and promotions, individual employees often make the greatest leaps in their careers by going somewhere else.

What does all this mean for the modern worker? It means that those who don’t actively manage their careers are going to get left behind. We all hope that our employers will do right by us and look out for our welfare. However, when it comes time for a company to downsize or even shut its doors, that’s not always possible. The smart worker remains in charge of his or her career, regardless of what the employer is doing.

I encourage everyone to start a career portfolio for themselves. One of the easiest ways to do this is to buy a portable flash drive that you can plug into the USB port of any laptop or desktop computer. On this drive, store every document you can find related to your career. Old job descriptions and evaluations from your supervisors offer valuable information about your previous responsibilities. They can also help you when it comes time to answer interview questions about your strengths and weaknesses. Any work you’ve had published in print or online should be saved in your portfolio. You should also keep old resumes there—and any information you can use to support those resumes. For instance, if you’re in sales, keep a record of your sales accomplishments. If you’re in project management, keep a running list of the projects you’ve delivered and the budgets associated with each. If you have electronic copies or scanned images of your school transcripts, those should go into your portfolio as well.

Looking for a job is stressful. Many people contact us for help because the very idea of capturing a 20- or 30-year career in one document is overwhelming for them. Keeping a running record of everything related to your career helps to alleviate this stress when the time arises to find a new job.

It really is true that knowledge is power, and when it comes to your career, you belong in the driver’s seat.

 

Author Byline: Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to share everything she can with everyone she can about resume writing and interviewing.
Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.