My Job Loss

Still Have a Job?

Are you still employed?  If so, this post is for you.  In this very uncertain economy, everyone should be taking steps to make to make themselves more attractive to their current employers and prospective employers alike.  There is a great guest post over at Get Rich Slowly, which was written by Kevin Merritt, founder and CEO of blist, which outlines the Ten Essential Steps to Take Before You're Laid Off. I strongly urge you to read this in its entirety, but my two favorite tips are "Reduce Your Household Burn Rate," and "Do Extracurricular Work that Showcases Your Abilities."  What tips can you add to this list?

Writing Your Resume

I think that writing your own resume is hard to do.  If you have been employed for sometime, you probably have not given much thought to what would make you attractive to a prospective employer, much less know how to get that on paper.  Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Your resume is more than a chronological list of your jobs.  Every single contact that you make with a prospective employer should demonstrate why you are right for the job.  Your resume is your first opportunity to show a potential employer what value you bring to the table. 

Before you begin to draft your resume, you should give considerable thought to what talents you have, what functions you performed, what you enjoy doing, what awards you received, how you saved your company money, how you made your company money, and what sets you apart from other applicants.  It is not easy to brag about yourself, and if your self esteem is low after a job loss, this can be expecially hard to do.  But be confident in the knowledge that you are a person of value, with many gifts that will hold you (and your next employer)in good stead. 

2.  You should tailor your resume to fit the job that you are seeking.  Let's say you are seeking a job in sales in several industries.  The resume that you send to a pharmaceutical company might highlight your knowledge of science and medicine, while the resume that you send to a business services organization may emphasize your expertise in relationship-based selling.

3.  Make good use of headings and white space to make your resume readable.  Headings in bold type and capital letters will help to catch the reader's eye, while white space between sections will make your resume more readable.  Some headings to consider are:  Professional Experience, Expertise, Skills, Talents, Honors, Awards, Education, Community Service, Credentials, Affiliations, Publications, Memberships, Recommendations, and References.

4.  Get input from others.  Seek advice from someone in the industry that you are targeting.  Ask what that person would look for on a resume.  Ask if that person would be willing to review a draft of your resume.  Ask multiple people for input both on content and proofreading.

My friend,Susan Whitcomb has an excellent book called Resume Magic, which I highly recommend.  Adams Resume Almanac is also useful to look at for multiple resumes in all different formats, targeting a number of industries.    

Beginning a Job Search

So you've taken some preliminary steps to get your finanancial house in order, and you are anxious to begin your job search.  What should you do first?  

1)  Determine what kind of job you are seeking.  Maybe you already know what kind of job you are looking for, but my guess is that many people reading this blog may have been laid off from a job that has been eliminated, exists in smaller numbers or sent over seas.  Whatever your situation, a job loss can provide an opportunity to reinvent yourself.  Spend some time asking yourself what you want to do. What do you like to do?  What are you good at?  What sets you apart from your coworkers?  What skills and functions do you have that could transfer to another profession?

2)  Set up your professional profile on Linked In.   Linked In is an online networking tool with which you can create a profile of your accomplishments.  Recruiters use Linked In to look for prospective job applicants, and you can also use it to reconnect with people with whom you've lost touch.  Your professional profile can become something like an online resume.  For more information about what you can do on Linked In, you might want to check out Jason Alba's book, I'm On Linked In, Now What???.  

3)  Have business cards made with your name and contact information.  These can be made up fairly inexpensively for you at Staples or Office Depot, or you can make them up on your computer.  Be sure to include a phone number and an email address.  You may also want to include the URL for your Linked In profile. 

4)  Begin to tell people that you are looking for work, and what kind of work you are looking for.  This is especially hard.  No one wants to admit that they've lost their job.  But the more that you do this, the more likely you are to run across someone who knows someone who may know of a job for you.  Give each person you speak to one of your personal cards, and ask them to keep their eyes and ears open for you.

On Monday we'll begin to discuss resumes, and you'll have to forgive me for not knowing how to place an accent over the two letter e's.

Surviving a Jobless Holiday

Holiday Prayer for the Unemployed:  The holidays can be stressful in general, but especially so when you are unemployed.  Our hearts go out to you.  I can think of nothing more appropriate to do today than to offer this prayer:

Heavenly Father, we remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work.  Guide the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all might find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labor.  Amen.

                                                                                The Book of Common Prayer

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Taking Care of Yourself:  The grief that you experience from losing a job is not unlike what you might face following a divorce or loss of loved one.  For some excellent tips on how to take care of yourself during the holidays, take a look at What to Do When the Holidays Trigger Your Feelings of Loss. 

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Next Steps:  We started this blog in mid-December, and the focus has been on securing the roof over your head.  On Friday, we'll begin to delve into the mechanics of your job search.  Until then, here is a quick and easy tip to jump start your job search:  have business cards printed with your name and personal contact information so that you will have something to hand to people when you mention to them that you are looking for work.  This is much more impressive than scrawling your name and number on a napkin.  Until Friday, know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. 

Support for Spouses of Job Seekers

Job losses are hard on everyone, including the family members and significant others of those who are out of work.  Lynne Klippel, a career coach, has a website and blog dedicated to helping wives of those who have lost a job.  You can check it out here.

Secure the Roof Over Your Head

You will like this about as much as a trip to the dentist.  But much like a root canal, it will be much more painful if you put this off.  I'm talking about getting a grasp on your personal finances. 

So let's dive in.  If you have already been tracking your expenses on paper or with a software program like Quicken, good for you.  If not, you will need to gather your check book register, bank statements, and credit card statements for the past six months to a year.  You will also need a pad of paper, or a software program like Quicken.  If you do not have Quicken, a free software option is Mint.   Be prepared to divide your spending into categories such as rent/mortgage,  health insurance, healthcare, food, clothing, household maintenance, household improvements, utilities, cable, cell phone, entertainment, liquor, car payments, gas, car repairs, gifts, loans, etc. 

The idea is for you to go through the last six month to one year, and track everything that you have spent, category by category.  Once you have a clear idea of where you spend your money, you can identify areas where you can reduce or eliminate spending.  Since you do not know how long you will be without work, be prepared to make significant cuts in your spending. 

Mary Hulbert, Director of Community Outreach at Consumer Credit Counseling Services, has an excellent article about the financial aspects of surviving a job loss.  Trent Hamm over at The Simple Dollar  writes a very practical blog about personal finance, as does J.D. Roth at Get Rich Slowly.    

First Things First

You've just lost you job - what are the first things that you should do to protect yourself and your family? 

Before you do anything else, file for unemployment.  There may be backlogs in this down economy and there is likely to be a deadline for filing, so this is the first thing that you should address.  Most states permit you to file online - do not delay.  About.com has a page with links to all state unemployment compensation offices, and a general list of information that you will need to have handy when you apply.  You can access this useful page by clicking here.

Next, secure health insurance for you and your family.  COBRA generally requires that group health plans of employers of twenty or more people in the year prior permit participants to continue their healthcare coverage after a job loss.  Usually, you are required to pay the entire premium, and this can be quite expensive.  If you or a family member have or have had significant health problems, however, this may be the best option for you.

It is also possible to purchase health insurance on the open market.  This may be a less expensive option for people who have no significant health history, especially if you are willing to have a higher deductible.  Two websites to help you to shop for private health insurance are www.eHealthInsurance.com and National Association of Health Underwriters. 

Once you've taken these steps, it is time to take a detailed look at your finances.  We'll  talk more about that in Monday's post.

Long Time Reader, First Time Blogger

Here we go.  This is my first, wobbly-legged attempt at blogging.  Glad you could join me.

I've followed several blogs for more than a year, but this is the first time that I (with the help of my husband) have decided to give it a try.  So here's the story:

In March of 2007, my husband called me at work to tell me that the job that he held for twenty-nine years had been eliminated.  His company had gone through a merger, and it became apparent early on that drastic changes were on the horizon.  Just the weekend before, we had talked about putting a resume together.  Although it did not come as a complete surprise when my husband learned that his department was being eliminated, he had no idea that it would happen so quickly.  And, we had no idea how hurtful and devastating a job loss can be. 

We also had no idea about how to go about a job search.  And that is where this blog comes in.  After a lengthy job search, which involved a lot of trial and error, my husband got a job.  I'm so proud of how hard he worked, and how strong and courageous he was.  Looking for a job is really hard, and we'd like to share with you what we learned. 

If you or someone you know is looking for work, I hope that you'll join us as this blog evolves.  In the meantime, best wishes for a sucessful job search. 

                                                                                            --Jennifer