Surviving a Layoff

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Surviving a Layoff
presented by -
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Remember

• Dont feel guilty
• You were not fired
• You have nothing to be embarrassed about
• Tell your family
• Dont make important decisions quickly
• Extend your healthcare coverage

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Allow yourself to Grieve

• You will need to deal with -

Anger
Shock
Depression
Sadness
Acceptance
Before you can move on
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Shock Depression Sadness Anger
ACCEPTANCE
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What do I do about my debts?

• SIGN UP for UNEMPLOYMENT benefits
• Review your Expenses
• Fear of the unknown makes it worse
• List out
• Debts
• Monies in bank
• Conserve Funds
• Assets that can be liquidated
• Contact a local credit counselor
• Contact creditors

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Other ideas

• Consider working a temporary assignment during
  the interim to help make ends meet
• If possible, return to school to sharpen skills
  or learn new ones
• Lower expenses
• Discontinue newspaper
• Do not take clothes to dry cleaner
• Plan fewer nights out
• Be aware of utility usage to lower bills

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Treat the job search like your job now!

• Research companies and positions
• Set Goals
• Work on your resume
• Begin the job search
• Network

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Enlist help - Network

• Seek the assistance and guidance of an employment
  counselor
• Tell everyone you know you are seeking employment
  
• Church
• Little League
• Neighborhood
• Family
• Friends
• Former vendors and business connections

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Update your Resume

• Uniform
• NEAT and typewritten
• List employment history for past ten years
• Dates of employment
• Location of employer
• Brief overview of responsibilities
• Accomplishments
• Education - training
• Check grammar and spelling

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Resume OutlineThe resume is a tool outlining
your skills and experience so an employer can
see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the
employers workplace.

• Contact information
• Objective statement (common mistake to leave
  out!)
• Professional Profile/Summary
• Work Experience/Accomplishments
• Military
• Education
• Computer Skills
• Affiliations/Professional Organizations

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Expressions that can be used in the Resume
Profile/Summary(be specific, objective, and
accurate)

• A proven record in
• Areas of expertise
• Broad range experience
• Capable of
• Comprehensive experience
• Extensive experience
• Highly successful record in
• Increasing responsibility
• Key strengths include
• Major strength(s)

• Outstanding record in
• Outstanding results
• Progressive experience
• Proven track record
• Strong background in
• Substantial experience
• Successful accomplishments in
• Thorough familiarity with
• With major emphasis on
• Worked effectively with

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Fill your resume with Problem-Action-ResultsFill
your resume with PAR statements. PAR stands
for Problem-Action-Results, in other words, first
you state the problem that existed in your
workplace, then you describe what YOU did about
it, and finally you point out the beneficial
results.
Examples Transformed a disorganized,
inefficient warehouse into a smooth-running
operation by totally redesigning the layout this
saved the company 250,000 in recovered stock.
Improved an engineering companys obsolete
filing system by developing a simple but
sophisticated functional-coding system. This
saved time and money by recovering valuable,
previously lost, project records.
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Phrases to Describe Education other than Listed
Degrees
Consider (be specific, objective, and accurate)

• Additional training in
• Attended
• Business Management Programs
• Continuing Education
• Courses in
• Credits in
• In-house Training
• Program in
• Seminar in
• Studies in

• PL Responsibility
• Budget Potential/Estimated/Savings/Profit
• Oversaw/Supervised/Managed/ Directed
• Interfaced/Established Liaison with
• Proven Executive
• Results Oriented Executive
• Results Oriented Professional

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References

• Have typed list of three personal and three
  professional references to provide to prospective
  employer including
• Name
• Title
• Company name and address
• Contact numbers
• Make contact with each individual to make certain
  they
• Remember you
• Will provide a positive reference

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The Search

• Register with an employment service
• Search the classifieds
• Post online
• Work the internet
• Keep the Log
• Keep your Chin Up
• Talk to Family and Friends

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Ask for an Interview

• Mail
• E-mail
• Telephone

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Once you start interviewing

• Keep a log (written or computerized)
• Name of company
• Date of interview
• Name of person(s) interviewed with
• Individuals title
• Position in which you interviewed
• Note any interest
• Follow up with a handwritten thank you note

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Strategy

• Even if the interview is for a position you are
  not interested in or not a fit, other options
  could be available.
• Ask about other openings

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Remember

• You were not fired
• You have nothing to be embarrassed about
• Stay focused
• Try to make 5 contacts each day
• Set a time each day of uninterrupted job search
  activity
• Do not get into the soap habit

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Dress Rehearsal

• Make certain you have several copies of your
  resume in a portfolio
• Drive to the location of the interview prior to
  the interview to gage distance, time, traffic
  problems, etc.
• Research the company to be informed
• Practice talking in the mirror
• Leave your cell phone and pager in the car

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How to Dress - Men

• Professional
• Conservative Suit (black or navy)
• Solid long sleeved shirt
• Dark socks
• Tie
• Shoes and belt clean and polished
• Hair neat and clean
• Simple portfolio

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How to Dress - Women

• Professional
• Conservative suit (navy or black)
• Skirt or Slacks with jacket
• Solid blouse
• Matching or nude hose
• Matching neat and polished shoes
• Hair clean and neat
• Portfolio
• Purse

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Tell me a Little About YourselfTwo Minute
Self-Presentation

• Purpose and Process
• AVOIDS 20 question ping-pong
• MOST efficient use of time
• YOU control data and flow
• YOU control where you wait for the conversation
  to continue
• NOT meant as a drill. Be conversational. Get back
  on track after responding to interruptions.

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Tell me a Little About YourselfTwo Minute
Self-Presentation Worksheet
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Interview Questions

• What do you think of your present or past
  company?
• If you could choose any company to work for,
  which would you choose?
• How would you describe your personality?
  Strengths and weaknesses?
• What did you learn in your present (most recent)
  position?
• Why didnt you get a college career? An advanced
  degree?
• Have you ever had a job doing this kind of work
  before?
• On the average, how many days a year were you
  absent from your last job? What were the reasons
  for the absences?
• Are there any duties involved in the position
  that would be difficult for you?
• Tell me about a time that you faced working with
  a difficult, hard to please boss. How did you
  handle it? What did you learn about yourself in
  the process.
• Do you think your former supervisor/manager was
  fair to you?

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Interview Questions

• How do you go about making decisions and solving
  problems?
• Tell me about a time when you had to openly
  discuss your viewpoints on a rather sensitive or
  controversial matter? To whom? What setting?
• When have you enjoyed your career most?
• What will your references say about you?
• What is your philosophy of management?
• How have you personally invested in your
  professional or personal development in the last
  year?
• What kinds of people do you enjoy? What traits in
  others do you have difficulty working with?
• What unusual skills do you have that other people
  could not offer us?
• Who did you consider a hero in your former
  company? Why?
• Who do you admire as a leader in American
  industry? Why?

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Questions to ask the InterviewerWhen and Where
Appropriate

• What happened to the last person who had this
  job? Or Why is this position available?
• What do you think will be your major areas of
  growth in the next five years?
• What has the role of (marketing, planning, human
  resources) been in this firm?
• What would you like to do more of (less of) next
  year? (Ask this one of the boss).
• What development task do you think I could lead
  the department in that would provide training or
  education beneficial to your objectives?
• What does your company (your department) pride
  itself in? What sets if off from other functions?
• How do you evaluate performance? What form of
  positive or corrective feedback do you employ?
  What kind of training can I expect and in what
  timeframe?
• What sort of person do you have difficulty
  working with? What traits do you think interfere
  with good job performance? (This is a risky
  question, but it may give some insight into the
  bosss style).
• How are promotions determined? What makes people
  successful in this company?
• How are decisions made here?

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Questions to ask the Interviewer cont.When and
Where Appropriate

• What do you think about immediate actions as
  compared with long-term measures?
• How would you summarize the publics view of your
  company?
• What reservations do you have about me?
• Why have you gone outside to fill this position?
• How receptive is this company to new ideas?
• What does management see as the number one
  priority for the person who gets this job?
• How would you describe your management style?
• Where could a person who is successful in this
  position go in the organization? Time frame?
• What do you see as the future of this company?

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Perseverance can pay off!