7 Positive Steps After a Resource Action or Layoff - Career Pivot

7 Positive Steps After a Resource Action or Layoff - Career Pivot Positive Steps after a Resource Action? I originally wrote this post on positive steps after a resource action back in 2013 after there was a massive resource action at IBM. It is being updated and republished because I am seeing a large number of small resource actions. You may choose to call this an RIF (Reduction in Force,) a layoff, or if you are in the UK, a redundancy. I think these small but frequent resource actions will become the norm in today’s world of creative destruction. If you are not familiar with the term creative destruction, I suggest you read the following posts: Surviving Creative Destruction in the 2nd Half of Life How to Protect Your Career from Future Extinction, Now [Video] Positive Steps As many of you may be experiencing a resource action let’s discuss the positive steps you can take afterward. 1 â€" Take a deep breath and chill The worst thing to do is to start working on your resume and getting online to apply for jobs! Being the target of a resource action hurts. It hurts a lot. If you were to talk to any prospective employer it will come out that you are hurting. Take time off and heal. It will likely take longer than you think. 2 â€" Take stock of your current lifestyle This might be the right time to Repack Your Bags. Access why you are doing what you are doing. Are you still supporting adult children? Do you still have the big house where you raised your kids? Are you properly taking care of your own health? I have written in the past that I am a big fan of authors Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro and their book Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Good Life. If you are a baby boomer the statistics say you will make less in your next position. 3 â€" Take stock of your current career path Were you let go because your job could be done cheaper by someone else somewhere else in the world? Will you be replaced by a robot or another form of automation? If you think this could not happen then read my recent post,Beware Automation and Robots Will Sabotage Your Career Were you happy in your current career path? Come on be honest with yourself! Would you like to do something completely different? 4 â€" Take advantage of free resources If you were laid off … affected by a resource action, (I need to take a politically correct pill!) you were probably offered outplacement services. Take advantage of what they offer. There are lots of non-profits and religious organizations that offer job counseling services. I serve on the board of directors of Launch Pad Job Club, the largest and oldest organization of its type in Central Texas. I like to brag we have been in existence for 15 years and served close to 15,000 people. 5 â€" Work on your networking skills Your next job will not likely come from submitting your resume on some job board. About 8% of jobs are filled through online applications. Your next job will likely come from a referral. Build yourself a fan club and network strategically. We live in a referral economy. 6 â€" Work on your social media presence Many of you, who have worked for one employer for 15 or more years, this may be pretty scary. You need to build your personal brand. Your first step is to build a strong LinkedIn profile. 7 â€" Take advantage of this moment of clarity This could be a moment of clarity for you. Amoment of clarity is when something big happens, lay off, new job, birth, death, marriage, divorce … that causes us to get clear. We look at life through filters. Those filters protect us. During moments of clarity, those filters come down and we see things clearly. What is really important to you? I devote a whole chapter in my book Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life dedicated to this topic. It is that important. What is your next step? Often resource actions are the kick in the butt that we need to vault us forward to do what we really want to do with our lives. Take a moment to listen to the 8 stories told on my podcast of people making career pivots. Most started their journey with a resource action. Many of these people look at the resource action as a blessing. Do you have a story of recovering from a resource action? If you do, please tell us about it in a comment below. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...