With all the news about the improving job market, it’s easy to forget that layoffs are still happening. Indeed, this process has become so fixed in the modern company’s toolkit, I think we’re unlikely to ever see layoffs fade into the historical record.
In Minnesota, we’ve had a recent jolt of this reality with Target Corporation’s prediction of “several thousand” layoffs over the next two years, followed closely by the very real number of 1,700 cut from corporate offices in Minneapolis.
Those cuts prompted me to update the post-layoff checklist that I share with clients who have received a layoff notice. If you have been caught in a recent downsizing, here are 16 steps to take as quickly as possible after you get the news. In next week’s column, I’ll take a step back by providing a pre-layoff checklist for those who have not yet received a notice.
1. If you still have access to your work space, and if it’s allowed by your employer, gather copies of your work to use in your portfolio.
2. Get the details of your severance package, if you have one. You may need an attorney’s assistance if you’re being asked to sign away rights before receiving severance. Most of these agreements are harmless, but some can really sting. Be sure you know what you’re signing.
3. Collect non-company contact information for co-workers still on the job. Remember that they may be laid off too, so the company email address won’t be helpful later.
4. Gather letters of recommendation. Supervisors, clients and co-workers can all be good bets for the request.
5. Tell your support network about the layoff. This includes family, friends, business contacts, former classmates, neighbors — anyone who might have job leads for you. As much as possible, be reserved when you tell the story, to keep from being etched in their minds as angry or bitter. Reserve those emotions for a few close friends, but tell the rest of the world that you’re ready to move forward.
6. Update social media profiles, particularly LinkedIn. Even if you don’t know what you want your next work to be, you can still promote your best workplace strengths or recent projects. Again, refrain from editorializing about the layoff itself.
7. Take care of the details: Sign up for unemployment benefits, ask your state workforce center to enroll you in a dislocated worker’s program (for state-paid training and career counseling), see a financial person about your 401k, clarify your health benefits. These unfamiliar tasks can be overwhelming so it’s best to tackle them one at a time. If you schedule one each day for a week, everything will get done.
8. Create a household budget that accounts for both the best-case and worst-case scenarios. Decide what you would do in the worst case, to provide the comfort of having a backup plan.
9. Keep your money close at hand. Don’t give in to the impulse to pay off a debt with your savings account. During your transition, cash is king.
10. Even if your budget doesn’t require it, get a part-time job, or at least a volunteer position. Anything from 5 to 20 hours a week will provide contacts, structure and a reason to get out of the house, without crimping your job search campaign.
11. On your own, or with the help of a counselor, make a career change or job search plan. Include dates when key steps are to be finished so you can check your progress.
12. Write your resume to reflect your job search goal; make business cards to help with your networking.
13. If called for in your new plan, sign up for training. If you’re still at the company at this stage, try to negotiate tuition reimbursement into your severance package.
14. Create a weekly schedule that includes your volunteer or part-time job, your classes, and your job search steps. Include exercise and gatherings with friends to ensure you don’t lose perspective during this transition.
15. Reconnect with the network of people you first contacted in Step 5. Tell them your new plan and ask for specific help (do you know anybody who works in …). Now is the time to schedule brief networking meetings, and to send out copies of your resume so everyone has it in hand.
16. Start working your plan, troubleshooting problems as they arise. Meet regularly with a job search buddy, career counselor or mentor to stay on track, and give yourself rewards for meeting goals.
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