How to Prepare for a Job Layoff
Your company just announced a slew of layoffs coming up and you fear one of them may be you. Rather than sitting and stewing until the official names are announced, you can get yourself ready for the worst. A few strategic steps will help you prepare for a job layoff.
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Instructions
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Cut back. You’re most likely not going to be able to save large amounts of cash between the time the company said layoffs are coming and the time the names are announced. But you can cut back on little things. Rent movies instead of going out to them. Play a game instead of renting movies. Buy food on sale and stock up on big sale items to freeze for later. You don’t really need new shoes right now.
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Tap into your network. Reach out to family, friends and other professionals in your field to see what’s going on at their workplace. Include clients from your current job with whom you have built up a rapport. Tell them you have layoffs pending at your workplace to plant the seed in their heads that you may be soon looking for work.
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Check out other job possibilities. Scanning the help wanted section or go online. This way you’ll get an idea of what industries are still going strong and may be hiring. If your job title is not listed anywhere, check out other companies that have that position to see what their economic status is.
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Update your resume. Now is a great time to make your resume current, including all the wonderful things you are doing at your current job. Now is also the time to amass clips, background information and other things you may need from your current workplace so you are not left in the lurch if they tell you to go home and never come back.
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Stay calm. Panicking will only make you high-strung and hard to work with. Do your job as usual, without complaints, and go above and beyond where possible. This gives the company the message that you do well under pressure and you can still churn out quality work in a crunch.
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Turn the situation into an opportunity. If you’ve ever wanted to go back to college, switch careers, take a vacation with the money you did save, you may soon get the opportunity. This doesn’t mean you should stop all other activities, but does mean you should start researching one of these other paths to see how feasible it would be if you do get laid off.
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Tips & Warnings
Praying also helps to calm the mind and spirit. Don’t necessarily pray to keep your current job, that may not be in the cards for you. Pray instead for the strength to handle whatever may come your way.
Don’t keep it a secret. If more people who know about your pending situation more people may be able to help you if it does come to you getting laid off.
- Photo Credit Photo by Ryn Gargulinski
