|
October, 2005
|
From the President
by Kit Brown, STC-SRC president
 Jack
Molisani's talk about job hunting last month turned out to be more timely
than we could've imagined. Several people have since gotten laid off
or are currently looking for other work. If you have a job available
that you would like posted on the chapter website, please contact our
employment coordinator, Darla Scott (employment@stc-src.org).
It's easy to get discouraged when you get laid off, especially with
$3/gallon gas and the media frenzy around all the tragedies going on.
BUT, such changes are often exactly what we need to grow and expand
our horizons. Here are some things you can do to heal the pain, recharge
your batteries, and move on to something better:
-
Practice good self-care. You know the drill:
eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. (I'm an especially big
fan of the sleep; the whole world looks different when you are well-rested
and it's easier to "roll with the punches" as my grandma
would say.) Self-care also means not beating yourself up and overdoing
the "why me?" Sometimes that's easier said than done, but
I try to go by the rule that if I wouldn't say it to my best friend,
then I shouldn't say it to myself.
-
Take time to relax-really unwind. This is
especially important if you were feeling even slightly burned out
before getting laid off. How often do you get an extended vacation
when you are working? In some ways, this time is a gift-make the most
of it by reveling in your time off for a few weeks; read those books
you've been meaning to read, visit your family, travel, catch up with
old friends. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination
and your finances. Trust me-the work will be there when you are ready.
When I got laid off in 2002, it was a good six months before I could
even think about going back to work, so I spent a lot of time with
my grandmother (who's 90) and other family, as well as my friends.
-
Learn something new. Is there a class you've
always wanted to take? An experience that you want to have? A secret
fantasy to sing in public? Then do it! Make this time a period of
"gainful unemployment", and use it to your advantage. Make
a list of all the things you want to do before you die, and then see
how many of them you can check off. I took a class based on the "Artist's
Way" by Julia Cameron, and it encouraged me to act in my first
play, to write some poetry, and generally get in touch with my inner
artist.
-
Dream yourself a new life. Getting laid off
is a great opportunity to figure out if you are doing what you wanted
to do when you grew up and if you are the person you always wanted
to be. Take some time to think about what you want to create in your
life. Then, take one tiny step toward that creation.
-
Surround yourself with supportive and fun people.
Now's a good time to get rid of the "Schleprocks" in your
life-the ones who are always dragging you down and whining about everything.
Instead, hang around positive, energetic, fun people. Make a point
to do fun things with those people.
-
Simplify your life. Instead of eating out
2 meals a day, have coffee with a friend or invite them over for lunch
at your house. Avoid the mall and the "buy" mentality that
goes with it. Have a garage sale and get rid of anything that is weighing
you down or that you don't use or need. Take the time to organize
that closet that's been bugging you. Examine your schedule and eliminate
the stuff that doesn't make you feel alive and engaged. Ride your
bike instead of driving.
-
Network like crazy. When you're relaxed and
ready to jump back in the game, start contacting your colleagues and
people in your network. Most jobs in this valley are gotten on networking,
not job ads. Attend meetings, volunteer with the chapter (hint hint),
ask colleagues about their jobs and do informational interviews (people
love talking about themselves and what they do), and always ask for
two more names to contact. (Be sure to follow up with a thank you
note.)
- Focus your search. Figure out what your ideal job looks like,
and work toward getting that job. Structure your resume accordingly,
by using a functional approach that highlights your skills rather than
the places you've worked. In your cover letters and resumes, use the
key words that the company uses in the ad. As Jack said, don't worry
too much about it if your skills are not an exact match-show enthusiasm,
curiosity and a willingness to learn. Attitude counts.
While a layoff can be emotionally difficult at first, how you think
about it makes a lot of difference. Being morose and grumpy comes through
in the interviews and sets up a vicious cycle of rejection and depression.
On the other hand, if you look at getting laid off as a gift of time
and use that time to recharge and regroup, that positive attitude will
also come through during interviews.
|
