Laid off? Great. Now you can have the career you really want.
Even without the current economic crisis, ad industry employment is tenuous. We all know people who experienced job loss. If you asked them to evaluate the long-term effect of the job loss, how would they respond? Those who turned an obstacle into an opportunity quickly rebounded
How? Relevance. Abilities and performance are not as prevalent in candidates as one might think. Those who prepared found the job market wasn’t so bad after all.
Here are key ways to ensure you are one of the last an employer wants to lose and one of the first another employer wants to hire.
Read. Business and industry publications teach who is succeeding. Qualify companies by learning specifics. What are they doing that has contributed to their success? For example, how do they market themselves, what is their core philosophy? How did it contribute? After learning everything about the company, investigate the team leading the company. What are their backgrounds, philosophies, and practices? Gather as much information as you can. Use it to measure how well you match. Where can your skills and experience make them better? That is the question they ask when you apply for a position. Ensure the answer is something they want to invest in, regardless of a trying economy.
Listen. Negative chatter spells pessimism. Find voices that keep you optimistic and active. They are usually found on podcasts rather than social platforms. Programs such as The One Thing and How I Built This inspire and keep you focused on success. They teach how to embrace the fear of risk. They reveal overnight success is built over the years.
Reflect. Getting fired stokes resentment unless you control your emotions. The quicker you make the rejection impersonal, the more energy and time you have to improve your career. Use the circumstance to determine if you are doing what you want. Perhaps, this is the time to pivot. After a difficult loss of a job, a friend asked my advice on how to recover. Based on what I knew of the situation, I suggested imagining a change of role before pursuing anything new. Ask yourself, “What is the best part of my work?” Could that part be all of your work? If so, you may improve your career in a more positive way than you thought possible. Excellent pay and perks are not the keys to contentment in a career. Indispensable contributions fulfill careers. It is imperative to “know thyself.” I coach a lot of people who are in the midst of that search. They all say it is a therapeutic journey.
Reinvent. Remaining relevant is a priority today. Make growth your highest priority. Do not resist learning. You do not earn job security. The ability to help a company survive and grow is every employee’s responsibility. No title, amount of experience, or seniority saves you from the bottom line. Evolve or become extinct.
When dark clouds gather on the horizon, don’t ignore the possibility of being a casualty of a “reorganization.” Prepare for the worst. Even if you don’t get laid off, it’s a positive. You become a more valuable employee – one that makes the company better when they need it most.