LaSalle Network

Do What You Don’t Love

Whether it be a fear of public speaking, a lack of knowledge in a software program or poor organizational skills, all of us have areas of weakness in our professional repertoire. To increase your marketability in this competitive job market, push yourself to grow and learn in the areas in which you’re lacking; become an expert in Microsoft Excel or join your local Toastmasters Chapter. Only by seeking challenges can we hope to find the best in ourselves.

Humble Yourself

When you get laid off, the biggest thing affected, aside from your pocket book, is your ego.  If you received a severance package, then your ego is hit the hardest!  Entry level, staff, manager or executive, most people have a hard time admitting to others they were laid off…or fired.  By admitting this to yourself and looking to re-invent your career, you’re going to be happier and get there faster.  Why were you laid off?  Maybe because you weren’t the best at your job.  Acknowledge it…humble yourself…and begin to think about in which areas you excel.  Once you do this, you will be open to accepting a job at a lower salary, if necessary. You will also realize you are doing something you have the potential to a) have passion for b) be great at.

Get a Self-Reference

Now is the time to really find out your weaknesses. Contact old supervisors, colleagues and subordinates and request straightforward, honest input on your strengths and weaknesses – sparing no detail. These aspects of our personalities are often more apparent to others than they are to ourselves, and although your contacts may hesitate to convey your weaknesses honestly, it’s important to push them for the brutal truth. After extensive consideration and external input, create a list of these strengths and weaknesses and brainstorm ways to capitalize on your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses.

Create a List and Make Contact

Start at the very beginning of your career and create a list of respected individuals with whom you’ve worked. These individuals could be supervisors, colleagues, managers and subordinates. Contacting past supervisors, managers and colleagues after a layoff may seem natural, but do not underestimate the importance of connecting with former subordinates. These individuals will not only have valuable insight into your strengths and weaknesses as a manager and professional, but he or she may also have moved into a position of power that could be directly valuable to your immediate job search.

Use LinkedIn, Google or even the phone book to locate these contacts, then pick up the phone and start networking! Don’t worry, your contacts will remember you and will understand and appreciate your efforts to keep in touch. Talk to them about your next career move and tactfully ask them to keep you in mind if they hear of any career opportunities. Keep this list of contacts updated and make it a habit to check in with your network at least once every three months. Having an extensive network is always a valuable tool to have in your back pocket.

Be Prepared for a Salary Cut

When making a career change in this type of economy, you may need to accept less money than you were previously earning. In many cases, decreasing your salary expectations by a third in this stringent marketplace, from $75,000 to $50,000, for example, will pay off in the long and short-term. The real question is…can you afford it? Don’t wait to find out! Upon termination, immediately review your expenses and “trim the fat” to taper your lifestyle to only the essentials. Once you eliminate the superfluous expenditures in your life, you might be surprised how much money you could be saving and the bare minimum you could be living on, if needed. You will find you can adjust your lifestyle to live relatively comfortably on a lower salary and make money in the time you would have spent holding out for a higher offer. No matter what your financial situation, creating a budget will give you control of your finances and provide a framework  to keep your head above water while deciding your next career move.

Fit Keywords into Your Resume

Companies conduct keyword searches on job sites to find potential hires. Review company job postings of interest to you. Look at the keywords they use. Integrate into your resume any keywords that apply to you and your experience. The more applicable keywords you have in your resume, the closer you will move to the top of the online resume pile.

Seek Hot Fields

There are industries in which people will always be needed: health care and education, for example. Look for positions within those fields that match your interest and skills.

• How to boost your skills in a new field
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