When the market crashed, our company closed down our office and laid off about fifteen percent of the staff. Two months later, the majority of the executive team was let go along with another twenty percent of the company.
The first thing I did was to develop and join informal and formal support groups. One of these groups was through an outplacement company. This group included a leader who had the experience to lead our team which was very helpful. I also kept up with employees from my prior company. We did not want to spend a lot of money but were willing to meet occasionally for lunch or coffee and share interviewing stories and opportunities.
Through the outplacement company, I brushed up on my resume writing and interviewing skills. These are basic job-hunting requirements but should not be over-emphasized. The best way to get interviewing practice is through actual interviews. I tried not to let a less-than-perfect resume stop me from applying to jobs. It is better to get a so-so resume out than to overanalyze your resume and not send it out. Through trial and error, I began to identify what worked and what didn't on my resume. I discovered key skills and was able to present them in a manner that caught the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. It was still not perfect, but I did get more interviews.
I also kept up a membership in a gym. This helped me alleviate the stress of job hunting, and gave me something to do everyday, something that would make me feel good about myself to combat the self-doubt that slowly crept into my psyche as the job search wore on.
LinkedIn was invaluable. I developed a profile, grew my contacts and requested recommendations. Then I religiously followed their job openings. Eventually, I identified a job on LinkedIn at a company where I had a contact, someone I had worked with in a prior company. They forwarded my resume and gave me a good reference, getting me in the door for an interview.
The interviews went well, but the job was not perfect — a lower level than my previous job and requiring some skills and experience I did not have. Nevertheless, I was offered and accepted the position. The base pay was slightly above my prior job, but the overall pay about twenty percent less. It has been a great way to learn new skills and develop new contacts while paying the bills.
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