worried about layoffs? (what to do now)

The department of labor released it's monthly report, which showed that 1.2 million jobshave been lost in the U.S. this year.  Today, DHL has announced a layoff of 9500 employees by dropping their domestic delivery service and only continuing to deliver internationally.  And it's not just the big companies.  Small businesses are laying off people too, some for the first time.

I wrote last week about some things you can begin to do if you're concerned about being laid off. Taking some small actions can simply help allay any fear or worry.

1)  If you don't keep your resume updated?  Do it now.  The first boss I had in the corporate world taught me to always have your resume updated.  But if you haven't looked at it in a while, begin to get it together now.

2)  Be sure your contacts list is updated - and at home.  If you carry a blackberry for work and most of your contacts are there, be sure you transfer that info to whatever system you use at home.  You'll need your contacts.  Have their information organized now.

3)  Begin to put feelers out.  Whether it's updating your info on job boards or responding to ads, begin to see what might be out there for you in the event that you are laid off.  By the way, most good jobs don't hit the job boards and ads.  So start working those contacts and contacting companies you might be interested to see what's out there.  But remember, even during these times we're in, if you're looking for a job?  Desperation is still a turnoff.

Now, if you do begin to explore what next opportunity might be out there for you, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.  We'll talk about those tomorrow.

All the best!

deb

Comments

[Rachel Harris]

My advice to those that need work is to hit the job boards hard. I see tons of high paying jobs:

http://www.linkedin.com (networking for professionals)
http://www.indeed.com (aggregated listings)
http://www.realmatch.com (matches you to the perfect job)

There is a perfect job out there for everone!

[Benjamin Wright]

Deb: As employees are shown the door, an employer may be wise to hang onto their e-mail records. --Ben http://legal-beagle.typepad.com/wrights_legal_beagle/2008/10/retain-e-mail-of-former-employees.html