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Getting laid off can be a blessing in disguise, but it can also be an enormously stressful
event. Losing a job can even put someone into a state of shock and people often respond
to the shock in one of two ways: either taking some time off to reevaluate their life and their
situation, or else diving right into the job search.

For the person who decides to take time off and reevaluate their life or their situation, it is
critical to use this time wisely. People often want to relax, zone out, and enjoy the peace
and quiet that comes with the reduced obligations of a work-free life, but of course, for
most people this is not a sustainable lifestyle. Our modern culture has taught us to value
private time, time alone, or “me time”. I think this is valuable, but normally such
recommendations are made as an endorsement of “work-life balance” and clearly, without
work, there can be no balance. It would be foolish to place one's self into a position where
their value as an employee, drive, or abilities diminish with regard to work. So while there
may be an inclination to sit around watching TV, or surfing the internet ineffectively, doing
so gradually degrades your value to employers who are often seeking people who can
demonstrate their ability to hit the ground running.

Word travels fast. The better you were at your old job, the more people are going to hear of
your absence and the more people may begin to think about contacting you regarding
possible employment opportunities. The following is a list of things you must do
IMMEDIATELY when beginning your job search.

1. Let The Entire World Know

Call your family, call your friends, call old acquaintances. If you belong to social networking
sites and have a list of friends, post about it on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter. The
responses you receive will likely be supportive and you never know, it just might be that a
friend of a friend is looking for someone with your qualifications. By accessing your network
of people promptly, you might just luck out and find yourself with a new job before the seat
at your old job has even cooled off.

2. Write A Resume

You can be out of your old job in the morning and have three voicemails on your phone by
the afternoon. It happens more often that most people realize. Good, knowledgeable,
experienced employees will always be in demand. And when someone calls you, they're
going to want a resume as quickly as possible. So have a good solid general-purpose
resume ready to go out the door.

While it is advisable to always have a targeted resume, tuned up and keyed in for each
particular job you apply for, it's not always necessary. Sometimes the early bird gets the
worm and you can bet that when you get an unsolicited phone call asking for your resume,
you've already got a friend on the inside who can say far better things than even your
resume ever could. So get it done and be ready to send it out.

3. Get Your Personal Life In Order

Do laundry, dishes, clear out your inbox. This may seem trivial, but every little bit helps.
You never know when you're going to have to pull the perfect interview outfit out of the
closet and it had better not be dirty. You never know when your friend might want to
discuss a possible job with you over dinner. Prepare for your job search by attending to the
little things that are going to have to be done sooner or later anyway. Right now, you have
the time. Start doing it immediately.

Anything we missed on this list? Go ahead and email us. We'd love to add your
suggestions....