Laid Off?

By John Challenger/Chicago

Being laid off is one of life's great traumas--and lots of people are experiencing it. Job cuts from January through May totaled more than 650,000. That's 39,000 more than the number recorded in all of last year. A person who has been fired will pass through many of the same stages as those who are divorcing or who have just found out they have a terminal illness: deny the reality, hide out, feel betrayed by fate. Consequently, many people stall like mad rather than get on with life, making crazy decisions they will later regret. As the CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a 39-year-old outplacement firm that has helped thousands of people find work after a layoff, let me tell you how most people respond--and what they need to do to find work.

1. DON'T SIT ON YOUR SEVERANCE. With job searches taking just more than three months on average, those with a brief severance period don't have much cushion. But a long severance period can give jobless people a false sense of security. Too often they take what they believe is a well-deserved break from the rat race. Employers are extremely wary of applicants with that kind of gap in their resume. A job seeker is like lettuce to the employer. The fresher you are to the hunt--a week or 10 days off to get the resume tuned up--the better. When a potential employer asks, "What have you been doing since you left your job three months ago?" the expected answer is not "Sailing the Greek islands."

2. FORGET THE NET. FORGET THE ADS. No more than 15% of jobs are found this way. Almost all successful searches start with people you already know. Open the classified ads and click on the Internet job site only after 7 p.m. Spend most of your time interviewing and making contacts to set up the next interview. The newspaper and Net can be valuable sources--for their local news and business sections. There you will find info about companies coming to town or expansions by existing ones, including details on key people to contact.

3. DON'T MAKE FOOLISH PERSONAL DECISIONS. Hold on to your house. Lots of people think, I'll sell the house and move someplace where I can get another for one-third the price. But you are not likely to know people there or even know for a while how to meet people who can help you in the new location.

4. FORGET RETRAINING. It can make sense for some blue-collar workers, but not for a person with 20 years' experience in one field. Why cast all that aside? Try something new if you like, but whatever you do, don't use retraining as an excuse for not getting out there and interviewing.

5. DON'T RELY ON A SEARCH FIRM. Search firms are usually the first stop for job seekers who hope to find new gigs without much effort. Yet search firms are beholden to the companies that pay them when someone--anyone--is hired. Your best interests are never their No. 1 concern. Count on no more than one or two viable interviews from a recruiting-firm lead during your entire search. Such companies are not pounding the pavement for you. In fact, your odds of finding a new job through a search firm are greatly reduced because there are more candidates for a very limited number of positions.

6. USE ANY OUTPLACEMENT SERVICES AVAILABLE TO YOU. Finding a job is difficult enough, but it is particularly vexing if you have just been laid off. Outplacement helps you refocus your efforts on the task at hand. It provides training in all aspects of the job search. But we're not going to hold your hand--you've got to do the work.

7. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. Talk to anyone and everyone who can help you. People find jobs through other people. That is the basic truth. Most people are shy or afraid of rejection and stick to safe, nonthreatening activities like writing letters and responding to ads. But finding a job is a numbers game. The more people you talk to, the faster you will find a job. Forget your shame. So many people are being laid off without cause that there is no need to feel like a loser. And when you meet with contacts, don't let them just offer you solace. Get them to help you meet someone in their company who might need someone like you.

8. IGNORE THE NEWS ABOUT LAYOFFS. Bad economy or not, most companies are always looking for people who possess the skills and experience that will improve corporate performance. In fact, some of the best prospects are at distressed firms. The key is to eliminate self-imposed roadblocks.