Down, but Not Out: Making Finding a Job Your Full-Time Job

After working a job for a while, especially a job that you enjoy and pays decently, being let go from that job can be hard to take; no matter the reason behind it. Many people equate their own personal value with their work so when a company or individual tells them that they don’t want them anymore, it can almost feel like a breakup in a relationship. It’s painful, disorienting, and can lead to a continued slump. One of the easiest ways of dealing with the pain and bouncing back to the person you were before is by not wasting any time and getting back to work. While this might sound obvious, many people take this concept for granted. Here are some tips for getting back into the swing of things and out-running the blues.

1.       Don't stop. 

Even if you were let go from your job early in the day, there’s no to turn off that driven frame of mind and end up in depression. While taking the length of a lunch break is a decent amount of time to come to terms with the fact that you no longer have a paying job, the term “paying job” is purely subjective. What constitutes a “paying job” anyways? Being on the clock? No! A paying job is simply working for something that will pay off in the future. While before, that “paying job” was working on the clock, in a salary position, or based on sales commissions, you’re not anymore “jobless” than you were when you showed up at work that morning. Now you’re simply working in transition. Channel any anger or disappointment about losing your job into energy towards finding a new job. With what’s left of the day, instead of stewing, start devising your strategy for finding a new position elsewhere.

2.       You’re not actually out of the job.

Even when you’re not officially employed by a company any longer, you are not jobless; your new full-time job is finding a job. When you were working, you showed up to a place every day at a specific time to do a specific job. Why turn that off now? You can keep the momentum up in an assortment of ways. 

-          The morning of your first day out of work, don’t sleep in. Get up at the normal time you would for your job and start strategizing ways to get a new job.

-          Update your resume. Have someone you know review it for possible mistakes and inaccuracies. Make sure it looks professional and easy to read.

-          Dress for success, even at home. Even when your job-hunting tasks for that day don’t involve leaving the house, dress for like you are. Sitting around in your pajamas isn’t good for productivity or morale. Simply putting on a pair of shoes can help trick your mind that there is work to be done.

3.       Every job hunter is a salesman.

It doesn’t matter what line of work you were in before, whether it was construction or food preparation, you are now a salesman and the product you are selling is yourself. If you were to sell a product for a company, you would put together some form of a presentation for the customer, you would make sure it looked good, and you’d be on time for the presentation. How you come off to a potential employer can determine whether or not you get the job just like a bad salesman can turn a customer off from buying a good product.

-          Be on time. First impressions are everything and if you’re not on time for the interview or time you arranged to speak with an employer, you’ve already told them that you’re unreliable. Being 5 minutes early is recommended, but being any more than 15 minutes might actually end up inconvenience the employer, so it would be best to wait in your car and prepare for the interview if you have some time to kill.

-          Dress the part. There is an old saying that says “Dress for the job you want.” While there is some truth to that, walking onto a build site in a tuxedo might not be the wisest decision. Do a little research and attempt to find out not only what the average employee of that company wears, but also what other candidates for the position are wearing and go one step above that. If the next guy is wearing a polo shirt, wear a dress shirt. If he’s wearing dress shirt, wear a tie. If he’s wearing a tie, wear a blazer. You get the picture.

-          Be courteous, but be yourself. Most of the time, employers are not only looking for a good worker, but a human being who can listen to the concerns of their customers. Your interaction with an employer gives them a preview of how you are going to be with their customers. Their customers want to be greeted by a professional, not a robot.

-          Follow up. No matter how badly you think the interview went, follow up with the employer soon after. Rather than inquiring about whether or not they’ve made their decision and coming off as being desperate or nosey, rather simply thank them for their time and compliment their business.  

4.       Take time out for yourself.

Like any other job, if you overwork yourself, you’re not going to be a quality worker. Your job as a job-hunter is no different. Take time away from looking for work during the times you would usually be off work unless an employer wants to meet with you during those times. Spend time with friends and family to give yourself a chance to recharge so you can start off the next day or the next week fresh and ready to tackle your full-time job of finding a new job.

For additional help in finding a job, contact the job-finding professionals at Barracuda Staffing. Chances are that the job-fishing experts at Barracuda Staffing have several jobs waiting for a person like you to get started on.