In the odd chance that executives at your company have warned the workforce in advance that they will be laying off there are several things you can do to prepare for it. First, try to gain a better understanding of which departments and positions may be affected. It is possible that, if you have implemented advice from my previous blog, your job may be spared. Even if yours is one of the jobs that is saved there is a good chance that the company layoffs will affect you in some way. Many employees who survive a layoff report feelings of stress, insecurity and possibly overwhelmed due to taking on the work of terminated coworkers.
If you think there is a chance that you may be laid off the very next step is to polish your resume. Because the average employee changes jobs more often, nowadays, that employees already have a version of their resume saved. If this is the case for you then you simply need to dust it off and update it with your current role and responsibilities. The next steps are to post your resume in more than one place, such as major job boards, and find two or three professional interview suits. Check the online career sites to get familiar with the amount of jobs and types of jobs in your field that companies are currently recruiting. Contact your local Department of Labor to determine the process for applying for unemployment and how much you can expect to receive. Review your current expenses and determine how you can cut your spending and costs. Find ways to save money that can be used to supplement your unemployment money. The ideal goal is to find a job before you have to claim unemployment. Schedule a meeting with someone in your Human Resources department to ask the process for severance and vacation payouts, if applicable. You will also want to find out your options for rolling over your 401K and continuing your benefits coverage through COBRA.
Find salary surveys to determine how your current pay compares to the market rate. This will help you negotiate your salary during your job search. Start practicing interviews to help you get comfortable answering questions about your experience. You can do this by asking someone in the HR Department or your manager to do mock-interviews with you. You should also ask them to review your resume.
Coach Kenya 