If you’ve been laid off recently or think you might lose your job in the near future, you need to respond strategically and massively. The hard reality about layoffs is that how you respond may depend on your financial and emotional state.

You may have predicted this event and prepared for it, or you may view the layoff as a blessing in disguise if it forces you to make a change you’ve wanted to make for some time. In these cases, it’s time to crank up your search efforts with focus and confidence.

If, on the other hand, you are totally blindsided by the layoff and/or unprepared for it, your first step is to take stock. What is your cash position? Do you feel strong, and can you see the situation as an opportunity to move into something better? Or are you at a loss about what to do next? What kind of support can you get to help you through? What do you have to do to ensure that you survive—financially and emotionally?

While feelings of panic and uncertainty are normal, remember that the most effective job searches are not scattershot approaches but rather targeted strategies that leverage your past experience.

In either situation, a strategic job search is in order. Based on my report, “How to Manage Your Career in Scary Times,” here are eight top-level tips to ensure your response to a layoff is focused and effective.

1. Breathe
Find your center. You are a professional and there is a place for you out there. You will get through this. And the best way to do so is to focus on what you offer and take massive action.

2. Get out the contact list
Make a record of the people you worked with and dealt with. Put that address information into your own system and contact people using your personal email address.

3. Inventory what you offer
Take time to develop a sound understanding of your abilities, skills, experience, and fit. This includes really analyzing your professional background to identify stories, evidence, and data about your job performance that you can use to better market yourself and prove your candidacy. What are you interested in doing next? What is the next logical step for you? Depending on your position and situation, you may be looking to move forward or you may need to focus on where you are most employable.

4. Define your targets
You are not equally valuable everywhere. Define A, B, and C target groups. A is the perfect home for your offering. B is acceptable. C will pay the bills. Use information like job title, organization type, organization size, industry, and market to make your targets as defined as possible.

5. Cultivate multiple channels
Work more than one channel to find those target opportunities. By all means, use online job postings and apply selectively to jobs. But realize this is only one channel. Develop a multichannel strategy and invest your time accordingly. Those channels might include recruitment agencies, professional associations, and, of course, your network.

6. Create channels for people to find you
Nothing is better than receiving a call about an opportunity. It puts you in the driver’s seat, at least for a bit. Ensure your network contacts know what you’re looking for so you are top of mind when they can make a referral. Use social networking sites as another way to accomplish this.

7. Follow the Pareto Principle
This is otherwise known as the 80/20 rule. Analyze your network for the people who are hubs of contacts and information. Who do you know who can hire or refer you? When you’re ready, get in touch with them. And remember, the actions you might resist are usually the most valuable, high-impact ones. In my experience, successful job searches are often the result of that one, correct call.

8. Get out and talk to people
The worst place to conduct a job search is in your pajamas at your family computer. Yes, there are a lot of important activities you can do from your computer, but schedule them outside of prime meeting time. You must get out there—every day.

The post Laid off? Eight effective ways to respond appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.

It’s canned, not can’t-ed.

In 2008, I got laid off from my first-ever job. I was crushed, to say the least.

I grew up watching Almost Famous, fantasized about moving to New York, and managed to get hired at Rolling Stone, covering my favorite artists (David Bowie, The Eagles, Jay Z). So when my boss called me into his office on a Monday morning to break the news, I remember thinking: How could they be letting me go? I still haven’t interviewed Fergie! (It was 2008, remember?)

Fast-forward eight years, and I now run my own writing business, with a client list that includes Forbes, Food Network, and Dell. I’ve learned a lot of lessons from my fateful layoff, but here are my top five.

1. Mourn – and move on.

I got laid off from not just my job, but my *dream* job. It felt healthy to let myself be sad for a few days, but then I knew it was time to figure out my next move. I made a list of all of the things I loved about my old job, alongside a list of all of the things I didn’t love (it was longer than I thought), and a third list of my personal career goals. I compared the three lists and concluded that I still wanted to do what I loved — write — but I needed to make more money, and I hoped to be a part of an industry that was growing so that this didn’t happen again. It was the first time I was thinking not just like a writer, but like an entrepreneur.

2. Your network is your net worth.

Odds are, the last thing your boss wants to do on a Monday morning is put you out of work. Sackings aren’t personal, so don’t take them personally. Remember all of the relationships you’ve made, both internally and externally, and consider them in your next venture. Be vocal about what you’re looking to do next, and opportunities will likely present themselves. Case in point: My former Rolling Stone editor recommended me for a project with New York Film Critics Series in 2013, and they’ve now been one of my clients for more than three years.

3. Have a back-up plan.

Even if you’re blissfully employed (or self-employed), you still need a Plan B (or C or D). Even the most profitable, charitable, well-respected business in the universe makes decisions based on its bottom line. *Your* bottom line: Protect yourself. Think about where you would want to be working if you weren’t with your current employer and research the company’s culture. More importantly, think about where you could get a job immediately if your current one no longer existed. I always wanted to work for myself, so I viewed my layoff as the perfect chance to try. As Mona Patel, my friend and Motivate Design CEO, likes to say: “There’s no right time to start a business, so just do it.”

4. Save now.

An emergency fund is not a luxury. Most experts say you should have enough money saved to get through six months of unemployment, give or take a few months. The trick is to start saving while you’re employed. There’s no formula, but the 50/20/30 budget is a good starting place.

5. Plot your legacy.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned from my layoff is to appreciate the gift of time. When I had a full-time job, I could barely fit in a dentist appointment. (Not kidding: I would cancel and re-schedule three times before I would finally show up for a cleaning.) Being unemployed is your chance to recharge. Visit the doctor. Revamp your resume. Analyze industry trends. Think about what you want to do with your life. Using what I learned at Rolling Stone, I built a business rooted in writing. Take advantage of this time, and your layoff will pay off.

The post I Got Laid Off from My Dream Job – Here’s What I Learned appeared first on Résumé Writing and Career Services.