Getting downsized is a shock to the system. Even if you knew the news was coming, it can throw you into a tailspin.  ​Looking for a new job is not super-comfortable, either. It requires research, connections with people you may not have talked to recently, and the finesse to present yourself as The Standout Solution to an employer’s problems.
It takes quite a bit of work.

That’s why it is important to ease into your search with a few steps that can cushion your reentry into the fray.

1. Decompress. It’s tempting to leap into action. While you shouldn’t take a month off (even if you got severance pay), resist. For few days. When you lose a job, you need a grieving period. Give yourself room to feel sad, to process fear, and to work through anger and disappointment. Take some long walks or go for a few bike rides - or allow yourself to lie on the couch and drink tea and just FEEL your feelings. You need a hug. Give one to yourself.  
   
2. Create a workspace for your job search. It could be the dining room table. Maybe it’s a home office space. It could be a table set up somewhere just for this purpose. Whatever your choice, dedicate it to this task. Don’t clutter it with mail or odds-and-ends or laundry. Having a place that’s tidy and organized will help you maintain a calm frame of mind. It also will keep your job search separated from your home life and reduce the stress you may release onto your family.  
   
3. Establish a schedule. When you begin your search, treat it as your workday. One suggestion is to start with a walk or some type of exercise. Still have a health club membership? Use it for a morning workout.  Then decide how many hours each day you will devote to the tasks needed, such as connecting with contacts, researching jobs and companies, creating and submitting materials, and following up on applications. A routine will help you manage the uncertainty you are facing. And reward yourself when you complete a task! (Hopefully not with alcohol.)

 If you just lost your job, or are unhappy with the direction of your current role, reach out to me at ruth@polish-publish.com. Let's set up a time to talk. 

We've all heard the truism, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

I was reminded of this when a client told me about her experience hiring an unseen and unknown writer to retool her résumé.

When we first talked, she wanted to know more about working with me, then sheepishly admitted she was already working with someone she'd found on Thumbtack. If you don't what that is, it's a website through which you put out a call for a certain contractor, such as a plumber, painter, or writer, to do a project. Then a bunch of people tell you their prices, and you pick one. She liked the price. Seemed like a bargain! So she bought.

I asked if that person had interviewed her to find out details. No, she said. I asked if that person had talked to her on the phone. No, she said. She received a questionnaire, filled it out and sent it back.

What came back a few days later was a not-bad-looking document. It was nicely formatted; all the lines were straight. I thought, okay, maybe this is fine.

​Upon closer inspection, however, I realized that all the writer had done was take the answers on the questionnaire and compose them into a giant list of all the different things she had done in various jobs. 

Nothing stood out. There was no central "theme" to the résumé that aligned all of her work with a certain type of expertise aimed at certain employer needs.  In fact, it was so jumbled, that it looked like the work experience of two or three different people.

She wrote me a text, "It's awful." And then she called me.

We are working together now to design something that truly showcases her talents and achievements. I'm quite excited about it, because she has moved mountains during her career and the world needs to know it! There's an employer who needs her. 

Next time you need your résumé retooled, do me a favor. Do not go online and hire a person you haven't talked to, who hasn't asked you anything, and who hasn't heard your story. You will find a lot of companies that spit out résumés by the dozen. They use the same templates over and over.

Find a professional writer who is a CPRW or has a similar, recognized certification.  Because here's what you don't want:  to submit a document you've paid for, and hear nothing back. That will mean you've MISSED OUT ON AN OPPORTUNITY to interview for a job you probably took a lot of time to identify. There's no going back.

You've lost time and money!

YOU ARE NOT A TEMPLATE.

A certified, trained writer will interview you and find out why you shine, and then will work hard to showcase you on a document that is yours and yours alone. A credentialed and experienced writer will position you to attract interest. 

Will the price probably be higher than on Thumbtack? Yes. In all likelihood. Because a professional résumé writer is not a clerical worker. We are artists of a sort, taking the material you have crafted during your career and creating a marketing piece that shares your genius with employers.   

Isn't that worth the investment to get you a better, higher paying job?

 If you're ready to get serious about your job search, tell me here. 
 







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