Business, Career and Community Resources
3 Steps to Take During an Unexpected Job Loss
Have you ever heard of the saying, “do what’s hard when it’s easy?” That saying implies that if you are looking to make a change don’t wait until the time is upon you to act. In other words, think about your future and proactively take steps to get there. However, if you were one of millions instantly impacted by job layoffs during the onset of COVID and more recently with large swaths of layoffs in the tech industry and others over the past year and into 2023, you may have not been so lucky to have your next steps all figured out. So, what do you do now? If you find yourself in a space of uncertainty with your career there are some steps you can take to move the needle in your favor and stop the bleeding in your finances and discover new career opportunities, you may have not considered.
Step 1. Time is of the essence, reach out to your contacts, asap!
All those great LinkedIn contacts you’ve amassed over the years finally gets to pay off. As soon as you know you’ll be in the market for a new gig, start having conversations and network with your network. Of course, it may feel a little intimidating to ask someone for a job or even any openings at their place of work. However, consider this…most employers look to referrals to fill open positions. Start with a message to a few contacts that work in a similar role or industry as you and inquire on any potential opportunities that may be available. It’s possible that you may not get a response right away. Keep trying and you could land your next lead to a new job with a fantastic company sooner than you think.
Step 2. Apply for unemployment benefits immediately.
If you lost your job due to no fault of your own, you’ll likely qualify for your state’s jobless benefits. If you’re not familiar with the process, you’ll quickly find out that there are rules and waiting periods that add to the time of receiving those initial benefits. The rule of thumb is typically the 1st week following a job loss is considered the waiting week- this week is not normally an eligible week to claim for a benefit payment. However, the next week would be fair game to claim, provided you have applied for benefits. In the state of Florida, the maximum weekly jobless benefit available is up to $275.00 for up to 12 weeks, an annual maximum benefit of $3,300.00 (courtesy of https://www.floridajobs.org). The benefit amounts may vary based on your individual previous earnings. Pay close attention to any notifications you receive in the mail or via email from your unemployment insurance provider. Be sure to respond promptly to any document requests, as to not delay your chance at obtaining those potentially budget impacting funds.
Step 3. Take an inventory of your skills.
Maybe having to walk away from that job wasn’t such a terrible idea after all. You’ve been interested in honing your excel skills and becoming an analyst but didn’t have the time due to a hectic work schedule. Take some time to think about what skills you’ve always wanted and search for ways to improve them. It’s possible those new skills could lead you towards a promising career path you’ve never even thought of before. There are often community programs that are ready and willing to help you polish or obtain new skills for a reduced fee and even free. For example, the Central Florida Urban League and the Jobs Partnership of Central Florida are fantastic organizations that exist through the generosity of donors. They hold community partnerships with employers for the sole purpose in helping community residents find training programs and gainful employment. Conducting a simple search on Google can lead you to a host of organizations ready and willing to be of service to you in your quest to learn new skills and job placement.
Tying it all together.
Remember, it’s important to act quickly when faced with an unexpected job loss. In the process you may be able to obtain some cash benefits, obtain a referral from someone in your network leading to a new career opportunity, including free or reduced community resources.
Article originally posted to LinkedIn and Medium October 2021. Updated February 20,2023.
5 Tips to Reverse Engineer Your Career
Ever heard of reverse engineering? If not, it’s an awesome secret weapon that anyone can use to achieve a desired outcome. For instance, you want to be an analyst but you’re not sure where to start. Research your favorite analysis guy or gal and study their trail of success. While your approach may not be linear to theirs, incorporating similar activities will bring you that much closer to your target. So you ask, “what should I do first?”
Review analytics openings in the marketplace on LinkedIn, Indeed, Zip Recruiter, your alumni college network or career center, Handshake, Career Builder, etc. Sift through the requirements of the role. Understand the desired experience the role requests and “analyze” your work history to compare what skills you already have versus what you’d need to gain.
Search for professionals in analytics roles to view their work history. LinkedIn makes this information so accessible, no excuses there!
Put together a plan of action to become an analyst by adding education to your experience, if needed, via certification programs and/or vocational schools. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that there are several nonprofit organizations available that specialize in reskilling career seekers such as The SkillUp Coalition.
Find a mentor. Again, LinkedIn makes finding a mentor accessible by searching for professionals in the field, networking with them and over time you’ll create solid connections. Also try subscribing to analytical industry publications and join analyst groups available within the LinkedIn community.
Research internships, seek-out low stakes (entry-level to junior) analyst roles or volunteer analytics opportunities to build your business acumen and credibility.
Tying it all together
Following the above tips will move you in the right direction to pivot your career. Before you know it, you’ll have the skills and experience needed to be an analyst! Remember, these methods can be applied to any career path. Do your research, connect with others in your field of interest, seek to understand their road to success and chart out a path of your own.
Never a Better Time Than Now
Ever heard of reverse engineering? If not, it’s an awesome secret weapon that anyone can use to achieve a desired outcome. For instance, you want to be an analyst but you’re not sure where to start. Research your favorite analysis guy or gal and study their trail of success. While your approach may not be linear to theirs, incorporating similar activities will bring you that much closer to your target. So you ask, “what should I do first?”
- Review analytics openings in the marketplace on LinkedIn, Indeed, Zip Recruiter, your alumni college network or career center, Handshake, Career Builder, etc. Sift through the requirements of the role. Understand the desired experience the role requests and “analyze” your work history to compare what skills you already have versus what you’d need to gain.
- Search for professionals in analytics roles to view their work history. LinkedIn makes this information so accessible, no excuses there!
- Put together a plan of action to become an analyst by adding education to your experience, if needed, via certification programs and/or vocational schools. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that there are several nonprofit organizations available that specialize in reskilling career seekers such as The SkillUp Coalition (https://www.skillup.org).
- Find a mentor. Again, LinkedIn makes finding a mentor accessible by searching for professionals in the field, networking with them and over time you’ll create solid connections. Also try subscribing to analytical industry publications and join analyst groups available within the LinkedIn community.
- Research internships, seek-out low stakes (entry-level to junior) analyst roles or volunteer analytics opportunities to build your business acumen and credibility.
Tying it all together
Following the above tips will move you in the right direction to pivot your career. Before you know it, you’ll have the skills and experience needed to be an analyst! Remember, these methods can be applied to any career path. Do your research, connect with others in your field of interest, seek to understand their road to success and chart out a path of your own. https://medium.com/@twannetta/ever-heard-of-reverse-engineering-79b9251a6346