Mastering Change: What to do when you’ve been laid off

Conquering New Heights

Surviving a Layoff

FACT Each year more than 18 million

Americans lose their jobs unexpectedly.

On average, most of those who have lost their job will find a new one within five months.

Last year, laid off Americans were out of work for an average 20.3 weeks.

What to do now…Now that you have been laid off, you need to

hurry up and find a new job,right?

Wrong.

Before you exit the door, there are a few important things you must

do, a few loose ends that need to be tied up between you and your ex

employer.

Salary and Accrued Vacation Time

Make sure that you are not due any vacation time, if you received paid vacation, then you are entitled to pay for time accrued.

Call your state labor board and make sure you understand what the law mandates. Some states require that the employer pays you in full on your last day of work, others give the employer some slack. Some states mandate payment for unused vested vacation time, others may not.

Visit www.tcbsolutions.net for a list of helpful labor law links.

What to do now…Before you go out looking for a new job, youmust make a plan of action, map out what youAre going to do next.

Add these items to your to-do list for your firstweek out of work.

In most cases, as you make your final bow andbefore you head for the door (in some casesaccompanied by someone) with that box full of your personal possessions make sure youaddress these following loose ends.

Unemployment and Healthcare

A major issue most people must deal with is providing for themselves and their families. Finding out if you qualify for unemployment compensation should be the next thing that is taken care of. There are certain criteria that must be met. Visit www.dol.gov to find your local labor office.

The next issue to deal with is healthcare insurance. In the U.S. more than 64 percent or 177 million of Americans receive some form of healthcare insurance through their employer. When a job is lost so is the coverage. If you are entitled to COBRA benefits, your health plan must give you a notice stating your right to choose to continue benefits provided by COBRA. You must respond in 60 days or you may lose your right to the benefits.

Synchronize Your Records

1. Synchronize Your RecordsFirst, be sure that you and your former employer are on the same page regarding what you feel is owed to you. Work closely with your manager, employment benefits manager, union rep and/or HR manager to determine what is owed to you.

Know your final day

Record the agreed upon date of your termination or the date you submitted your resignation letter. Also read over your company hand book very carefully, anything you don’t understand call your former HR manager and have he or she explain it to you in simple terms.

Make Copies of Your Work

Be sure to make a copy of project plans you spearheaded, designs you made, templates you created. These documents will come handy as you interview and will also help to remind you of things you are good at, be sure to add your impressive documents to your portfolio.

Important Tax Forms Who has your W-2? If you haven’t received

your W-2 form by mid February, contact the IRS to request a substitute. You will be asked to produce your final paycheck for that tax year. Go to www.irs.gov for more info.

Consult your tax accountant and financial planners. There are many firms that handle rollovers at no charge to you. Some firms also offer tax planning that will allow you to minimize the tax bit while still using as much cash as you need to carry you until you land your next job.

Now that you have found yourself in the middle of a layoff, you should take a conservative approach

to your cash flow situation. Pool your resources, use your

money wisely. Here are some conservative

avenues to take into consideration:

Check Your Credit In a recent article published by the NY

Times, a new trend has emerged among employers. A job seeker should add credit check to their list of things to do along with the usual resume revamp. Companies are now screening applicants backgrounds more often and more thoroughly than ever. Here is what employers are looking for:

On-time payment histories Late payment trends in excess of 120 days Bankruptcy Lawsuits Government Liens Identity Confirmation

Consolidating Credit Card Debt Defer Student Loan payments – Ask

for a forbearance 401k rollover to a IRA or ROTH IRA

(consult a financial advisor) Refinance Your home Consult your tax preparer about

certain options Utilize your tax refund, have your

accountant review previous returns for possible additional returns

Re-assess your household spending

Contact your creditors regarding reducing your interest rates

Your Credit: It MattersThanks to scandals like Enron, many companies have added credit reports to improvetheir background checks and raise their hiring standards. Employers or screening firmscan purchase credit reports for $8-$12. And due to tight restrictions and lawsuitsregarding references, credit checks are becoming the preferred candidate qualitybarometer.

Background checks may include: State Wide Criminal History Reports County of Residence Criminal History Check Worker's Compensation Claim History Report Driving Records/Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) Social Security Number Trace and Validation Employee Credit Report (PEER REPORT) Federal Record Checks Drug Screening Applicant Assessment Testing

Employers evaluate the reports in different ways. Some look for a goodpayment history as a sign of responsibility. Others look for red flags thatmay cause someone to do things that are uncharacteristic to due pressurecaused by large unpaid debt. For example, a bankruptcy may not cause asmuch alarm as a candidate who is 120 days past due on several bills.

Moving On Once we have come to terms with all matters emotional and

practical, it is time to move on. We must decide where to go from here. First you must look at why you lost your job. Was the company downsizing? If so, is this a trend in the industry? How is the industry changing? Do you want to stay in the same field? Is a career change in order? If not, maybe this is a good time to spruce up some skills in order to make yourself more marketable.

Take the time to make some changes – research different careers and industries, learn new skills (you must show value to a potential employer) and improve upon the ones you already have, or perhaps consider relocating. Look forward to your next opportunity.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and

controversy." Martin Luther King

Getting NoticedTips for Marketing Your Resume On-line Responding to job leads on the Internet can be tricky, that is why we have listed tips

to assist you with this important task.1) Note the date the job was posted on an Internet site. Your chances of securing

an invitation for an interview are dramatically increased when you are among the first to respond.

2) Limit the number of websites you use to apply for positions. Try to use

manageable and profession/industry specific websites, go to the job search tab for Internet job sites by industry. General purpose and well known websites tend to generate a greater amount of traffic which often means more competition and more work for the employer.

3) Use appropriate e-mail addresses and check your email account daily. 4) Join professional organizations and sign up for their job listings. Recruiting

executives look to professional organizations as resources. 5) Sign up with professional publication websites, many employers often place ads

through their sites or have direct links to their career pages. 6) Keep a log of where and when you send out your job response emails, the

easiest way to do this is by creating a new folder in your email manager and storing all of your sent emails under your new job folder.

Who to Send Your Resume To

Recruiter (Contingency and Retainer)

Hiring Manager Friends Resume Blasters Professional Networks

What to expect in an interview

Expect to be asked questions about yourself

Expect to explain why you are interested in a job

Expect a minimal of 7-10 questions Expect to have questions to ask

Trained Interviewer Ask open-ended questions Encourage you to talk 70-80% of the time Give limited information about the position until

qualifications are confirmed Maintain eye contact Be comfortable with silence Ask you to tell them why you are interested in the job Ask you about your knowledge of the company Ask you at least 10 questions Ask you why you left your last employment One of the biggest mistakes many people make when

interviewing for a job is they think all that is necessary to be successful at an interview is to show you have what it takes to do the work. However, according to many recruiters and hiring managers there is much more.

Effective Resume Writing A good resume is a Marketing tool – not a personnel job

description A good resume is about you and your achievements –

what you can contribute A good resume focuses on achievements or

accomplishments, things you did well – not on job descriptions and your weaknesses

A good resume responds to the what the market is demanding

A good resume is easy and interesting to read A good resume documents and prioritizes skills you enjoy

using A good resume sparks an employer’s interest A good resume has plenty of white space A good resume is true – no over-exaggerations A good resume distinguishes itself among others

Questions to Ask Could you explain the company’s organizational structure? What is the organization’s plan for the next five years, and how does this

department or division fit in? What specific skills from the person you hire would make your life easier?Why

do you enjoy working for this company? What attracted you to this organization? Can you describe the work environment here? How do you describe the philosophy of the company or organization? Can you tell me more about my day-to-day responsibilities? How soon are you looking to fill this position? What are your expectations for the person who accepts this position within the

first 30 days, 60 and 90? How do my skills compare with those of the other candidates you have

interviewed? I have really enjoyed meeting with you and your team, and I am very interested

in the opportunity. I feel my skills and experience would be a good match for this position. What is the next step in your interview process?

Before I leave, is there anything else you need to know concerning my ability to do this job?

Can you please tell me a little bit about the people with whom I’ll be working most closely?

As I understand the position, the title as ________, the duties are _______, and the department is called ________. I would report directly to __________. Is that right?

GOOD LUCK

Country’s Best Resumes

www.CountrysBestResumes.com

800.409.8979 Ext 702The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort,

but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King, Jr.