When your brass ring turns green: Part 4 - A day in the life…

The day I turned in my keys, etc. then walked out the door of the company I’d spent the last 11 years, three months, and two weeks working for was actually a pretty good day. I felt an incredible sense of relief and easing of the stress that I had been dealing with since hearing of the head-count reductions six months earlier. In fact, the first two weeks of unemployment were more like a vacation than anything else. I made lists of the projects I wanted to tackle. I threw myself into cleaning my home, doing little home beautiful projects, and my writing.

The depression hit me about a month in. Mid-October found me a bit on the angry and frustrated side. My house-keeping frenzy tapered off, my little projects seemed too overwhelming and I really wanted to just curl up in a ball at the back of my closet. That not being feasible, I started going back to the gym and working on my plan for finding a job. I tried not to think about what would happen if the economic situation didn’t improve. I set up a schedule to spend a certain amount of time on-line reviewing the job boards, researching companies, and learning about social networking sites. I attended meetings with a career coach and checked out the outplacement services company provided by my former employer. I applied to take the PMP exam and threw myself into studying for it. What I did not do was deal with the very real issue of depression that is a part of losing a job.

In December, I landed a temporary consulting position that was to start in January, so I put my job search on hold. This was a huge mistake. Due to the state of the economy, the start date for the position was pushed off to February and then the funding for the position was pulled. The end result was a loss of two months time in my job search. That may not sound like much, but with the number of candidates competing for the few jobs out there, this was serious. I knew I had to shake off the blues over being unemployed, my disappointment over not having a temporary job, and refocus my efforts.

Here is what I learned from this phase of being out of work:
1. Until you are actually working somewhere, do not put your job search on hold.
In the current economy, there are no guarantees. I have heard some horror stories of people showing up at the new job and being laid-off within days of starting the new position. I am learning that job search is not something that one should turn off the moment an offer is received.

2. Do not brush off the blues over being un-employed.
It isn’t unusual and there is no stigma associated with it. Talk with someone, join a support group, or make an appointment with your spiritual advisor or a therapist. If you ignore the situation, it will only get worse and can begin to affect your loved ones as well as your ability to effectively market yourself.

3. Establish and keep a routine.
A routine can help you combat the blues. It will keep you focused and give a sense of accomplishment, even if your phone isn't ringing and the rejection letters or e-mails are coming in. If you always started your day when you were employed by checking e-mail, reading the paper, or scanning the news feeds for your industry, then continue to do so.

4. Put some exercise into your day.
This is another thing that will help you combat the blues and give you a sense of accomplishment. Even if it is something small like pacing when you are making your networking phone calls or buy an exercise ball to sit on at the computer rather than a chair.

5. Find something to do every day that makes you happy.
Sounds silly but this is important to set aside some time to do something that brings you some peace and joy. It could be reading something for fun or to learn about a new topic. It could be playing with your kids, actually playing rather than watching them play. Whatever you chose, make sure it will be enjoyable. The purpose is to provide a stress-free activity so that you are refreshed and energized when you engage in your job search activities.

Hope this helps. Stay tuned – next time I will share some of the networking tips and tricks I have picked up.