Multiple Lay Offs?

It is unfortunate but understandable in today’s economy for someone to get laid off not just once but twice or more in a short amount of time. As the crunch is on, many companies find themselves restructuring and cutting back before they expected to  and sometimes this means the “new guy” gets let go. Not much study has been done on the scenario of a person being laid off multiple times in a short period, but those in the employment research and education field state that the situation should be treated the same as it would for those who it has only happened to once.

While being laid off is bad, having it happen multiple times can be worse when it comes to the emotional state and frustration levels that can come about after the fact. However, just like if it only happened once, it is important to keep your daily structure going as usual by staying active, keeping healthy, and keeping a positive outlook. Do not let yourself feel beaten down or depressed as that will do nothing but slow you down from getting back into play.

If you have faced multiple layoffs, Jim Camp, author of Start with No: The Negotiating Tools That the Pros Don’t Want You to Know states that, in an interview, it is a positive thing to address your multiple layoffs upfront. Let the hiring agent know that you have been laid off however many times it has been, and that they were due to no fault of your own (if that is the case), and that if that will be a problem, you are willing to discuss it before going any further into the process.

Since most people are concerned about the impression that can be received from a resume with many short jobs, and to give it less of a feel of “job hopping,” it is a good idea to sort the jobs under similar job headings instead of chronologically. For instance, if you worked a couple jobs that were more retail oriented, list them under a header of retail experience. Not only does this beef-up your experience section, but it breaks up the chain of events in your employment.

There comes a time in some careers, when after many layoffs, a trend may be occurring where the career field is shrinking due to new technology or other reasons. In such a case, a career change may be in order. Switching careers can make your resume seem a bit empty when it comes to experience in the new direction you are taking, but there is a way to soften this appearance. You can examine your previous skills and bring any applicable ones over to the direction you are going. In other words, if any past experience or work history has included any necessary traits for the new career, then be sure to note them as experience. Things like communication skills, administration, computer skills, organizational experience, leadership abilities, making and keeping deadlines, etc. are all the types of things that may exist between two totally unrelated career fields.

If you are just at the point of deciding upon a career change, take advantage of such resources as the Occupational Outlook Handbook site, which gets published every two years and helps to predict which career fields are likely to expand or not in the future. It also gives detailed descriptions of jobs and average salary information. This can all be beneficial when it comes to choosing a new direction to take.

Stay focused on the prize, not the journey. Stay positive and do not let the battle wear you down. “You need to think, ‘What can I do differently on the positive side?’ Otherwise, according to Camp, it’s easy to stay locked in a world of defeat”.

Have you experienced multiple lay-offs?  How did you handle it?  Let us know in the comments below.

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