How to Bounce Back from Losing a Job

Losing a job is tough. You might be feeling angry, confused, scared, or any other reasonable emotion once you’ve been let go.

Thousands of people have been laid off—especially in the tech industry—over the last six months, and over 70% of employees are worried about their job security. But there are still hundreds of thousands of opportunities out there for people in industries all across the board. This is all to say that while job loss is tough, there are still ways to get back on your feet and find a job that suits what you want to do.

This article dives into what you can do to bounce back from losing a job while searching for a new position.

Take Inventory of Your Skills and Use Them to Your Advantage

Take time during this period to assess what skills you have at your disposal. Consider ways you can connect your professional background to your new aspirations. For instance, if you have experience with data analysis, think about how you can use those skills to land a project management role. There may be a common thread of extreme attention to detail.

There are companies out there that will see the value of hiring someone with your experience, even if it isn’t in the exact same industry or job.

Upskill or Reskill

You have a breadth of skills available for companies, but it also doesn’t hurt to take some time to upskill and reskill your current skill set.

Upskilling is the process of building on your existing skills so you can improve your performance. For instance, maybe there is a new certification you can get or course you can take to make your skill set more attractive. Reskilling, on the other hand, is learning new skills so you can do a different job. This is more apt if you’re interested in a career change.

Flexibility is a crucial soft skill to have in a time like this. There’s no better time than now to learn new abilities that help you stand out. In this time of introspection and learning, you may mind a new path that opens up.

Take Care of yourself and your mental health

Make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, and getting out of the house to have fun when you can. It’s important that you also try to focus on what makes you happy in life—even if having a job brings a lot of satisfaction. It’s okay to grieve, too. Losing a job is tough.

Stay positive during this period. Use this time as a chance for introspection on how you can improve your skill sets so that you stand out more in the eyes of future employers. There really are thousands of opportunities out there.

Write down your goals

What do you want out of the next six months? What are some short-term goals you can set for yourself? Be realistic, but push your boundaries to see how far you can go.

Then, look at what steps are needed to achieve those goals and research the best way to get there. You’ll learn what skills you may need to acquire, which people you need to connect with, or what steps you need to take to get there.

Write down a list of your accomplishments at work, too. This can fall in line with writing down what makes you uniquely qualified for another position within the same company. You never know what job opportunities will arise in the future or who might be able to give input on how valuable an asset you are in the workplace.

Create a Plan for Your Next Step

After writing down your goals, it’s essential to have a specific plan in place. This includes everything from achieving your action items to what is expected of you by future employers.

Time management is crucial here. For example, if one of your short-term goals is earning a new certification, make sure you have time allotted across multiple weeks to hit this goal. Getting a new job is likely a goal, too, but what are those initial steps you need to take? Updating your resume and making sure you have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile are likely two steps to get there. Plan out when you will update those things.

Start Applying for New Jobs

The most important thing in this whole process is eventually finding a new position. It may take weeks or months, but you will eventually find yourself a new job.

Go into each interview fully prepared by researching the company beforehand. Treat every opportunity as though you’re interviewing for your dream job. It will pay off in the long run.

Stand out from the competition by writing a thank you email after each interview.

Check Out Our Job Board

Job hunting after a losing a job can be tough regardless of who you are or your experience level. But don’t let that stop you from overcoming whatever challenges lay ahead. And remember, if anything goes wrong along the way, there’s no shame in reaching out for help.

Finding a new job can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be impossible if you know where to look and how to position yourself properly.

When you’re ready to work for a new company or kickstart your career, head over to the Insight Global job board, where you will find thousands of listings.