You worry me when you write the way you did to me. Take the time to write full sentences and ask clear questions. I’m still not sure what you are asking. If you are looking for work, you need to think about how you “present” yourself to others. Your writing suggests you are not serious and am looking for the easy way to find something. That might be fine for some fly-by-night job but not if you are looking for a “career.” Which is it? Answering that question is your first step.

If you just want any job, then look in the classified section of a newspaper where jobs are listed. Walk around and seek out “help wanted” signs in town.

If you are looking for a career, then go online and see if you can find a career coach or guidance counselor of some type locally who can help you discover what profession your skills and personality would be a good fit for. Knowing what you want is step 1. Another step will be to create a resume. Once that is done, you’ll want to craft a cover letter and then begin searching for specific jobs that you are seeking. I could go on here but this is what a career coach/guidance counselor would do with you. Keep in mind it will cost some money for such a service but I’m guessing that you would benefit by having someone work with you directly through each step.

Let’s address the self-confidence issue first. It appears to me that you might be over-identifying with your work, particularly you last job. I only mention this because you are attributing your lack of self-confidence with being laid off. Yes, you got laid off, but your self-confidence doesn’t have to suffer as a result.

Self-confidence is having confidence in oneself. It is not based on others’ opinions or external factors that happen to impact us. In your case, getting laid off is an external factor that certainly is testing your self-confidence but by no means is it determining it. You are the only one who can take your self-confidence away, not anybody else. Therefore, instead of seeing this lay off as a cause-and-effect with your self-confidence; see it instead as an opportunity to demonstrate your self-confidence. Make sense?

Now let’s talk a little about how to avoid, or at least be better prepared, for the possibility of lay offs in the future. Here are some strategies that have been shared with me in the past:

1. Cultivate work relationships, even if it means playing in the annual golf tournament that you hate or attending those boring birthday parties. People want to be around people who make them feel comfortable. If it’s a close call on who to keep and who to let go, you and your anti-team-mentality are going to lose.

2. Stay current in your field. Take a seminar. Write an article for a trade journal or get certified on a new piece of software. Make yourself valuable.

3. Toot your own horn. Remind your boss just how much you contribute to the bottom line. Volunteer to take on extra projects. Bring in new customers or find ways to cut costs. It doesn’t matter how great a job you do, if no one realizes you do it.

4. Learn to read the handwriting on the wall. Get to know people in different departments throughout your company. The sales and service staffs always know before anyone else how the company is doing.

5. Keep your resume updated. If you haven’t looked at your resume in over a year, drag it out and review it. Make sure you’ve included your latest work accomplishments, awards, projects and promotions.

6. Stay current on the latest news about your company and in your field. Read the business sections in the newspaper. Look at trade journals. Read your company’s annual report. Pay particular attention to stories that might indicate how the market is doing in related areas.

7. If you think the company might be considering layoffs, get busy finding yourself a new job and then volunteer to leave. If you’re the first one out the door, you might be able to negotiate a substantial severance package. Later people won’t be so lucky.

8. Get rid of all personal information on your work computer. Keep copies of performance evaluations, certifications, letters of appreciation, etc, at home. Maintain a current list of networking contacts, e-mail addresses and other useful information (including your current resume) on your home computer as well. If you get laid off, chances are you won’t be allowed to even log into your computer, let alone be allowed to download anything. That’s why it is a good idea to plan ahead.
Hope that helps a little.

-Dr. Mac