Ep. 098: How to Bounce Back After a Layoff, with Sherri Thomas

Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

Losing a job is tough; getting laid off unexpectedly is even harder. It's emotionally devastating when all of the sudden you lose your job, your paycheck, and the vision you had of yourself, all in one fell swoop.

Career coach and guest expert, Sherri Thomas, shares her tips on how to bounce back from such professional setbacks. She recommends:

1. Take some time to heal. Process and quiet the negative chatter in your brain before looking for a new job. Feelings of confusion and embarrassment will be noticed by hiring managers, so work through your emotions before embarking on your next job search.
2. Identify areas for improvement. Try writing down what you and your previous manager could have done better. This exercise may highlight opportunities for professional growth.
3. Emphasize the positives. If you are wondering how you should address your departure in conversations, Sherri recommends this recipe: share something you are grateful for from your last position, talk about an impact you made at the organization in quantifiable terms, and then own your story and relay it in a positive way.

This Week's Guest: Sherri Thomas

Sherri Thomas is Founder and Career Strategist of Career Coaching 360. She helps professionals think differently and proactively about careers. She is the author of two books, The Bounce Back: Personal Stories of Bouncing Back Higher and Faster from a Layoff, Re-org, or Career Setback and Career Smart: 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand.

Sherri is also a Huffington Post columnist and keynote speaker. Her career advice has been featured in the WSJ, Time, and other publications. Sherri is offering Mac’s List listeners her video series, 15 Clever Ways to Get More Job Offers free.

Ben's Job Search Resource: Unemployment FAQs

Ben’s resource this week is FAQ’s about Termination from Employment from the website, The Balance. It consists of clear questions and concise answers to the most common questions you have if you are departing from a job.

Find Your Dream Job Listener Question: An Ethical Dilemma

Becky, Ben, Jessica, and Mac offer advice to J.L., from Chicago, Illinois. She asks,

“Is it appropriate to ask an employer about their ethics during an interview?”

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Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, FreddyTrujillo.com.

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