If you work in the energy industry, you haven’t missed the drop in price of oil over the past three months.
This is likely the main topic of conversation at your workplace and maybe at home, too – as it relates to your job. With announced layoffs with Apache, Laredo and other moves, you might be nervous.
Instead of worrying about your job, here are some things you can do in advance of a potential or pending layoff.
Resumes have changed over the years. The current standard focuses not on your responsibilities, but on the results to your employer, once you were assigned those duties. Make it about the accomplishments you delivered for the employer, not what is listed on your job description. This is most often measured in dollars, numbers and percentages. Speak to the results if you want your resume to get responses. Do not trust spell check to catch your typos. Capture any positive feedback you have gotten (in writing), including performance reviews, emails, etc. that can help you define your good contributions.
This is way more than an online resume. Make sure you communicate your professional value here. Think about the various places you have worked, groups you associate with, friends, and people you know. Consider making a list or a spreadsheet with a column for each organization where you have worked, boards or committees you have served on, group, school, and any other way to categorize people you know. Making a list like this helps target invites but also gives you a list for networking contacts. Once you add a name, make room for a phone number, too. One word of caution about LinkedIn: be careful about using dollar-based accomplishments that your current or previous employer might consider proprietary.
Think about what a future employer might see and remove information accordingly. College party photos, polarizing political rants, anything disparaging about current or former employers are all reasons a future employer might pass on contacting you.
Often, when you feel or perceive potential heat about your job, you may be tempted to fire up the old resume too quickly and blast it out as far and wide as you can. Resist this! Instead, share your updated resume with a close group, including more meticulous friends who might give you constructive feedback instead of just a cursory look and affirmation of “Looks great!” What you need now is good advice that will help you put your best foot forward. This is about your first impression!
Your employer may contract with us or someone like us to help you through the job search process. Ask if they offer this type of support. We are professionals who can help you in your area or in some other market of your choosing. We are partial to keeping competent professionals local because we love our communities, but we want to help you. If you are offered assistance from us or one of our competitors take full advantage of the help that is offered.
If the worst happens and you find yourself out of work, stay positive. Blasting that boss or co-worker who you always wanted to tell off doesn’t help anyone. Look back on your time with your employer and think about what you learned, what you contributed and what you might do differently next time. If your job loss is a result of an economic reality, don’t allow negativity to creep into your thinking. If you say you were “fired” when it isn’t true, that will affect the effort you put into your search as well as your speech, writing and body language.
Travis’ philosophy is to provide world-class service for his clients by demonstrating professionalism and commitment to helping individuals and organizations in transition. Career Development Partners focuses on professional and executive search, retention strategies, succession planning, human resource consulting, outplacement, e-learning via SkillSoft and executive coaching.
Career Partners International provides top quality talent management services to organizations of all sizes. Their offices around the world help assess, engage, develop, and transition talent in any industry. To find out more about Career Partners International and how you can maximize your organizational performance, reach out to an office near you or contact us today!