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#YourCareer : Should You Change Careers Because Of The Pandemic? Great Read for All!

The pandemic and its fallout definitely impact career planning. Unemployment numbers are ticking upward, so job seekers overall are competing in a more crowded overall market. Certain industries such as travel are hit hard, so workers in contracting fields in particular face dwindling opportunities. Even if you’re currently employed, you should pay attention to how well your employer can hold up in these challenging times.

If you find yourself in a troubled industry, should you change careers and target other areas? As with most career questions, there is no one-size-fits-all response to your individual career. Even though I just made some generalizations about the negative impact of the pandemic on career planning, the optimal next step for your career depends, not just on the market, but also on you.

Here are some arguments for and against changing careers because of the pandemic to help you choose the best course of action for you:

Yes, change careers because your industry may take longer to recover than you are willing or able to wait

I coached a client who loved her travel job but lost it along with 90% of her colleagues. Projected recovery for the travel industry could be next year or several years. Sure, jobs don’t totally disappear even from hard-hit industries. However, if you need to land quickly, you may want to change careers into a growing market.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

No, don’t change careers because you love your field and want to stick it out

That said, if you have a passion for the industry you are in, you may want to stick it out. There are ways you can help your job search in a down market, such as revisiting old employers or targeting project work over permanent, full-time. Maximizing your career isn’t just about getting any job, but about landing a job you love.

Yes, change careers because you have severance that can fund your job search

But do you love your job? The industry or role you start with isn’t something you have to do forever. Some professionals get so caught up in the day-to-day busyness of their immediate job that they don’t take a long-term, more proactive view of their whole career. If you had been getting complacent in your current career, this pandemic may be just the jolt you need to reconsider and redesign your career. If you have been laid off, you could invest the severance or unemployment benefits you receive into yourself and a career pivot.

No, don’t change careers now because a changing careers takes longer than landing a similar job, and your severance may run out

That said, timing a career change during a down market is like swimming upstream. You already have a shrinking pool of jobs and employers who are feeling cost pressures. Add in the fact that as a career changer you are an unproven and therefore riskier choice. Are you prepared for a much more difficult job search? Do you have the time and financial means to stick it out?


Yes, change careers because you were thinking about making a change anyway

There is never a perfect time for a big life decision, like changing careers. If you had already been thinking about a career change and then the pandemic hit, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should abort your earlier plans. I have coached several professionals who make a change even at a peak in their careers – another time when arguably you shouldn’t make a change. Just because it doesn’t seem like the right time in general doesn’t make it the wrong time for you.

No, don’t change careers because getting experience in a down market is good experience

If you feel like you’re coasting on the job and you’re looking for a challenge, navigating a down market can be that challenge. If you have never experienced a down market in your current industry and/or role, this is good experience to have, especially if you aspire to the executive ranks one day. As a recruiter, I have seen many employers prioritize candidates who had a good track record, not just in growth times, but also in hard times. If you get tapped for a big cost-reduction effort, restructuring or turnaround initiative, you have the opportunity to get tangible, measurable results that can put you in a better position for bigger roles in the future.


Yes, change careers because you have an idea or inspiration prompted by the current market

If you change careers just to get away from your old career, that’s like a bad approach to dating. Instead, you want to be genuinely attracted to the new career. If the pandemic and its fallout have revealed a new interest for you – e.g., you love virtual meetings and decide to focus on remote learning – then that is an excellent sign to pursue that option. The best part is that you don’t have to quit your job right away, as the first step in career change is about making life changes, not launching a job search.

No, don’t change careers because you have other constraints vying for your time

Speaking of life changes, the pandemic has upended much more than just your career. If you’re in a dual-career household, if you have children, if you have elder care responsibilities, if you have a side passion that has been put on hold, then there are other areas of your life that may need more urgent tending than your career. The right time to make a career move needs to account for everything else going on in your life too.


Internal readiness trumps market conditions always

As you can see, there is no one answer to whether you should change careers because of the pandemic or not. Instead, I would divide the question into two parts: 1) should you change careers; and 2) because of the pandemic. Then, I would focus on the first part – whether or not you should change careers. The second part is just about how the market may impact you — and it may not. Your internal readiness to make a change — your willingness to do the work, your fortitude to stay the course — is more important than market conditions. If you want to make a change that badly, you will find a way.


This post is inspired by a question I received from Echo Me Forward, a career platform for diverse professionals. I love answering reader questions, and they run the gamut – like whether to target a familiar job or stretch role, how to market yourself to a new industry or whether to quit a job to care for elderly parentsWhat is your most pressing career question?

Author:  Caroline Ceniza-Levine

Career Change Expert and Author of “Jump Ship: 10 Steps To Starting A New Career”
Forbes.com | May 10, 2020

How to Change Careers: EveryThing you Need to Know about Making a Transition that will Leave you More Fulfilled and Less Stressed. Must REad!

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.  If you recently lost your job, fear it might happen, or are just looking for a change, it may be time for a career pivot.

Finding a new role may involve making big changes and overhauling your entire lifestyle, or trying a different role within your current team.

Below, Business Insider has listed the best (and most practical) career-change advice we’ve heard from a range of experts, plus super successful folks who’ve revamped their own work situations. Use these stories as inspiration for your own career transition in the year ahead.

Business Insider regularly interviews experts about career pivots. You can read them all by subscribing to BI Prime.

Searching for a job during an economic downturn

Networking email template: Use this exact email template from a LinkedIn career expert to network and find a new job during a recession

How to improve your career during quarantine: 8 steps to improve your career while self-isolating, so you can land a plum job after the quarantine

Using your stimulus check to invest in your career: How to use your $1,200 stimulus check to invest in your career, so you can find a dream job or finally advance in your current role

Finding a job during a recession: Recruiters and career coaches who survived the Great Recession share their most urgent advice for finding a job during a new economic downturn

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Finding your career confidence

Gathering support at work and at home: A LinkedIn executive’s 3-step plan to making a meaningful career change can help anyone who feels stuck in their job

Overcoming fear: This poster in Facebook’s office inspired an early employee to make a huge career shift in his 40s

Focusing on your strengths instead of your insecurities: 6 important steps you need to take to successfully change careers, according to career coaches and real people who’ve done it

Experimenting before you take any big leaps: A career coach and former Googler breaks down the 4 steps to making a change in your career

If you want your dream job

Figuring out what you actually enjoy doing: The best question you can ask before changing careers has nothing to do with your work

Re-envisioning your overall career: A former Googler and Facebook exec says your parents’ career path is just about dead, and there’s a better way to move up in the world

Recognizing when you need a new challenge: The CEO of a consulting firm says if ‘you can see your future’ at work, you may not be in the right career

Finding out what your new life will really look like: Too many people skip a crucial step before making a career change

Distinguishing between hating your job and wanting to start your own business: The ultimate guide to figuring out how (and if) you should start your own company

Pinpointing the most impactful and fulfilling work you could do: A former Google exec reveals the 3 questions you should ask yourself before making a career change

Leveraging your past experience in your new role: You’re not ‘too old’ to make a career change — in fact, you’ve probably already done half the work

Taking small steps toward your ultimate goal: How to make a drastic career change, from an executive coach who’s helped countless people unhappy at work

Making tough decisions at work

What to do with your stock options: 5 immediate steps to navigate your stock options if you’ve been laid off from a startup and want to make the best financial choices for your future

Keeping an open mind about your career: An exercise Stanford professors developed to map out how your life will unfold removes the agony from big career decisions

Weighing the value of prestige and personal fulfillment: Ask yourself these 2 questions to decide between a job that’s more prestigious and a job that’s more fulfilling

Evaluating the opportunity for growth in your new role: Goldman Sachs’ outgoing talent chief shares the 3 questions he asks himself before taking any new role — including his next one as CEO of a HR tech startup

Deciding whether to move on from your organization: A former Netflix exec shares 3 simple questions to ask yourself if you’re thinking about leaving your job

Avoiding a bad reputation among your current coworkers: A woman who’s spent a decade in HR shares the No. 1 sign it’s time to quit your job

Riding out boredom: A former Googler and career coach says you shouldn’t always turn your passion into a full-time job

Seeing the signs that you’re ready to transition: A former Googler who left after 2 years to build her own startup explains how to know it’s time to quit your job

Minimizing risk: The 33-year-old CEO of a successful startup reveals the key to minimizing risk when you leave a steady job to become an entrepreneur

Telling your boss you’re quitting: A workplace expert shares the exact steps you should take to quit your job without burning bridges

 

BusinessInsider.com | May 8, 2020

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#JobSearch : What To Do If You Have Been Laid Off Due To COVID-19. Worst Words to Hear: “We have to let you go.”

More than 22 million Americans filing for unemployment as of April 16, 2020 have heard this sentence since the COVID-19 pandemic started escalating in March 2020.  The rise of companies and small businesses being forced to shut their doors temporarily or permanently has pushed unemployment rates through the roof.

This may feel like the rock bottom you never wanted to reach, but as someone who lost all of her financial success once before, let me remind you that there are things you can do to get out. You can reclaim your career, your sense of dignity, and believe it or not, you can come out stronger than ever before.

When a major life change like this hits you upside the head, being able to focus on the right action steps can feel difficult. Your emotions are running wild, and the world feels all doom and gloom.  But, with a little strategy and focus, there are steps you can take right now to stay afloat and prepare you for the future.  Here is what to do if you recently lost your job.

1. Gather information.

You walk away from the meeting where you were let go and hop on a job-hunting site. Although this may feel like a no-brainer move to make, it could land you in a job that you don’t want. Resist the urge to be reactive, and consider taking a few days to gather yourself and build a plan.

Begin by reviewing your previous employment information. When you leave, ask for a copy of your original employment letter or agreement, and look to see if there were any non-compete agreements set in place that may disqualify you from applying for certain companies. Also, note that each state has different laws about noncompetes. For example, California pretty much won’t enforce them (but I’m any lawyer over here). These details will save you time down the road.

Put together a list of contacts in your network that you can reach out to. This could include previous colleagues, bosses, alumni, friends, or networking connections. Build this list and then send each of them an email asking to have a virtual coffee or phone call.  Historically, most jobs, upwards of 85%, are filled without even being posted online.  So leverage your network to help you during this time of need, that is what they are there for after all.  Also remember that with everyone in quarantine, it’s a great time to network. People are more available than usual, and more likely to say yes to a networking conversation.

Before your phone calls, spend some time getting clear on what skill set you to bring to the table and which roles are most aligned with where you want to go.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

2. File for unemployment.

If you lost your job due to COVID-19, you qualify for weekly unemployment payments from your state of employment. This isn’t only for corporate jobs, the CARE Act opened unemployment for gig workers, freelancers or other self-employed individuals.  Get this process started right away so that you have some form of income to hold you over during the job hunt.

This paycheck may be what gives you the peace of mind to focus during interviews without the financial pressure showering down overhead.

3. Take care of your health.

Healthcare typically ends at the end of the month where your employment was terminated.  Be sure to get your healthcare plans in place.  In most cases, you can keep your employer’s plan for up to three years with the federal program COBRA, but since the premiums tend to be very high, it could be worth exploring other options. If this isn’t a path, consider purchasing insurance through the Affordable Care act. At a time when health is wildly important, you don’t want to skip out on being protected.

The reality is, a job loss takes an emotional and physical toll on individuals. Data has found the effects of job displacement take off an estimated 1-1.5 years of life for individuals over forty, with the effects of a layoff being stronger for those who expected to remain in the workforce longer.

When you’re living your best life, it’s easy to take care of yourself.  When things are rough, falling into the trap of comfort food and cuddling up on the couch can become far too easy.  Take care of yourself, and create a sense of routine in your life that fosters preventative wellness.

In a world of green juice, supplements, and med spas, remember the basics are so underrated! Have you gotten enough rest? Are you drinking water? Have you eaten nutritious meals?

4. Don’t be afraid to get creative.

Depending on your financial state, you may have more or less leniency on what you can afford to do. This may look like taking a temporary job while you continue to apply for new jobs or it may look like building the side hustle you always wanted.

While it may feel hopeless to hear the news updates and ongoing crisis, recruiters are still hiring or looking to build relationships with individuals for the future. Evaluate your skill set and pursue opportunities at the companies that are still hiring. If you were a customer service representative for a travel agency, don’t be afraid to look for service jobs in the growing healthcare industry.  If you were a teacher, consider building an online learning course for students that parents could purchase.  The world is changing, and it is time for your thinking to change with it.

4. Brush up on your interview skills.

Take some time to review or edit your resume and cover letter. Be sure to gather any new or updated letters of recommendation.  If you left your previous employer on good terms, ask for a letter from your boss. Although they had to let you go, it looks great to have their support post-employment.

  • Practice and polish your answer to the most common interview question,  “tell me about yourself.”
  • Practice interviews over the phone and video with a friend, family member or career coach like myself.  The job search process is evolving, and hiring is almost solely occurring online right now.
  • Do your research on each company you are applying for.  Know their background, culture and current state, since 47% of hiring managers report passing on candidates that don’t clearly know their company.

Getting laid off doesn’t feel good, but it doesn’t have to tarnish your inspiration in your career.  Shift your perspective and view this as an opportunity to really showcase your potential and skills.  Anyone can make lemonade when there are lemons in their kitchen but are you willing to go out and find the lemons yourself?

Author:  Ashley StahlCareers

Forbes.com | May 5, 2020

#YourCareer : 16% Unemployment This Summer: CBO’s Prediction And How To Prepare For It. Are you Processing This?

The economic fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic is expected to be drastic and last much longer than first believed. On Friday, the Congressional Budget Office updated its 2020 and 2021 projections for the U.S. economy. CBO is forecasting that unemployment is likely to rise to 16% and then hold at levels of 10% through the end of 2021.

If you’ve learned that your company will soon begin layoffs or that your job is being eliminated, you have to get your mind around processing the bad news, and then you have to take action.

This is mind-blowing. It was just February that the U.S. economy had been riding a wave of record-level low unemployment with numbers as low as 3.5%. Can it really be that in neck-breaking speed unemployment could rise from 3.5% to 16% by summer? Yikes!

Are you processing this? It was also announced this week that 26.5 million new jobless claims have been filed since mid-March. When you add this to the fact that CBO’s economists and analysts are predicting 3rd quarter unemployment of 16%, you get the picture.

f this is to be, it means that unemployment will exceed the 14% high of the Great Depression as soon as this summer. And then it’s expected that it will remain excessively high and hover around 10% (the peak level of the Great Recession) all the way through 2021. If these predictions prove true, millions more Americans will become unemployed, and they will stay that way much longer than most had hoped.

This drastic increase in unemployment numbers was first reported in early April when the first of five straight weeks of devastating job reports started rolling out. Five weeks ago, The Guardian summed it up this way. “America’s decade-long record of continual job growth came to a shuddering halt on Friday as the US unemployment rate rose for the first time since 2010.” That first week it was 701,000. So we’ve gone from 701,000 new jobless claims to 26.5 million in a stunningly short time.

With the CBO predicting that it’ll get much worse before it gets better, here’s my recommendation for how you can better prepare for it.

Pay attention to what your company and others are doing.

Whether you are employed or unemployed today, pay attention. Whether you think your job is at risk or you’ve already lost it, pay attention. And whether you think your job is safe and secure and will remain that way, still pay attention. It’s up to you to do what’s necessary to own your career. You can’t afford to blindly leave your career—and financial security—in the hands of others. None of us can.

Stay in the know about what’s happening in the economy, with your employer, with your employer’s competitors, with your employees and all across your industry, and then ask lots of questions. Find credible sources of information—organizations, companies, and people—and follow them.

Find out who’s hiring and who’s not; who’s making pay cuts and who’s dolling out pay raises. If the core of your network is comprised of people rooted in a dying profession or a dying industry, take notice. To stay informed, you want to build a network that includes people who work in growing professions and industries for the future. Take notice of the companies that are disrupting themselves as a way to stay competitive and those who can’t seem to embrace anything beyond legacy systems and processes.

And, if you find that your job isn’t actually at risk today but you’re considering a career change, first assess what career capital you can leverage and how to go about doing it. I recommend you set time aside to answer these six questions before making any voluntary moves.

Learn where the demand is.

When making decisions about your job or career, it’s important to know what’s driving demand because demand is a huge catalyst for input (sales, business exchanges, deliverables, resources, money, innovation, time, etc.). Where you see a need—where you see demand—focus on it. Search out the companies and industries that are likely to be called on to meet demand so that you can better determine who is likely hiring now or will be hiring soon.

Conduct your own analysis by learning the answers to questions such as these.

  • What are the essential products and services the economy needs now?
  • What are the essential services and programs of the future?
  • Where is the demand in the economy?

By figuring out answers to these kinds of questions, you can make better decisions about which companies to seek out and which ones to avoid for hiring opportunities. Hence, you can better manage your career for the long haul.

If you’ve already lost your job, focus here.

Sometimes you can do everything right. You can play to win and still lose. You can manage your career on an upswing and still have it take an unexpected downturn. Things happen. Sadly, even bad things happen, and they happen to good people far too often.

If you’ve learned that your company will soon begin layoffs or that your job is being eliminated, you have to get your mind around processing the bad news, and then you have to take action. It’s very important that you immediately file for unemployment, learn about the available mortgage protection programs if you are struggling in that area, and take care of yourself. Read this advice for more specifics on what to do next after learning of a pending job loss, a termination, a layoff, or any other decision that otherwise leaves you unemployed.

It’s okay to feel disappointment, anger, sadness, and an array of other emotions during such a time. Give yourself the space to process the news and your feelings about it. But by all means, you’ve got to keep it moving and lockdown that next job as quickly as possible.

Author:  
Terina Allen
I cover careers, professional advancement and leadership development.

 

Forbes.com | April 26, 2020

 

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer – How to Survive a Recession. How to Recession-Proof Your Career. #MustRead !

Some experts believe is a recession is inevitable. In the last recession—which kicked off in 2008 and lasted 18 months—some 2.6 million American workers lost their jobs. And so, it’s no wonder workers across the country are worried, career experts say.

But there is some good news: The unemployment rate remains low, and consumers continue to spend in the economy—two indicators that companies are unlikely to scale back too much in the event of a recession. What’s more, as Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist of Glassdoor, told Market Watch, Americans’ money may be safe, too: “Most Americans are not invested actively in the stock market,” he said. “The psychology of slowdown hasn’t infiltrated the real economy.”

Of course, we understand if you’re still concerned, for your job and future. And that’s what this guide is here for: We’ll walk you through what to expect in the event of a recession, from what jobs might be safest to how to build a back-up plan and what you can do if you do lose your job.

Jobs That Are Safe (and Jobs That Aren’t)

While it’s safe to say most jobs aren’t truly recession proof, some career fields may be safer than others if a recession hits. “Anyone in medical care is considered pretty recession proof,” says Jill Jacinto, a millennial career expert. “It’s a service people will always need—especially as Baby Boomers continue to age and require more of them.” In that sense, Jacinto says that people who work as doctors, therapists, nurses, pharmacists, and senior care providers may be the safest. 

In addition to jobs in the healthcare industry, “government positions, the financial industry, IT, and technology are … more recession-proof industries,” says career coach Hallie Crawford

Jobs that typically aren’t safe, on the other hand, are retail and service-based, Crawford says. (In fact, she says, these are often the first industries to be hit by a recession.) What’s more, “if we look back at the recession ten years ago, the hardest hit areas were architects and construction, travel agents, event planning, and real estate,” says Jacinto. “This makes sense since people are scaling back from buying homes and cosmetic home improvement projects when money is tight. They also are forgoing vacations and large-scale events.” Of course, Jacinto adds, “people working in media also got hit with massive layoffs since advertisers were shrinking budgets.” 

Chamberlain also told NBC that “there was some very weak job growth for some blue-collar sector jobs,” such as transportation and mining, which may make these jobs less recession proof.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Continue of article:

Skills You Should Hone

Whether you work in a field that’s more (or less) recession-proof, it’s smart to hone certain skills that will be valuable no matter the state of the economy, our career experts say. After all, as Jacinto says, “the people who tend to survive layoffs are the ones most adaptable to change.” 

So, your first step, she advises, should be to learn or take courses on the newest skills needed for your particular job or industry—even if your work isn’t requiring you to do so. You should also practice being the “yes” person, Jacinto says—the one who is proactive about taking on projects and making your boss look good. (Making yourself indispensable is a good idea all the time.) 

Crawford says that tech skills, regardless of where you work, are important to hone. “Knowledge of technology is always going to be a must-have,” she points out. Plus, project management skills are skills that can transfer to almost every job and industry, and they can be highlighted on a job application. “Every organization will need people to manage projects effectively,” she explains.

How to Build a Back-Up Plan

Having a back-up plan will give you peace of mind and a clear path to follow should a recession hit. Jacinto recommends that your backup plan include strengthening your network and personal brand. “Check in with your network and develop new relationships,” she says, “so if layoffs hit, you’ve already done the meet-and-greets and can ask for job recommendations and referrals.”

You should also “mentally prepare yourself for having to accept less money, benefits, or—the most likely outcome—taking on more work during a recession,” says Crawford. In recessions, companies may try to do more with less, and your job—or a new job—may look very different than you envisioned. “Consider ways to be more efficient with your job, in case you are asked to take on an additional workload,” Crawford suggests. You should also think about ways to reduce your spending, too, she suggests, so that you’ll be financially prepared for whatever may come.

Talking to Your Boss About Recession Concerns

If you’d like to speak to your employer about potential recession risks, you can—but carefully. “You should not flatly ask, ‘Will I be getting laid off?’” warns Jacinto. “Chances are that your boss has no idea—and more importantly, you want to position yourself as a strong employee.” 

Instead, Jacinto and Crawford agree that you can broach company and economy issues in a one-on-one setting and in a way that doesn’t address your job specifically. You can ask: “How the organization is doing knowing the current state of the economy, and if the company or your department should do any planning for a possible recession,” says Crawford. “Your boss will likely not want to alarm any employees to a chance of staff reduction, but taking a proactive stance and opening a possible conversation for a plan of action is a positive way to address it.”

You may also want to set up a time to present to your boss how valuable you are the company, Jacinto says. “Put together a presentation that walks them through your day-to-day projects but also your accomplishments year to date,” she says. “How many new clients did you add? Have you increased ROI or decreased budgets? Letting your success speak for itself subconsciously tells your boss you are essential to the business and not the person they should mark to leave.”

What to Do If You’re Laid Off

If the worst should happen and you are laid off during a recession, you may have some options. 

Now is the time to review your employee handbook and study your company’s policy on layoffs and severance, says Jacinto. “You might be owed a nice amount of money, and better for you not to leave it on the table,” she says. You may be entitled to unemployment, payment for unused vacation days, and more. If the handbook doesn’t make it clear, schedule a meeting with HR. 

Crawford encourages you to find out what insurance benefits, if any, you’ll be entitled to in the event of layoffs. If they aren’t provided, you may want to check out COBRA for the short term. 

If you’re laid off, it may also be smart for you to ask your employer if there’s an opportunity for you to work as a consultant or contract employee, even part-time, says Crawford. “If the layoff is permanent, ask if they see any chance to be re-hired in the future, if they are willing to give you a recommendation on LinkedIn, and if they are willing to be a reference for you,” she says. “And ask for any connections or referrals they may have to other organizations for possible jobs.” The company may be able to point you toward a great opportunity—or at least in the right direction. 

 

GlassDoor.com | September 16, 2019

#CareerAdvice : #SeverancePackage -7 Considerations When You Negotiate #Severance . #MustRead !

You would probably be suspicious if your boss asked to meet with you in the conference room after lunch. You know something is amiss when the head of human resources (HR) is sitting in. You’re probably on the way out.

That’s good advice, especially since what a company offers in severance can be made up of many parts, such as a lump-sum payment and outplacement. It’s also important as there’s no consensus on how much to pay or what to provide. In other words, there’s a lot of potential gray area.

  • Unless a contract covers you, most states classify you as an “at-will” employee, meaning your boss can fire you without a set reason and not be on the hook for any severance pay.
  • The rule of thumb that applies to severance packages—two weeks’ pay for every year of employment—turns out to be a rough average.
  • It helps to determine what you can ask for during negotiations and what is off limits.

What your final payments will be should fall within a wide range. And there is a lot of ground to cover in negotiations beyond your last paycheck. There are seven key things you should know if you are ever terminated from a position.

1. Know What Both Sides Are Seeking and Are Required to Do

Your employer has made it clear they don’t need you for whatever reason. Unless a contract covers you, most states classify you as an “at-will” employee, meaning your boss can fire you without a set reason and not be on the hook for any severance pay. You may have even signed a document confirming that point when you were hired.

Remember that the company wants closure, and for good reason. Your separation agreement signature is worth money because it potentially limits the number of legal issues you, the fired or downsized employee, might pursue. Less hassle now and in the future means fewer billable hours for the company’s legal counsel. You get the picture.

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2. There’s a Range of Financial Outcomes

If you’re a top executive, the terms of what you’ll pocket when you pack up are typically spelled out in your employment contract. For everyone else, from upper-level management down the corporate ranks, things are likely not so clear.

That’s where informal guidelines come into play. The rule of thumb that applies to severance packages—two weeks’ pay for every year of employment—turns out to be a rough average. In practice, it ranges between one to four weeks depending on circumstances, says Jeffrey M. Landes, a lawyer in the labor and employment practice of the New York firm Epstein Becker & Green.

3. How Much You Get Depends on Several Factors

As far as severance goes, your tenure on the job is just one of several considerations. If you’re fired because your boss feels you didn’t measure up, it’s likely to be on the lower end of the scale. If your company was bought out and forced to shed jobs, you might find your boss wants to be more generous. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • How well did you perform and how well is it documented? The better your evaluations and the more popular you are, the more likely that an employer will carve out more severance pay.
  • What triggered your dismissal? If the circumstances behind your termination are out of your company’s hands—downsizing as the result of a merger or the axing of an obsolete division—terms are likely to be more generous.
  • Has your company been lax about tracking your performance? Your company is likely to weigh its legal vulnerability. If you were fired for under-performance, you might gain leverage if your evaluations are unclear or seem to point to good work.

4. Review Your Work History—Closely

Miriam F. Clark, a partner at the New York employment-law firm Ritz Clark & Ben-Asher, says one of the first things to examine with a lawyer are documents that chart your history at the company and how well you performed your job. The overall picture will help determine whether you have a discrimination case to pursue. If you have grounds for action, there’s potentially a court award or settlement in your future. At the very least—if there’s a scent of something awry—you’ve got additional leverage in severance negotiations.

5. Know Where Your Company Has Flexibility

It helps to determine what you can ask for during negotiations and what is off limits. Some things your company can negotiate and others are outside your boss’ control. First, there’s the law to consider. The law in Ohio, for instance, requires compensation for the accrued vacation. That’s because it is considered a deferred payment for a benefit you’ve earned, says Cleveland attorney Jon Hyman.

Similarly, your company will probably have little or no leeway when it comes to employee benefits. Insurance carriers determine healthcare and insurance coverage, not your employer. You can stay on the company health plan for up to 18 months under COBRA law, but you’ll likely pay a steep price for the privilege. Your disability coverage through the company, meanwhile, is likely to end when your employment does.

You can request that your employer boost your severance package to help foot the bill for COBRA coverage or the initial cost of disability insurance.

Some employees may be able to negotiate to delay the formal date of their separation from the company to accommodate benefits issues, such as reaching a pension deadline.

Consider a few other possibilities, as well. For example, it’s not uncommon for employees to ask for the sum of money employers might have earmarked for outplacement services, says Clark.

Landes says that another talking point is the timing of your severance payment to maximize what you get in state unemployment benefits. Delaying the receipt of severance for one month may prevent receiving lower unemployment benefits, for example.

6. Tap Into Relationships

Relationships can matter during severance negotiations, too. There are times when employees themselves handle some of the face-to-face haggling over severance terms instead of bringing in an attorney. Those cases are more common when employees have a close relationship with a boss or someone else on the other side of the table.

7. Remember the Future

Hammering out the best terms in your separation agreement goes beyond money—what you agree to can affect your long-term career. Future job references are also something to take up before you sign off. Your separation-agreement negotiations can address what’s put in writing when prospective employers check into your work history. They can also spell out who provides a reference and what information can be shared over the telephone as well. That’s especially important if you’ve bounced around a few jobs or had an ongoing spat with a supervisor.

There are also likely to be provisions that require you to keep mum about why you’re leaving and the terms you struck on the way out. If you find the limitations too stifling, you may push back and change them during talks. For instance, you may want to carve out exceptions to cover speaking with your spouse and kids about what happened.

The Bottom Line

In the end, stay objective and focused. While combing through the finer points of a separation agreement can be a painful exercise, they’re an essential step in getting back on track. A clear mind and sharp focus can help you close the past, secure the present, and pave the way to a brighter future. Above all, remember you’ll be in shock at that first meeting, even if it’s not a complete surprise. Don’t sign anything immediately. And try to talk to an attorney who specializes in employment law before you do sign something.

 

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#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer – 4 Ways to Protect Yourself From a #Layoff …Great Two(2) Min REad!

Whether because of mergers, downsizing, or organizational shifts, each year, countless workers inevitably find themselves losing their jobs through no fault of their own. It happens to the most seasoned and dedicated among us, and that’s perhaps the scariest thing about getting laid off — no one is immune.

That said, there are certain steps you can take to minimize your chances of getting laid off, and reduce your anxiety along the way.

1. Have a unique skill

Though soft skills — those that apply to virtually any position — are always a good thing to work on, at the end of the day, you’re probably not going to get to keep your job in a round of layoffs by virtue of your solid time-management ability alone. That’s why it pays to work on honing one particular skill you know your company absolutely needs. If you’re an IT professional, maybe it’s a complex software that’s needed to keep the workflow going. If you’re a designer, maybe it’s that cutting-edge graphics program that’s been giving your company its competitive edge. No matter what skill you’re best suited to focus on, if you set yourself apart as the one person who’s an expert in that arena, your company might hesitate to give you the boot.

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2. Know the business inside and out

Maybe you’re the best copy director your company has ever seen. But if your knowledge base is limited to effective sales pitches, and you’re not well-versed in market research, finances, or analytics, then you might still find yourself out of a job if your company is forced to slash positions. On the other hand, if you make an effort to educate yourself on all aspects of the business, your company will have a much harder time letting you go.

How do you get there? Sit in on other teams’ meetings, and ask to collaborate with various groups on recurring projects. The more exposure you get to different areas of your company and how they work, the more your management team might end up fighting to keep you.

3. Keep up with your business associates

It’s no secret that networking has been proved to help countless searchers land jobs, but many people find themselves networking defensively — that is, they only start reconnecting with contacts once they’re out of a job and need help. But if you make a point to stay in solid touch with your associates regularly, you’ll protect yourself in the face of layoffs in two ways.

First, if you network extensively within your company, you’ll have more people around to speak highly of you, which might spare you from getting the ax. Second, if you have associates you contact regularly, you won’t come across as taking advantage by reaching out for help if you are indeed let go. Or to put it another way, it’s a lot easier to ask a favor of someone you’re in touch with regularly than to sneak up as a blast from the past wanting assistance.

4. Boost your emergency savings

Having more money in the bank won’t do a thing to help you avoid losing your job. What it will do, however, is buy you some peace of mind that if you are let go, you won’t have to immediately resort to credit card debt just to keep up with your finances. Having that stress removed might, in turn, help you focus better at work, thus reducing your chances of landing on the chopping block. Plus, if you are laid off, you’ll be less pressured into taking the first job you find because you’re desperate for money.

Though layoffs are sometimes inevitable, there are things you can do to lower your odds when your company is going through them. If anything, working on the above suggestions will give you someplace to focus your energy so you’re not utterly fixated on the thought of losing your job.

 

GlassDoor.com | February 13, 2019 | Posted by 

#CareerAdvice : #FiredEmployee – 7 Things to Do Immediately if You Get #Fired . MUst Read!

In the moment, getting fired can feel earthshattering. But for such a seemingly catastrophic event, getting fired is actually quite common. Business icons like Steve Jobs, Anna Wintour and Oprah Winfrey were all famously fired at some point in their career. In fact, in 2010 Wintour told a conference audience, “I recommend you all get fired. It’s a great learning experience.”

There are also a whole slew of reasons why the firing might not have even been your fault. Setting reasonable boundaries in a chaotic work environment, raising “elephant in the room” issues that management is afraid to address or even delivering such stellar results that you embarrass your boss can all be hidden reasons for being handed the pink slip. And if getting fired was really your fault? This is an excellent learning opportunity.

Once you get the news, you need a gameplan. You’ll want to carefully plan your next moves while at the same time ensuring that you have an exit that is seamless for all parties involved. Here are seven steps to take to smoothly propel yourself from your current situation into a cushy new gig.

1. Ask The Right Questions

Once you receive notice of your termination, a good first question to start with is: Why was I fired? While it can be painful to have your shortcomings laid out in front of you, ultimately, learning about your flaws will help you grow. That way, you’ll be less likely to repeat the same mistakes and risk getting fired again in a successive job. Plus, it’s great fodder for the ever-common interview question about what your greatest weakness is! And if you find out that the company is letting you go because of structural changes that have nothing to do with your individual performance, then it’s a weight off your shoulders.

You’ll also want to ask questions about whether there are any other positions available internally at the company, whether your employer would be willing to write a recommendation for you, what the final date of your departure is and anything else the company expects from you before you leave.

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2. Negotiate The Terms Of Your Departure

Ideally, you’ll want to negotiate the maximum severance pay you can muster. As a general note, severance is common in layoffs, but far less common when you’re fired for a cause. Except in certain cases, it’s not required by law for employers to give it. If you rely on the company for health insurance, it’s also important to put a focus on extending your health benefits for as long as possible. Be sure to negotiate all of these aspects before signing any documents like a non-disclosure agreement. If the company hits you with a pile of documents written in legalese, or all of this seems like an insurmountable task, you might consider retaining an employment attorney to help you with the process. Shelling out a bit for help in the short-term might save you headaches (and money) in the long-term. If you think you were wrongly terminated — for reasons like discrimination, whistleblowing or if the company breaches their contract with you — then an employment attorney is particularly helpful, as they can help you build your case towards getting the compensation you deserve.

3. Check if You Qualify for Unemployment Benefits

If you were terminated for misconduct — such as failing a drug test, stealing or lying — you will likely be frozen out of unemployment benefits for a time, although laws vary from state to state. However, being fired because of reasons like company cutbacks, being a poor fit for the job or a lack of skills likely means that you’re eligible for unemployment benefits.

4. Reach Out to Your Network

Besides finding jobs through job search websites like Glassdoor, your network is also a great place to start scouting for future opportunities. You can start by sending check-in messages to former colleagues, scheduling informational interviews in companies or industries you’re interested in working for and building your online professional presence. While you should make it clear to people in your network that you’re in the market for a new gig, there’s also no need to openly broadcast that you were fired, unless you’re asked directly. Especially in the week after you receive the news, take time to consider how you’re going to present the story of why you were fired to others. When you are presenting a rocky employment situation to others, Kerry Hannon, career expert and author of Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happinessadvises: “It’s always reframing it into what you learned from that experience, not why it was a bad thing.” Turning the story into a blame game is often less than professional. “Don’t blame them, and don’t blame yourself — just say it wasn’t a good fit,” says Hannon.

5. Start Brushing Up Your Resume

After you receive notice about your termination, it’s never too early to start prepping for job applications. Start by sprucing up your resume with the details from your most recent job, as well as any skills you obtained during it. And, if it’s been a while since you last updated your resume, you might want to consider a complete resume overhaul — these templates are a great place to get inspiration.

6. Set Job Alerts

Although you still might have a few weeks to finish up at your current gig, the job search doesn’t need to wait until after you leave. While you might not have time to do an in-depth search while still heading to work every day, using job alerts can save you time in the job search and get a headstart on finding your next gig. Glassdoor’s job alert tool allows you to receive emails every time a job you’re interested in is posted. You can even filter the results based on categories like company rating, location, company size and more.

7. Have Faith In Yourself

In 2018, a 10-year study of over 2,600 executives published in the book The CEO Next Door revealed that of the executives who got fired during their career, a remarkable 91 percent found a new position that was as good — or better — than their previous one. Getting fired is by no means the end of your career. In fact, it’s an opportunity to do a sober assessment of what your career goals are, and the elements you need to shift to achieve those goals.

 

GlassDoor.com |  |

Your #Career : #CareerAdvice – Help! I’m #Overqualified — What Do I Do? ….In these Situations, your Context will Influence your Course of Action. Let’s Examine What you Can Do When you’re Considered to be Overqualified.

Demonstrate how a role will help you develop, and show how you can be an asset, then don’t let a recruiter persuade you that you’re overqualified! Remember, you need to maintain your confidence throughout the process and let your resiliency guide you as you continue your search!

When it comes to job searching, we often hear how difficult it can be for recent graduates, who are somehow expected to have years of experience straight out of school, to even be considered for an entry-level position. What happens when the situation is reversed, and your years of experience begin to work against you? How can job seekers set themselves up for success when recruiters keep telling them they are overqualified for positions they’re interested in?

Hiring managers might challenge you by saying you’ll be bored and leave for a better-suited position, or your compensation expectations won’t be met.

In these situations, your context will influence your course of action. Let’s examine what you can do when you’re considered to be overqualified.

Situation #1: You’ve relocated or have been laid off

How to Respond: Highlight the win-win situation

Here, you must explain your motivation for applying to a position that you might seem “overqualified” for on paper. Highlight “how the organization can benefit from your experience, and how taking this position can advance your own skill set,” says Alan Zelnicker, executive recruiter. If the job scope is more narrow and the compensation is less than your old position, you must emphasize what you can contribute in terms of added value and what you can get from the role.

How to Respond: Make an important mind shift

Going into any interview, you should always project confidence and take on the mindset that recruiters are getting a great deal from you, rather than going in feeling like you’re overqualified for the job. You have to drive the power seat and never feel like you’re getting the short end of the stick. Instead, adopt the mindset that any company would be lucky to have you! Without seeming arrogant, remind recruiters that the learning curve involved with your onboarding will be cut in half, leaving you more time to learn the organization, and giving you a competitive edge!

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How to Respond: Re-evaluate compensation

Managing expectations around compensation is a separate conversation. You need to be realistic and accept that sometimes you’ll need to take a step back. Whenever possible, make a direct touch point with the hiring manager over the phone to talk about compensation. This way, you can form a personal connection, and you can articulate all that you have to offer. As mentioned before, what is the win-win negotiation for you that makes taking a pay cut worthwhile?

Situation #2: You’re switching careers/industries

How to Respond: Highlight your new career path

It is not uncommon for people to switch industries or careers. In fact, millennials report switching jobs 4 times in their first 10 years out of school. When working with recruiters, highlight any new credentials you’ve earned to demonstrate your commitment towards this new path you’re taking. Emphasize your desire to learn and retrain to create a new path forward for yourself.

How to Respond: Emphasize the rudimentary

Though you may have 20 years of experience in one field, you must demonstrate to recruiters that you’re ready to check your ego at the door and learn about a whole new world. That being said, relevant and rudimentary skills can always be transferable and should be considered as your added value.

How to Respond: Know your worth

When discussing salary, make sure to mention that you’ve done your research, you’re aware of the industry standards, and are comfortable with what these types of roles typically offer.

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” –Japanese proverb

What not to do: The worst thing you could do is tell a recruiter you’ll take anything just to get a job. Though this often may be the truth, people want to see that you possess the right enthusiasm and fit for the role. You must always sell your skills and highlight how you are the perfect candidate for the job.

Your resume: If you’re having trouble getting through the door and you think your resume might be the culprit, there are some workarounds to try:

  1. If your resume demonstrates work dating back more than 10 years, consider consolidating your experience and only keeping what is still relevant today
  2. If you have multiple designations and education, consider only keeping what is relevant to the job you’re applying for and removing anything that is redundant
  3. Consider reformatting your resume in a way that tells a new story

If you can demonstrate how a role will help you develop, and show how you can be an asset, then don’t let a recruiter persuade you that you’re overqualified! Remember, you need to maintain your confidence throughout the process and let your resiliency guide you as you continue your search!

Stacy Pollack is a Learning Specialist with an MA in educational technology. She loves to share her perspective on job hunting, career building, and networking for success. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Glassdoor.com |  

Your #Career : 4 Ways to Protect Yourself From a #Layoff …Whether because of #Mergers, #Downsizing, or Organizational Shifts, each Year, Countless Workers Inevitably Find Themselves Losing their #Jobs Through No Fault of their Own.

Whether because of mergers, downsizing, or organizational shifts, each year, countless workers inevitably find themselves losing their jobs through no fault of their own.

It happens to the most seasoned and dedicated among us, and that’s perhaps the scariest thing about getting laid off — no one is immune. That said, there are certain steps you can take to minimize your chances of getting laid off, and reduce your anxiety along the way.

1. Have a unique skill

Though soft skills — those that apply to virtually any position — are always a good thing to work on, at the end of the day, you’re probably not going to get to keep your job in a round of layoffs by virtue of your solid time-management ability alone. That’s why it pays to work on honing one particular skill you know your company absolutely needs. If you’re an IT professional, maybe it’s a complex software that’s needed to keep the workflow going. If you’re a designer, maybe it’s that cutting-edge graphics program that’s been giving your company its competitive edge. No matter what skill you’re best suited to focus on, if you set yourself apart as the one person who’s an expert in that arena, your company might hesitate to give you the boot.

2. Know the business inside and out

Maybe you’re the best copy director your company has ever seen. But if your knowledge base is limited to effective sales pitches, and you’re not well-versed in market research, finances, or analytics, then you might still find yourself out of a job if your company is forced to slash positions. On the other hand, if you make an effort to educate yourself on all aspects of the business, your company will have a much harder time letting you go.

How do you get there? Sit in on other teams’ meetings, and ask to collaborate with various groups on recurring projects. The more exposure you get to different areas of your company and how they work, the more your management team might end up fighting to keep you.

3. Keep up with your business associates

It’s no secret that networking has been proved to help countless searchers land jobs, but many people find themselves networking defensively — that is, they only start reconnecting with contacts once they’re out of a job and need help. But if you make a point to stay in solid touch with your associates regularly, you’ll protect yourself in the face of layoffs in two ways.

First, if you network extensively within your company, you’ll have more people around to speak highly of you, which might spare you from getting the ax. Second, if you have associates you contact regularly, you won’t come across as taking advantage by reaching out for help if you are indeed let go. Or to put it another way, it’s a lot easier to ask a favor of someone you’re in touch with regularly than to sneak up as a blast from the past wanting assistance.

4. Boost your emergency savings

Having more money in the bank won’t do a thing to help you avoid losing your job. What it willdo, however, is buy you some peace of mind that if you are let go, you won’t have to immediately resort to credit card debt just to keep up with your finances. Having that stress removed might, in turn, help you focus better at work, thus reducing your chances of landing on the chopping block. Plus, if you are laid off, you’ll be less pressured into taking the first job you find because you’re desperate for money.

Though layoffs are sometimes inevitable, there are things you can do to lower your odds when your company is going through them. If anything, working on the above suggestions will give you someplace to focus your energy so you’re not utterly fixated on the thought of losing your job.

This article was originally published on The Motley Fool. It is reprinted with permission.

Related Links:

Glassdoor.com |   |