By Rick Fromme
Perhaps you’ve recently walked out of your manager’s office
with a pink slip in one hand and a tissue in the other. On the other hand, maybe
you, along with other co-workers, were informed you were all being let go en
masse. Regardless of how, the personal reaction is usually the same: OMG! Now what?!
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| Depressed (Photo credit: Sander van der Wel) |
I won’t go into detail concerning severance packages; unpaid
vacation, sick and personal days; final remuneration date; unemployment
compensation; food stamps; health insurance; etc., because every situation is
different. Oftentimes, the HR department of the company that laid you off can offer
advice. Suffice to say, if you’re eligible for any type of supplemental
program, it behooves you to investigate and take appropriate action as soon as
possible. Some state unemployment compensation programs can take months to
obtain. Again, taking the necessary steps to set that benefit in motion should
be done ASAP.
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| Occupational Outlook Quarterly Spring 2010 (Photo credit: AlaskanLibrarian) |
But do take heart: according to the Occupation Outlook Quarterly, the health care industry is expanding,
not contracting. Unlike other industries, the job outlook for health care and
medical professionals for the next decade is very positive. (See my previous blog, “Health Care Jobs Outlook is Jammin’!”) Your skills aren’t superfluous. Your
knowledge isn’t for naught. There’s an excellent chance you’ll be able to gain
meaningful employment in a relatively short time period. But you have to do the
leg work.
From W2 to 1099
Before the door finally closes on the job where you’re being
laid off, you may be able to negotiate working for that firm on a contractual
or part-time basis with that employer. Particularly if the firm was trying to save
money vis-à-vis cutting salaries and benefits, offering to work for them
contractually may just prove to be a win-win situation. The same may said of
any former employers; depending upon the situation in which you exited the
job(s) before your last one, that/those employer(s) may be in need of your skills again.
It doesn’t hurt to reach out to them as well. Again, if they can’t afford to
bring you in full- or part-time, consider doing contractual work as it will
keep you in the game with your already proven skills.
College for Knowledge
Having said that, there are some in our profession who,
after being laid off and who have the social and financial wherewithal, or who
are eligible for student loans, decide to take this time to further their
education. Perhaps you’re a Physical Therapy Assistant; you can return to
school to become a fully licensed Physical Therapist, perhaps with a master’s degree.
If you’re an LPN, you can go back to nursing school to get your bachelor of
science or master’s degree, even a doctorate. If you do have an advanced degree, if
appropriate, consider taking certification courses in your field to further
your education and thus make you an even stronger job candidate. I even know of
doctors who, though perhaps they weren’t laid off, decided to change
specialties to become board certified in a different field altogether. In fact,
one of the most prominent cosmetic surgeons here in Northeast Florida was initially
a practicing otolaryngologist; he later decided to become board certified in
plastic surgery.
Niche Networking
As with any job hunt campaign, networking should be one of
your key activities, both in-person and online. That’s one of the principle
advantages of having professional niche sites such as MedMasters. They allow
you to build industry and specialty specific networks to facilitate — and hopefully
expedite — your job search. You can reach out to and be contacted by
medical/health care recruiters and employers. You can communicate with others
in your field of expertise and/or the field you’re looking to transition into.
You can post your latest paper résumé (see the previous blog, “Résumé Rules for
Health Care Industry Job Applicants”) and, on some sites like MedMasters, even
create a video version. You can post recommendations received by others to your
profile. You’re able to stay the course because the site serves as a compass
from which you can navigate your career search and/or transition. Some, like MedMasters, even
offer online personality and behavioral assessments to help you better
understand your strengths, weaknesses and all-important soft skills (read my previous
blog, “Here’s Looking at You, Kid”).
Work Wise
Depending upon your situation, you may need to obtain an
interim “survival job” to help make ends meet.
No harm done. If possible, try to find one in the health care industry to keep your feet in the water, so to speak. If not, a good plan is to try to find a job that allows you to interact with people in the medical field. I know of a radiology technician who, after she was laid off, took a survival job at a sandwich shop near a major hospital so she could serve, meet and interact with people who worked at that facility. And it paid off.
No harm done. If possible, try to find one in the health care industry to keep your feet in the water, so to speak. If not, a good plan is to try to find a job that allows you to interact with people in the medical field. I know of a radiology technician who, after she was laid off, took a survival job at a sandwich shop near a major hospital so she could serve, meet and interact with people who worked at that facility. And it paid off.
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| sandwich (Photo credit: roboppy) |
If you don’t need to take on a survival job, another way to expand your networking efforts is to volunteer at a hospital, health care facility or event (such as a sporting event or marathon). This keeps you in the game, your face in front of others, use your skills, and benefits the community as well.
Exit Expertly
Negotiate Terms ‒ Most likely you’ll be offered some
sort of severance package by your boss or human resources manager when you are
let go. What you may not know, though, is that these terms are sometimes
flexible. If your situation is appropriate, negotiate for a higher amount if
possible.
Get References ‒ If
you’re being laid off due to no fault of your own (such as the company
downsizing), you should ask for a letter of reference. Ask your manager/employer
to endorse you and your skills on LinkedIn. Let your boss know that you’re also
open to any job search leads s/he might be able to provide.
Prioritize your workload ‒ Let’s say you’re one of the
more fortunate employees to have been given two weeks’ advance notice before leaving the company. While you certainly want to try to complete all of your
projects, it’s in your best interest to also watch out for number one: you.
Organize your calendar to be as efficient as possible while also gathering necessary
information/materials you’ll need, such as your contact lists, important emails
and files — but ensure you’re not exiting with any proprietary or copyright
material and/or equipment that belongs to the company. That’s stealing.
Be professional ‒ Being laid off is stressful and
demoralizing, even if you’ve a proven track record with the firm. You may
harbor resentments over the situation. However, if you’re still in your last
two weeks, it’s important to retain a professional demeanor and strong work
ethic while employed. You don’t want people to perceive your final
days as negative by letting your job performance suffer. Be polite to your boss(es)
and colleagues while you’re still there. This will help your networking efforts
after you’ve left the doors.Rick Fromme combines entrepreneurial enthusiasm with an insider's knowledge of the medical industry to co-found MedMasters.com. Both his drive and perspective helps provide health care professionals with a superior mechanism with which to communicate, network and market their strengths. Prior to founding MedMasters.com, Rick operated a highly successful medical device distributorship. Other milestones in his 12-year career in the medical industry include a key position at a medical device start-up company that was later sold to the Ethicon Endo division of Johnson & Johnson. You may reach Rick by connecting with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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The trick with getting thrown from the horse is getting back on. The same rules apply when it comes to jobs. Even better, technology makes job hunting a lot easier than it was a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteGood article. Where was this when I was laid off back in Sept. '13? Seriously ... thanks for posting.
ReplyDelete