I’m one of those people who has never tried drugs or had any interest in trying drugs (boring, I know), but one of my quips when people criticize me for my lack of curiosity and experimentation, is that I am always confident that if I were offered the opportunity of a lifetime, I would not blow it by failing a drug test.  It’s also my way of ensuring that there is little likelihood that I will end up having to crash on my mother’s couch.  So my motivation was likely based on fear of failure, but I won’t get into that here.  Let’s say that your organization has announced layoffs and you’re not entirely confident that you’ll make it through this upcoming round.  With the understanding that these things are often out of your control, there are several things you can do to improve upon your chances of landing on your feet sooner than later.  So here starts my list for those of you in this predicament.

1. Stop using illegal drugs (yes that includes weed folks). It sounds so simple, but I know many young people (21-35) who pass pre-employment drug tests and think that now that they are employed and random drug testing is illegal (in CT without reasonable suspicion), that they are free to use illegal drugs, including illegally obtained prescription drugs, once they are done.  You don’t want to be the “one who has a urine bag fall out of his pants leg as he’s going in for his/her drug test.”  It’s just not worth it.
2. Get in shape.  There’s nothing worse than an employee who has what my old roommate used to refer to as “civil service ass spread” when applying for a job.  This refers to the phenomenon that happens when healthy people take sedentary jobs. Take care of your health, eat well, and lose weight, if necessary.   Let’s face it, in today’s competitive market, you want to look and feel your best if you are faced with job loss.  It’s a confidence killer and no matter what people say, lookism is alive and well.  While you’re at it, get a fresh haircut, make a visit to the dentist and get some white strips to bleach out those coffee and wine stains.
3. Update your resume now! This is a world of worker complacency.  Smart individuals update their resume every year or so to ensure that their experience and accomplishments are captured.  Many others wait until they receive official news and while in panic mode, struggle to put together a resume that captures who they are as an employee.  Get a copy of your job description, if necessary, and your performance reviews that list your accomplishments and send it to your home.   This will be helpful, especially if you aren’t really sure what you do.  You laugh, but it happens.  Get your resume DONE, have it reviewed by someone (or several folks) that you trust.  And when you do your resume, list accomplishments, not job duties.  For professional and managers, no one really cares about the minutiae involved in your day to day transactional work.
4. Network in your field of expertise.  If you haven’t been to a professional networking meeting in 5 years, you might think that now might not be the time to go, but the opposite is true.  It’s best to network when you STILL have a job.  Networking is near useless when you’re surrounded by a group of folks who are all in transition.  Network and seek out those who are still employed or those who are influential in your field.  Network online AND offline.
5. Review job postings in your field to see whether there is a demand in your area/region.  If not, consider other ways to market your skills and customize a resume that will help you move into another arena.    Analytical ability, project management, and problem solving are examples of skills that are needed in many fields.  Many employers are willing to hire someone with a different set of skills if they feel that demonstrate the competencies required for success in the job.

If you do make it through layoffs, you have done a good exercise and you have more time to continue with networking and bettering your health.  If you get laid off, think of it this way, at least you have your health!  You also are far ahead of the game when it comes to beginning your job search and have already made some of those key connections.   Oh and if you are laid off and given a decent severance, don’t postpone looking for a job until severance money has run out.  The economic outlook likely isn’t going to be any better in 6 months than it is today.  Start now and if you get a job early, you’ll have extra money to put towards your savings, bills, or most importantly, your family.