Be Yourself!

We all know that losing your job is catastrophic in several ways. A major (or perhaps only) source of income has gone away, health care benefits are an issue, finding a new job seems like an impossible task, etc. Possibly the worst impact is what a sudden job loss does to your self image and confidence.

Please remember, a layoff is not your fault. Companies, even in better economic times, go through reorganizations and being caught up in this is usually more from bad luck than poor performance. Do not let this change who you are one bit! My observation has been that many times people think they need to reinvent their persona to survive in the job market.

Stop and think for a minute. What made you successful to this point? Was it your tenacity, your dedication, your spirit, your outstanding followup skills, your incomparable knowledge of your business and/or profession? Just because you are momentarily out of work does not mean any of this has changed. Too often, folks try to come across different, try too hard to impress people and sadly give off the impression they are desperate.

Whether you are currently unemployed or something happens down the road, please be yourself while job hunting. Good luck!