Those words mean so much more to me now. I’m a planner, a list-maker and a thinker by nature. I evaluate any situation before acting. It’s comforting, I guess, and losing my job last week is no different. I only have so much money right now, with no idea when more will come in. Planning is essential right now.
Once the shock wore off, it was time to make a list of people to talk to in my network. Many of them have contacts of their own and might know of possible openings. Everyone says opportunities are plentiful right now. I’ll believe it when I see it. Searching for a better job last year was a humbling, painful, frustrating and demoralizing process. Will it be the same this year?
Posting my job loss on Facebook generated lots of messages and well-wishes, and many people came to my rescue, asking for my CV. What a pleasant twist I did not have last year. I looked for a new and better job in quiet obscurity and paid the emotional price for it. This time, I feel more upbeat and confident.
I drafted a list of 5 people I was going to contact outright. These were people I appreciated and had possibly worked alongside, people that could vouch for the quality of my work. The list has grown to include Facebook requests, and I stand at 12 a week later.
With a contact list in hand, it was time to update my CV. A few hours was all it took given it was still relatively fresh from earlier this year. I have since gotten some suggestions from friends on things to improve. Great!
In parallel, I drafted a second list with tasks and projects I want to complete during my time off. I will look into opening a Github account where I can share stuff and help sell my skills and expertise.
Finally, my plan had to include expenses I could cut to save money. I wish this happened when my finances were in better shape, but it’s hard to plan for something like this unless you see the warning signs.
The adventure continues.