Advice for biz journalists who have lost their jobs

Posted By Becky Bisbee

Watch your diet. Get plenty of sleep. Exercise regularly.
The prescription may sound familiar but the symptom it’s intended to remedy may  surprise you: Unemployment.
The panelists featured on SABEW’s recent conference call – entitled “How to Stay Positive After Losing Your Job and How to Find a New One” — agreed that it’s essential to take care of yourself first before you embark on a job search.
Colleen Eddy

Colleen Eddy

“Take time to lick the wound,” said Colleen Eddy, (right) director of career center and business development at the Poynter Institute. She recommends devoting the first 30 days after leaving a job to rest and repair.

Kevin Noblet, deputy managing editor for wealth management at Dow Jones Newswires, said he spent a lot of time fishing after leaving the Associated Press last year.
“I called it detox,” he said.”You get addicted to certain forms of behavior and thinking — and perhaps you want to break those.”
Beth Hunt, manager of editorial operations and corporate recruiter for American City Business Journals, said a job loss can sometimes be an opportunity to develop new skills or re-evaluate your career direction.
Bill Choyke, who moderated the call, said he enrolled in a Web design course after leaving his job at The Virginian-Pilot and took time to research family history.

But what do you do after you regroup? The panelists had many specific suggestions, including:

1.) Build a functional resume – rather than a chronological one — to highlight your skills and accomplishments. While a chronological resume highlights the positions you’ve held, it may not make clear that you are qualified – and interested in — a totally different type of job. 2.) Become a “precision job hunter.” Craft a cover letter that reflects your knowledge of the potential employer and position. This is not the time for the mass “mail-merge” approach. 3.) Pare your living expenses so you have a bigger financial cushion to sustain you while looking for a job.

In this market, finding a good fit will probably take longer than it used to. Above all, stay positive, as the title of the call suggested. “Confidence and perseverance are your best friends,” Eddy said. And she reminded call participants that the lousy economy is not their fault. “It’s the market.”
To hear more tips for surviving a job loss with confidence, listen to the archived tape on the SABEW home page.

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