You never know when you’ll find yourself unexpectedly out of work. It’s happened to me more than once.

I had a variety of full-time jobs while earning my BA. I’ll never forget the day I lost the job that paid all my bills, including rent. Since I was the company’s bookkeeper, I knew the business was struggling.,

But when they gathered the staff and told us they were closing the next day, I was stunned. Each of us would receive a few days of pay.

I quickly landed a restaurant gig, but other employees, some married with kids, weren’t so lucky.

The average severance is 1 or 2 weeks for each year worked. If you’ve been there for 5 years that’s 5 to 10 weeks.

In September, however, 34.5% of the unemployed had been out of work for 27 weeks or more, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation.

While you can’t predict the future, you can take steps to shorten your job search if you do find yourself suddenly unemployed.

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A lot of people are unhappy at work. It might be a micromanaging boss or crazy coworkers. They know they want to leave, and they want to leave now. The problem is they don’t have a clue as to what they want to do next.

If they do want to stay in a similar position, there’s the question of what type of company? Would a smaller company be better than a large corporation? Or vice versa?

The trick to getting unstuck is to change your approach. Instead of trying to figure out what you do want, decide what it is you don’t want. Begin by listing all the jobs you’ve held.

Next, consider every aspect of each position. Write down everything that you didn’t enjoy, things that made you unhappy. Pretty soon you will see some patterns, patterns that will help you define your new job.

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If you’re on Clubhouse and looking for career information and advice look for our new Smarter Career Moves club.

Smarter Career Moves is the place to learn strategies, techniques, and activities that will help you move your  job search forward and advance your career

Join our events to get information and practical advice from career professionals. This is a space to exchange ideas and learn from each other. Come with questions and don’t be afraid to ask.

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These are extraordinarily difficult times. Unemployment is climbing. People on furlough wonder if they’ll be returning to work.  Shutdowns across the country make it challenging to look for a job.

Despite everything, this is not the time to stop looking for a new job. The job market has changed dramatically, but jobs are still out there. Employers are hiring. There are steps you can take to move your job search forward.

Here are 10 job search strategies that work. But reading this list isn’t enough. You need to act. You can’t do all of them today, but you can get started.

#1 Make a list of your target employers, companies where you would most like to work. Set up Google alerts to help you follow them in the news. Start contacting family, friends, former colleagues, etc. to see if they know anyone who works for one, or more, of your top employers.

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Concerns about the Coronavirus are growing daily. It dominates the news and kitchen-table conversations. Here in Connecticut, events are being postponed or cancelled, some because of a State of Connecticut mandate.

If you’re looking for a new job or want to be prepared in case you need to, you’ll need to adjust your job search strategies.

Several months ago, I created a basic job search plan. I’ve adapted it here to be used during our current public health emergency.

The plan includes job search preparation (PREP) and continuing activities (ONGOING). If you’re actively looking, as in you really want to find a job, follow A activities. If you’re passively looking, you’re open but not in any hurry, P is for you.

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Being employed does make you more appealing to employers. But it has a different set of challenges. Sneaking out of the office for interviews can be tricky. Other things, like being dressed appropriately, just take a little planning.

If you work a casual office wearing an “interview outfit” will likely be a red flag. Just as when someone comes into a casual environment for a job interview they stand out like a bikini at a funeral.

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After a tough winter, summer is finally here. Vacationers back up traffic for miles and sometimes there’s even a line at the beach. Time to sit back, enjoy the warm weather, and chill.

Not so fast.

Tempting as it may be, if you’re looking for a new job, this is not the time to slack off.

Even a decade ago, most people thought summer was not a good time to look for a job. In some respects, they were right. But, things are much different today. While recruiters and hiring managers may be taking long weekends, even week-long vacations, in our 24/7 world of work no one is ever really out of the office.

That means it’s not the time to kick back and wait for September. Here are four ways to keep your job search moving this summer.

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Every time I attend a networking event I run into at least one person looking for work.

Every. Single. Time.

Many of them want to make a move, some have recently lost their job, others have been unemployed for several months.

Whatever their situation, the majority are there with a friend or colleague.

This is a BIG mistake.

HUGE!

While networking should be part of your life (whether you’re looking or not) you’ll get a lot more out of events if you go to them alone. Here’s why.

If you go to an event with a friend or colleague, it’s likely you’ll spend most of your time with them. You’ll chat over cocktails and sit together at dinner.

Will you meet other people?

Probably.

But, not nearly as many as you would meet if you went alone.

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You’ve probably heard that networking is the best way to find a job. One reason is that people like to hire people they know, which expands to someone referred by someone they know.

Unfortunately, many people are uncomfortable starting a conversation with a stranger. That makes it difficult to meet people at a networking event.

Why?

Unless you’re one of the first to arrive, many networking events are bustling from the moment you walk in the door. There are several groups chatting. Even worse are parties of two who seem in deep conversation.

One way to engage with a group is to stand close by and wait for an opportunity to join. Great connectors are always looking for people lurking and will invite them in to the conversation.

A more direct approach is to simply ask “Can I join you?”

I’ve never had anyone or any group say no.

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Last weekend, I went to see The Martian. Since I didn’t have time to read the book, I didn’t know anything other than it was about a man stranded on Mars. Without giving any secrets away, one of the astronauts is hit by debris during a storm. Based on the evidence, he is presumed dead and left behind as the rest of the crew evacuates the planet.

Well, the movie was awesome. Viewing it in 3D was an experience, worth every extra penny.

The movie has many underlying themes like the significance of character, friendship, and loyalty. It demonstrates how essential, sometimes critical, it is to be open to new ideas. However, the most powerful theme was the indomitable strength of the human spirit.

Later that day as I was thinking about the movie, I realized that many of The Martian’s lessons would serve job seekers as well. Looking for a new job can sometimes make you feel alone and overwhelmed.

Here are five ways to get back on track. (Don’t worry if you haven’t seen the movie, there are no spoilers here.)

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