Ask the Career Expert

By Hope LeNoir

Reader: I manage a retail store. Sales are down across the company and there are rumors they may be closing some of the stores. Two of my friends got laid off within a month of each other, and they worked for the largest company in the industry. I’ve been in retail for 28 years. It’s all I’ve ever done, but now that retail jobs seem to be going away, I have no idea what I’ll do if I get laid off. I’m not sure where to look or what type of job to look for. What advice do you have if I get laid off?

Career Expert: Get excited about the next adventure! If your future is no longer with your current company, know the next best thing is out there. Really! AND you have a treasure of tenured experience to unlock many career opportunities. Here are some steps to take:

  1. Update your resume NOW. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but certainly take head. Always update your resume, even before hearing about the potential shift in your company. Update your resume, regularly, even before you think you want to leave. Update your resume, even if your goal is to work for yourself. No matter what, you need visible and solid documentation that will help define who you are when you’re not in the decision room. You may also need an updated resume to simply remind yourself of your merit. By the way, be sure to note your successes with the numerical impact.
  2. Write down all of your standout points in your professional journey. This is usually detail you don’t include on the resume. If you don’t remember, ask a colleague what they believe was one of your most successful career moments. This way you can clearly talk to your successes in an effort to build your brand, resume and conversation during an interview. To return the favor, give your colleague kudos for one of their most successful moments that you noticed.
  3. Speaking of talking, “sell yourself.” You have to make your value visible and heard in order to develop trust and credibility with others, so don’t be hesitant to make your accomplishments known. Others are. There are ways to make hiring managers and influencers aware of your accomplishments without sounding arrogant or not genuine. Check out my video on my website to get tips on selling yourself without feeling guilty or arrogant.
  4. Build relationships by networking. Believe it or not, being hired does involve who knows you and what you find out about the opportunity. Take time to talk with others to see who’s hiring, get a description of the role, find out if they’ve worked there before and understand what their job experiences are like. This will not only make the next career move easier, it will also make you more aware of where you’re going.

Businesses are always researching and changing and so should you. Always seek new opportunities to grow and know that moving on to another role is not always a bad thing. It is just that – a new opportunity.

Here’s to catapulting your career!