His hours were long and unpredictable. The work was stressful and unfulfilling. He was 30 years old and this was probably his last chance to veer off the “safe” career path he had followed since college and take a real risk on a more suitable career that would afford him work-life balance and a better outlet for his creative and entrepreneurial skills.

Through his online research Paul discovered career coach, Mino Sullivan. Within two weeks of hiring Mino, Paul had the longest, most stressful work week of his legal career.

Even though the conventional wisdom was to keep his current job until he found a new one, Mino helped Paul build the confidence to realize that he did not need to take such a conventional path and that it was in his best interests to stop torturing himself and leave his law practice right away.

With a strong educational and employment background, a few months’ savings, and an open mind, Paul quit his job to focus full-time on building the career he wanted.

Over the next few months, Mino shepherded Paul through a bottom-up reassessment of his life values, his skills, his interests and his work style.

Paul explored a variety of possible careers, from interior design to fundraising for nonprofits. In the end, however, it became clear that Paul’s interests were too varied to fit easily into a single career path. Leveraging his pre-law school experience running operations for a family-owned technology company and his knowledge of music, acoustics and design, Paul now spends about half of his time building a consumer electronics start up that he hopes will soon provide him with a steady income.

Using the networking skills that are central to Mino’s approach, Paul also secured a part-time management consulting position through an alumni contact, which covers his expenses while he builds his new business. Paul finds his new work more interesting, better suited to his skills and far less taxing than law practice.  He has broken out of the pigeonhole in which many litigators find themselves and has successfully moved from the world of legal practice into the business world.

Paul says that he could not have made this drastic life change without Mino’s help:

From the start, it was clear that Mino is incredibly well-trained and knowledgeable in a variety of personality-assessment and career planning techniques.  The worksheets, the self-assessment tools and — above all — the insight that Mino provided gave me a sense of clarity that I never before had about my true wants and needs.  Mino is much more than a career coach, and following her approach has set me up on a path to fulfillment and happiness in all aspects of my life.  Perhaps most importantly, she has helped me to build a toolkit that will allow me to navigate life’s inevitable twists and turns even now that my work with her has concluded.

Given the state of the U.S. economy and resulting corporate belt-tightening, it makes sense to be prepared for a possible layoff. And for those employed by a company struggling financially, getting “job search ready” is a wise move.

Here are some steps you can take to soften the blow should a layoff hit.

Get Your Resume Ready: Refresh your resume by bringing it up to date, adding new skills as you master them and including career related milestones and accomplishments. You can always trim irrelevant information from final versions as you customize your resume for specific opportunities.

Keep Your Network Alive and Well: Actively networking while you’re still working is the best way to keep your network thriving; check in with network members with a quick lunch, phone call or email; seek out opportunities to help others – someday you may want to ask them to help you.

Start thinking about a career change now: If you’ve been thinking of making a career change, you’re much better off pursuing it while you’re still employed. A career transition takes more time than a job search. You want to give yourself the time to do it when you’re not under pressure so you can find a new career that’s really right for you.

Copy your official personnel folder: Get a copy of your personnel file from HR – performance reviews, letters of commendation, warnings, etc, and copy it – “just for my own records.” Although you may have many of these documents already (which, of course, you have been keeping over the years), make a copy of everything you can.

Put together a list of potential references: Ask supervisors, managers, colleagues, co-workers, and subordinates, whom you have worked well with for their personal contact information so that you can stay in touch after you, or they, leave your current employer.

Be a reference for others: If you like another’s work, be willing and prepared to be a reference for co-workers, colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates. This is a great way to initiate post-employment networking, and that’s a very good thing for your future job searches.

If you become clear that a lay-off is coming, quietly remove personal items from the workplace: Start taking personal items home, as quietly and as unobtrusively as you can as you may not have time to pack should you get tapped. If you’ve installed your own software on your company’s computer, take home the package, and all related discs and documents. Also, if you’ve done any personal work on your office computer, be sure to take copies home and delete those files from the office computer.

A word of caution: Be careful about removing anything that the company would consider to be owned by the company, including documents and information marked “confidential” or considered proprietary, like customer lists, proposals, patent applications, financial reports, etc. Unless you’ve made advance arrangements, your employer probably “owns” what you have created at work. They also own your office computer and the office supplies you use. You can be sued for violating confidentiality agreements or even accused of theft. Call an attorney outside the company if you are not sure. You don’t want to become a “criminal” in the process of preparing for your next job search.

Educate yourself on company severance policy: Explore the company policy manual to find out what you can expect from the company as standard practice and identify, in advance, what you might be able to negotiate as part of that package. Prepare yourself to negotiate for as much as company policy allows.

Pursue disability coverage before you lose your job: Personal disability coverage is an important thing to have – and it’s also important to secure coverage based on your current level of income. Apply for such coverage while your income is at its highest. This could involve supplementing the group coverage you may have through your job with individual coverage.

First, review my article on layoff preparation and complete those steps as quickly as possible. Then, make sure that you:

1. Create your personal “parachute.”  Explore the company policy manual to find out what you can expect from the company as standard practice and ask for what you want. Don’t be afraid to negotiate! Employees have more power than then know in these situations. For example-

• Use all “outplacement” services available to you
• Address all medical needs, particularly if your deductibles have been met
• Submit claims to flexible spending accounts to avoid forfeiting any balances
• Use vacation time or get paid for it
• Find out how unvested stock options will be handled
• Request information on benefit continuation – firms with over 20 employees are required to offer COBRA – health insurance at your expense

2. Avoid the urge to rush. Never sign anything without having an opportunity to review the termination agreement thoroughly yourself, and with your financial and legal advisors.

3. Register for Unemployment Compensation. Go to you state unemployment office immediately and register for unemployment compensation. If you wait too long you may become ineligible.

4. Reduce Expenses and Save Money. Unless you are independently wealthy is important that you cut your expenditures to the bone when you lose your job. This will allow you the maximum amount of time to find new employment without taking a job just for the income.

5. Professional Resume. Bring your resume and cover letter template up to date and have it reviewed/rewritten by a professional. Contact me for the Certified Professional Resume writer I use with my clients.

6. Ramp up your network. Make a list of everyone you know and divide the list into the A, B, and C groups. Spend at least one to two hours a day networking with the A group, people who might be helpful in identifying a new job, whether they be friends, former co-workers, colleagues, customers or clients.

Attend as many professional association meetings as you can.

Identify job search support groups and attend at least one per week. Not only will this expand your network, it will also provide you needed moral support.

7. Identify and connect with three executive search consultants / recruiters who specialize in your industry and functional area. Type the words recruiter or executive search consultant, your job title or similar words, your industry and your geographic area into one of the search engines. For example, “Recruiter Boston Portfolio Manager financial services” and you will create a list of recruiters who service this industry and functional area. You can check out their web sites and select three whom you find appropriate to your needs and to whose site you are drawn to.

8. Start searching. Visit the major job boards as well as those that specialize in your industry and functional area. Also check out the web sites of any relevant trade and professional associations and companies where you’d like to work for job postings.

9. Develop contacts. Try to have a contact in the organization to which you are sending your cover letter and resume. Use the company web site, your network, LinkedIn or call the receptionist, but don’t send a resume without someone to address it to. It’s a waste of your time and your stamp.

10. Brush up on your interviewing skills. Develop your own answers to the most commonly asked interview questions. Click here for my special gift to you: The Best and Worst Answers to the Most Commonly Asked Interview Questions. Also, develop questions you want to ask of an interviewer. Role play with family members or friends based on a job description that appeals to you. Better still, work with a career coach to develop proven strategies and skills to nail your interviews and negotiate the most favorable compensation package you can.