5 ways to turn your layoff into an opportunity

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dcs-media.com/technology/career/5-ways-to-turn-your-layoff-into-an-opportunity.aspx

Monday, January 26, 2009 7:00 AM

Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Career | Comments: 0 | View blog reactions

Ahhh...a new year, new promise, new goals...new layoffs? What!!?!??!
Job Loss

In my opinion, the economy is never stable. It can always take a millionaire and make him a beggar in less than a day. This past year has proved it.



There are a lot of people who are losing their jobs because of the economy. Let's check out the list, shall we?

* Harley-Davidson - 1,100 jobs
* Sun - 1,300 jobs
* Microsoft - 5,000 jobs
* Sony - 2,000 jobs
* and many more companies are laying off workers.

How do you survive this sort of thing? There are a number of things you can do in this time of crisis.

1. Create your own business

What better time than now to start your own business. Nothing like trial by fire.

If you have a hobby on the side, now may be a great time to think about dedicating your time to starting up a business based on that hobby. Talk to your friends and see if they would be willing to work with you as well. Who knows...You may find a fellow business partner who shared your same hobby or dream.

2. Start writing

There are a lot of great opportunities out there since the web spawned blogging and journalism. Determine what your expertise is and either start blogging on a regular schedule or write an eBook and sell it through ClickBank or other digital product site.

3. Learn a new skillset

Of course, you can always learn a new skillset if your existing skillset becomes either old or obsolete. Recently, Computerworld just came out with a report on the 9 hottest skills for 2009. Check out the list and see if you can apply or enhance your existing skills based on the list. Oh...and make sure you live in a city that has growth potential.

4. Join LinkedIn.com

The old adage "It's not what you know, it's who you know" holds true on LinkedIn. Make sure you register and start requesting recommendations/endorsements from your fellow co-workers. Then start focusing on the jobs portion of the site and start apply for jobs that fit you. Who knows, you may find that ideal, dream job through one of your friends.

5. Create a small widget and sell it

Nowadays, someone can create the smallest application and make a million dollars at it. Find a small widget that is cute, ridiculous, funny, or just plain gross and market it through the right channels. You might find out that a little idea can go a long way.

This list provides only five ways to tackle this economy, but there are definitely more.

Did I miss any? Post a comment below to further the discussion.

[Taverner]

1. All good. Also keep in mind taking existing models, and perfecting them.

Take a company you always bitched had "not paid attention to warnings," cite those warnings and point out the path to improvement.

Send this to said company, using the right channels, and offer them a solution.

[Taverner]

2. DELETE - DUPE

[Taverner]

3. DELETE - DUPE

[burythehatchet]

4. The author and I think alike and a year ago I embarked on doing each of these

things. Every one.

[Warpy]

5. A little too restricted to the IT industry, IMO

I'd add:

Broaden your horizons by learning something completely outside your present skill set.

Sit and think, something you haven't been able to do for a long time, and try to figure out what you really want. Once you identify that, it's a lot easier to go after it when things start to improve.

Read. Nobody ever lost ground by reading.

If it looks like unemployment is going to be it for a month or more, consider volunteering at something one half day a week. You'd be surprised what that will do for your overall mental outlook.

Above all, realize that this is not your fault. Nobody ever gained anything by wallowing in hopelessness and self reproach.

[david13]

6. I have been making

blue widgets for 31 years and have no luck selling them.
I guess my widgets are just not cute enough.
dc

[AdHocSolver]

7. Start a movement to change the trade and tax laws to make it less profitable to offshore jobs.

Use your new-found free time to learn why importing most of what we buy drains the country of capital.

When the money you spend to make purchases goes to pay other Americans, that money circulates within the U.S. economy, and eventually winds up paying your wages. When most of what we buy is made offshore, the money that would have paid your wages, leaves this country and is no longer there to pay you.

The trade agreements like NAFTA, the WTO. the IMF, and the World Bank are made, NOT to promote so-called "free trade", but are corporate cartel agreements to stifle competition and PREVENT "free trade".

The tax laws have been written at the behest of the multinational corporations to enable them to avoid taxation by offshoring jobs. Until these tax and trade laws are changed so as to enable companies who want to produce goods and services in the U.S. with American labor, there is little you can do to compete with cheap foreign labor.

Another reason corporations offshore jobs is to avoid safety and health regulations by U.S. government agencies. We see the results in dangerous toys and foods that make us sick, among other examples.

I am not being defeatest here. The solution is political. The suggestions in the OP will only work in an economy that is working properly. The U.S. economy is broken. It requires collective pressure from Americans on the government to change trade and tax laws to allow companies who want to create jobs here to do so on a level playing field.