Welcome to the job market: It’s 5pm on a Friday, your boss calls you in his/h...

Welcome to the job market: It’s 5pm on a Friday, your boss calls you in his/h...: "It’s 5pm on a Friday, your boss calls you in his/her office and after a few light pleasantries, advises you that you’re being let go and oh ..."

It’s 5pm on a Friday, your boss calls you in his/her office and after a few light pleasantries, advises you that you’re being let go and oh yeah, today’s your last day and there’s no money in the budget for severance or outplacement support What Now!

The emotions of panic, fear, inadequacy and doom and gloom take over. These emotions are critical and need to come out and it’s best to let them out right away, no pain/ no gain! 

Once the exorcism is complete (don't miss those emotions too much, they'll make every attempt to come back) the first thing to remember is that you are not alone, really you’re not alone.  With the unemployment rate hovering just under 10% and close to 15 million people out of work, realize you’re part of a segment of society that has been thrown in to the pool with or without a flotation device.

For some people it’s a fate worse than death and for others a welcome release.  For some it’s a personal attack and proves that life isn’t fair and for others an “is what it is” situation.  For some it's a paralyzing hell on earth scenario they can’t get past and for others it’s an exciting opportunity to reinvent themselves and take action.  If you are or have ever been in this situation how did you react?  Was it an over reaction, under reaction or right on target?

So what next?

Time is wasting and this job market is not for the faint of heart.  If you’re one of the lucky ones things will come your way with little or no effort, and if you're one of the rest of us you have some work to do.  The first thing is a plan and without being too cliché, you have to have a plan and work that plan.

Where are you right now?  What challenges are you facing?  What successes have you had in this market?  How's your attitude?  How's your level of activity?  Do you view the process of applying to positions as a black hole or are you seeing reciprocation on your activity? 

Please let us know what suggestions you have for upcoming topics.  Having seen many success stories the goal for this forum is to share ideas, frustrations, successes, challenges, etc., all in an effort to shed some light on a very dynamic topic where 1 little adjustment can make the difference.