Fear of the possibility for a job loss in the current times is for many individuals such a legitimate one to face.

And if you have lost your job already, grant yourself the right to process the situation. It is perfectly normal to mourn after the loss of your job. You don’t have to act that everything is fine. It is OK to get angry. It is OK to feel worried.

It is nothing wrong with being vulnerable. Take your time to feel what you feel. And then move on. The important is not to let yourself get overwhelmed with fear, grief, and a self-destructive mindset.

It is hard to do, but you need to stop the anxiety and negative thoughts to overwhelm you and begin doing positive actions you can.

By being active in the situation of the possible job loss, before and if it actually happens, can ease up some actions and emotions to engage in later effective job hunt if needed.

And keep in mind, it is not just you who is having these fears and feelings just now. It is happening to a lot of other people too. Knowing this won’t change things, but you can take some comfort in knowing that all this is not your fault. The circumstances are out of your control. You can still control your reactions.

When you are at risk for a job loss these are actions to start doing now :

Focus on your branding

Before you start working on your messages and materials, do not forget to take a moment also to think about what are your future career goals. 

Take this opportunity to get clarity on this as well. Do you want to stay in the same field of work? Or is it time to explore some other career options you have been yearning for long and reinvent yourself?

Whatever it is, you need to know your focus and options that would work well for you.

And then revamp your Resume/CV and your LinkedIn Profile, reflecting your career ambitions with updated latest roles and achievements.

Your brand, who you are, what you are best at, what is the value you can bring, needs to get out.

You can find some guidelines and resources for this here.

Cultivate your network

I see it many times that when individuals have the fear for their job loss (or when they experience that), the tendency they show is to withdraw from social engagements. 

But it is the networking that leads to more opportunities.

First, it is OK to show your vulnerability. And others can know what kind of situation you are in, so they can help you.

But even more importantly, you need the interactions, strengthening your current relationship, and building new ones.

It is time to stretch your comfort zone and networking. You can start with people you know, reconnect with them, and leverage your connections. Further on tap professional organizations, mentoring circles.

Conduct a financial wellness check

Having a clear picture of your baseline budget and how your living and supporting your family through your transition period would look like, can get a lot of burden from your shoulders.

Keep positive

Last but not least, and maybe even the most important, invest the time in yourself and your self-care. Empowerment comes from within.

Check-in and focus also on your emotional and physical condition. You need to keep yourself well equipped with energy and commitment to get through this time and take conscious actions.

Build your support system. You do not have to walk alone, and you should not have to walk alone in difficult times. Everyone needs people around, reach out to the right ones.

Re-charge yourself and keep moving boldly and with courage forward into action with everything you have. There will always be bumps on the way, but you must not let them stop you.

And remember, fear of job loss and imposed career transition is a fact of life for many individuals now. If you consistently focus your energy and effort on these actions, you will be in a much better place to weather also current economic changes.