Laid Off to Lift Off

If you weren’t laid off during the Great Recession – you probably know someone who was. Between 2008 and 2009, unemployment among women increased from 5.4 percent to more than 8 percent. And many of those let go were at the top of their game. Easy to see how a woman could end up distraught.

Angela Raub spent the first day of her unemployed life crying, after the organization she worked for eliminated her division. But, Raub says, “In retrospect, it was the best experience of my life.”

Raub approached her job pursuit full-time: waking up at 5:30 every morning and reaching out to everyone she could for leads. After 13 weeks of connecting with nearly 2,000 people, Raub had three job offers.

Opportunities are still coming in even though she now is quite content as the head of business development at Brightworth, a private wealth management firm.

How did she do it?

She created “Corporation Angie” to approach goals as if she were a company. You are the CEO of your life and job search, so act like it, suggests Lois Frankel in her book, Nice Women Don’t Get the Corner Office 101.

Raub built a strong support team with a business mentor and an executive coach who could offer valuable, honest advice.

She stayed positive. Looking at a bad situation as a learning experience, ignoring negative messages (and these 13 other tips) can help get through tough times.

Online Exclusive: Click here to read more about Raub’s job search success secrets.

By Cynthia Good

“Keep the faith, don’t lose your perseverance
and always trust your gut.” Paula Abdul