Have you ever been laid off or are you concerned this might happen now? Many employers do actually care about what happens as people look for new jobs. They can engage another company to provide job search resources such as resume writing or interview coaching. This is called “outplacement”.
You might get something like $2,500 of job search assistance to be used within six months. You should take advantage of this because the company pays, not you.
LARGE COMPANIES:
Programs can be set up that are helpful. But they are usually standardized, not personal. That is why some people come to me. But I always suggest that they get the services available, and then come back to me for more individual help.
SMALL to MIDSIZE COMPANIES:
These companies might not have the funds to set up a large program, but there are alternatives.
A nonprofit had to lay off 40 people so they engaged me to provide both writing and coaching services. They offered four hours of my time. It was be used whatever way would be the most helpful.
ONE-OFF:
Sometimes employers want me to help an individual. For instance, one company let go an employee who had worked there for 24 years. She did really need help because she had no idea how to look for a job.
CONFIDENTIAITY:
I always keep confidentiality with my clients, regardless of who is paying. I will not go back to the company and share our conversations.
NEGOTIATING for SEVERANCE PACKAGE:
For a large company, the program is set up for you and you probably don’t have a way to negotiate anything. But it never hurts to ask if you are with a small or mid-size company.
WARNING: It really is “use it or lose it”. One of my clients was upset about being laid off so he just walked away. But then he realized he had services available, he didn’t pay attention, and the time period had passed. Now he was paying me for some help that might have been available to him for free.
You can schedule a call at no charge if you think you might be able to laid off soon. We can discuss how I can help you negotiated for some of these services.
