You’ve Been Fired; How Do You Get Your Personal Brand On Track? (By Request)

Whether you lost your job yesterday or four years ago, the feeling of ineptitude is quite crushing and can drive you straight into depression.  Are you so anxious that you are unable to sleep?  Are you so discouraged that you are wasting the day away watching TV, strolling through your social media feeds, stalking frenemies on Facebook, schmoozing with your friendly bartender at your favorite watering hole?  Do you recognize yourself or a loved one, Dear Reader?  At the request of a member of the Branding24Seven community, here is a roadmap to help anyone who is struggling to manage such a stressful crisis. 

Being fired is akin to losing your raison d’être. Plain. And. Simple.  Think about it…. As much as we love to complain about the daily grind and however bruising it can be, our jobs give us a sense of purpose.  For that reason, when one becomes unexpectedly unemployed, one is likely to experience a whirlwind of feelings that are rarely positive (especially if one was running low on savings, to begin with, or one’s severance package was not as generous as anticipated)!  It is easy to feel frustrated, depressed and discouraged. 

Consequently, this blog suggests that you reintroduce order in your life by establishing a daily routine or a work schedule.

Yes, you have heard right, losing a job does not mean that you are unable to be productive Dear Readers! Au contraire, it is the moment to find a better way to be productive and, in the process, finally bring fulfillment back into your life.  Why can’t you live your best life?  Well, there is no better time than the present; this blog is speaking it into existence for everyone who feels stuck…. Right. This. Minute!

Let’s start with bringing order to your life in broad strokes. Consider addressing the three usual suspects immediately:

1) Be even more physically active (a must since you probably have no health insurance),

2) Maintain a healthy diet,

3) Cultivate better sleep hygiene (you can read more about sleep hygiene from the National Sleep Foundation here).  

The idea is simple: this blog is inviting you to shift perspective and treat this present setback as a new starting point.  Indeed, you have the golden opportunity to let go of terrible habits you might have acquired while being chained to your desk for years on end in that previously held position you were just let go from unexpectedly!  This is the time to focus on yourself, to fight for what you want, and to chase it fearlessly!

Now, comes the hardest thing: organizing your time more effectively.  This blog encourages you to look at you newly found free time as a regular 8-hr workday and divide it into dedicated purposeful blocks:

• A FITNESS BLOCK because this blog believes that a fit body calms the mind, increases focus, and brings about a more positive outlook on life; 
• A WORK-RELATED BLOCK that you organize as you see fit depending on your professional aspirations and dreams; 
• A SOCIAL BLOCK where you are networking relentlessly!  It is in staying connected and interacting with people from different circles that you will successfully fight the urge to remain cloistered at home lamenting the sad state of your current affairs.

Now that you have established a productive daily routine, the time has come to define the nature of the work you ought to accomplish. Think about planning your work block as strategically as possible since you are probably not in the enviable position to rely on glowing references.  

Therefore, this blog suggests you take matters into your own hand and create your own opportunity for glowing reference by cultivating your talents for all to see on the internet. 

This blog is not suggesting that your work block is spent writing resumes and submitting applications endlessly wherever possible.  In reality, that’s more busywork that will not yield the results you may be looking or hoping for: mainly to get a better job.  Instead, Dear Readers, think about the work block to be centered around one single objective: present prospective employers/clients what you can do for them! 

Now, this is not the moment to let doubt scare you off into a full-blown anxiety attack. Instead, think the sky is the limit and visualize yourself soaring!  Also, consider exploring unexpected such as avenues posting videos on YouTube, curating an artistic portfolio on Instagram, or making a LinkedIn profile extremely dynamic by posting presentations.  Whatever the social media medium you choose, remember that the goal is to put your talents on display for all to see.  

And there you have it, Dear Readers!  Let us know in the comments below if there is anything else you would like this blog to explore further.  Better yet, why not share one tip that has helped you survive a similar crisis with the Branding24seven community?  

As always, this blog is here for you to engage in scintillating discussions and find new avenues to make your brand as dynamic as possible. Thank you for stopping by and keep fighting the good fight!

We are not on social media but here is how you can get in touch:

Email

jms@branding24seven.com

Address

JMStrategy LLC

21 S. 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107