Having been without a job, I read with interest “Laid Off More Than Once, and Seeking a Career,” an Aug. 11 article in The New York Times. The author quotes Jim Camp, author of “Start With No: The Negotiating Tools That the Pros Don't Want You to Know.” Camp advises job hunters to deal with multiple layoffs upfront and say to a prospective employer, “Before we even begin, I've been laid off four times in the last five years through no fault of my own. If this is a problem, let me know and we’ll talk about it.”
On the résumé front, the article relies on Cheryl Heisler, president and founder of Lawternatives, which helps lawyers transition to different fields. Heisler suggests that those with multiple layoffs group similar jobs they’ve held under headings rather than listing them chronologically. That lessens the impression of job hopping.
The Times article returns to Camp who adds, “You need to think, [w]hat can I do differently on the positive side? Otherwise it's easy to stay locked in a world of defeat.”
I would add this: There is always one more thing you can do. One more phone call, one more email, one more contact to reach out to. Like a lot of things in life, it is the incremental effort that produces the biggest result.
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