By Mary Elizabeth Bradford

"The Career Artisan." - Career marketing expert and nationally certified advanced resume writer.

If you have been fired or laid off, make sure that you read the following 10 things you should do (and not do):

1. It may not have been fair, just or your fault, but don’t “go off” on your employer.

2. Your experiencing a wide range of emotions – it’s a grieving process so give yourself time to do that. It may take a day, a week, a month.

3. Give yourself a block of time to decompress. Even if its just a day or two (though preferably longer) make it YOUR time to do nothing, do something fun, be with your family, etc…

4. Make a list of ALL the things you are thankful for in your life. Sometimes during a traumatic event we have a tendency to forget these.

5. Reach out for your friends and family – let them support you. Isolation is NOT what you need right now.

6. Resist any temptation to jump right in to looking for your next job. Again, give yourself (even just a little) time.

7. When you are ready, have a symbolic “moving on” ceremony. It could be a dinner, a day at the spa, a vacation, a day of golf, a conference you have been excited to attend or enrollment in a certification or MBA program. Whatever it is, big or small – it will help I promise! (2-years ago my “moving on ceremony” was a dinner with my husband, complete with a big cake, candlelight and a notepad and pen. We had so much fun brainstorming on all of our goals for the next 12 months and it really helped us to get focused!)

8. Be brave. It will be okay.

9. If the TV is overflowing with negative news, turn it off. Every month millions of professionals are hired. It just doesn’t make the news. Surround yourself with positive reinforcements.

10. Many people have been fired or laid off in their careers – many highly paid and otherwise successful people! Don’t get down on yourself or start interviewing if you feel unusually sad or bitter (this tends to come out in interviews). Look for a support group, a coaching group, a mastermind group, a church group or any group where you can get positive support which helps to keep the negative thoughts at bay.

By the way I am not talking about a group of people to commiserate with – steer clear of those people right now! This will help you more than you know. I speak from personal experience and as someone who is “not a joiner” Just take a deep breath and do it for yourself. I promise you will be glad you did!

"ILostMyJob.com provides information, ideas, and inspiration for people in job transition. If you have lost your job and need additional help, may we suggest you find local resources on our search by state page or browse additional articles in our Get Help library. For tips about how to perform a job search, we encourage you to visit www.careercentertoolbox.com. In particular, these articles talk about having a personal strategy and mistakes to avoid. Please feel free to start your week with our Outlook News podcast at ILostMyJob.com/monday, and to receive information and updates by email, subscribe to our free Job Transition News newsletter. Thank you for your visit, and all the best!"

As you begin to recover and look towards your next amazing career opportunity, you need to make sure that you have the help that you need!  Making sure that you have the right resume, cover letter and job search strategy is an important part to getting back in the game.  Let Mary Elizabeth Bradford assist you with personized career services.  From your resume to your cover letter to amazing job-search strategies and interviewing assistance - The Career Artisan can help!