Small Business

Six Essentials to Prepare for Your Next Job Search

By Dave Johnson

Updated on: June 22, 2009 / 11:54 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

From what I hear, the rate that pink slips are being passed out is falling, but it's still pretty nasty out there. If you've been caught in the Economic End Times, I've got six tips for dealing with your imminent layoff and the hunt for the next job.

Don't be shy -- tell your social networks. Are you on LinkedIn? Facebook? Twitter? Spread the word. Best case, your announcement will generate some freelance opportunities to tide you over, or actual leads to a viable job offer. Worst case, you'll get some sympathy from friends and acquaintances. Heck, maybe I was wrong about social networks.
It's resume time. Think about three ways to pitch yourself and create a unique boilerplate resume that speaks to each of those visions of your next job. As you apply to specific positions, you'll have an easier time fine-tuning your resume if you base your response on one of those semi-customized templates.
If you're a creative type, like a Web designer or a writer, capture your online work in a format that doesn't depend upon someone else's server. Make screenshots or PDFs of anything awesome you created for your job before they pull it offline or, perhaps, themselves go bankrupt and go to the great 404 in the sky. You can make your best examples part of the portfolio you assemble for your next job search.
Ping your freelance clients and let folks know that your shingle is out. I'm not talking about people you worked with last year. I'm talking about anyone you worked with or for in the last decade. Dig deep into your Sent mail and your archived PST folders.
Update your Web site. You probably haven't touched it in months or years, and now you've got both some spare time and a reason for it to shine. Showcase your portfolio and highlight the work you're most proud of. Make sure it's in great shape to sell yourself to anyone who might happen to visit.
Do something utterly indulgent. And be sure it costs money. After all, you might have lost your job, but a hurricane didn't just rob you of your every possession. Ideally, you want to do something that'll help you on your upcoming job hunt: Buy a new suit, get an iPhone or a snazzy new netbook. Get your hair done. But this last step is part morale booster, too, so it can as irrelevant as a nice dinner or an Xbox. Remind yourself that the world hasn't ended.

While you're updating your resume, check out six words you should drop from your resume and five common resume mistakes you need to fix. Good luck on that job search.