The document provides 10 tips for moving ahead in one's career after being laid off or derailed. The tips include: losing feelings of being lost and focusing on your strengths; developing constructive discontent and transforming negative self-talk into positive affirmations; hiring a career coach; embracing difficult emotions rather than resisting them; focusing on possibilities through positive mantras; networking one's "warm list" of contacts; clarifying strengths through assessment; and preparing a new resume for circulation. The overarching message is to thoughtfully reflect on one's skills and potential new paths rather than despairing over setbacks.

1. Ten Tips to help you move ahead Your Career Creator: Daniel W. Crompton Author: Irene Becker

2. Lose the lost. You are not lost, just temporarily de-railed from a career that brings you success and fulfilment. Think about the attributes you have that offer real value. Attributes that have helped you achieve success, attributes and strengths that you can expand upon now.

3. Start to develop constructive discontent. Your ability to feel all those difficult feelings around being laid off and not resist them. Just let them pass, watch them. Be a participant observer of all that you are feeling; and, then refocus on your true goals, your power, the value that you bring to the table…because, it is within you to do so. Try writing down all the negative self talk that is going on internally and transforming each statement into a positive affirmation that speaks to your strengths and your power.

4. Hire a coach to help you move through this difficult time faster. Not only are two heads better than one, but a professional coach will also provide you with a haven from personal and political agendas where you can work with someone who is impartial and dedicated to your success. Marshall McCluhan once said “I do not know who discovered the water, but I am pretty sure that it was not the fish.” Often it is jus not humanly possible to see the opportunities that are right in front of us because we are just too close to our environment.

5. Don’t numb down and dumb down what you are feeling. Fighting all the difficult emotions of sadness, frustration, self doubt, insecurity that are normal and to be expected, may help you create a short term gain, but it is not a sustainable win. Negative feelings that are buried or dumbed down come out ugly in some part of our personal life/career. FEEL, do not resist. Let go of the fear that you will be held hostage by unpleasant emotions, because this need not be so. Unpleasant emotions are part of life, we just have to learn to let them pass so that we can tap into our best self.

6. Embrace a passion for the possible so that you can tell your inner critic, your internal voice of self doubt to take a hike. Create a mantra, a personal mission statement OR a positive affirmation that helps you STOP looking at what was (the past) or worrying about what will be (the future). Stay grounded in the present moment by using your mantra to renew your power, potential, creativity and value. A slogan you can use it whenever your internal critic rears his ugly head.

7. Feel confident, powerful, valuable… Or fake it until you make it. After you have contacted people in your circle, your warm list re potential job opportunities, start getting out and about. Attend tradeshows, conferences, networking groups; and, pretend that you are confident, powerful, valuable even if you do not feel that way. Model consistency by being self confident, dress for success, walk the part by putting being an actor in your own movie, and tell others who you are.

8. Work your warm list. Contact people that you know, and ask them to introduce you to others who will open a new career pathway for you. Don’t be shy, be fearless in finding people who can and will help you.

9. Start with the end in mind. Think about your life purpose, what you really want to accomplish, and how the current job situation may be putting you on a new path that will lead to a new career that speaks to your pocketbook and your soul.

10. Get clear about your strengths Before you hire a resume writer, or re-write your resume…Get clear about your strengths by taking a good assessment around areas of strength and challenge. Assessments are something any good coach will be able to help you with.

11. Don’t despair, prepare. Develop a new and better resume to take you forward faster. Circulate it not only among headhunters and organizations, but look to virtual networking groups like Linked In where you can not only search for a position, but post your resume.