WOMEN in BUSINESS - April/May 2009 - (Page 23) pe r s o n A l s k i l l s preparing for a review your employer-sponsored health-insurance coverage and research your options. Also, find out how costly Consolidated omnibus budget reconciliation Act (CobrA) coverage would be as a final alternative. slow down your spending. Don’t buy anything new on credit unless you absolutely have to buy a necessity, such as a car. Preferably, use your credit cards only for small purchases that you can pay off each month to keep your credit rating up. And keep chiseling away at any outstanding credit-card debt. buff up your résumé. if you don’t already have a résumé, create one. you can find examples on the internet and in books. start looking online to see what it takes to submit job applications. Procedures may be a lot different since the last time you looked for work. if you don’t already attend networking events, AbwA is the perfect place to build professional contacts outside of your current workplace. what else do your skills and experience prepare you to do? what else do you want iF you’re noT in The job MArkeT, but you suspect you could be soon, here are some things you should do now to prepare for a possible layoff. try not to become obsessed with worry. even with long tenure and great performance reviews, good workers are let go. Don’t blithely assume it can’t happen. write down your monthly household expenses so that you know what it takes to pay for necessities. take inventory of your savings accounts and know where you have accessible funds, but don’t touch them yet. Try no t worry. to become o b E and gr ven with lon sessed with e good w at performa g tenure n blithel orkers are le ce reviews, y assu me it c t go. Don’t an’t ha ppen. writ ten by DiAne sTAFForD Pink Slip to do? if you don’t know, consider checking out career services offered by community colleges in your area. Hiring a career counselor also is a possibility, but don’t commit to paying thousands of dollars. Attend a job-loss support-group meeting in your area. you will get a picture of what your local job market is like and learn about the reality of job searching from those who are experienced. Pay attention to local business news. Know what industries, professions, or organizations are hiring. brainstorm how you could market yourself to growing enterprises. if you will need a portfolio of your work to show prospective employers, get it together now. when layoffs occur, you could be escorted out with little opportunity to get copies or examples. share your concerns with your spouse or other family members. it’s important to have a strong emotional base to help weather tough economic times. Diane Stafford writes the Workplace and Careers column for the Kansas City star. A p r / M Ay 2 0 0 9 w o m e n i n b us i n e s s 23
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