I experienced a downsizing earlier this year and though initially, it felt like a mourning of sorts, it was an eye opener for the percentage of my career that defined me. I think like a death, it is important to go through all the stages of wondering if as an individual you could have prevented it, controlled the outcome somehow differently, asking quetions of who am I and where am I going.

However, once you go through those motions and take all the immediate steps of refreshing your resume, getting the word out in your network, and unrelentlessly working to find a new role, the most important question I quickly moved to during my initial transision was: "What can I become now?"

Though the lack of control one initially feels can be dehabilitating at first, being "positive" is critical, staying connected to family and friends, and reaching out to your immediate professional network to get the ball rolling forward, For me, it was about turning a transition I did not control into the pieces of it I could control, taking control back. The most empowering feeling in that process is going about normal daily routines, get up in the morning and get showered, do your hair, do your makeup.

Don't focus on sending off resumes to company after company on job board after job board. Really focus on who you know before applying to any position. If you don't know someone at the company, try to network directly before submitting an application. Stand out from the crowd and avoid the job search tactics that everyone else is doing....focus on the companies you really want to work for and then go after them!

I think with the above, the ending is bound to be a happy one!

Posted by Kendra Stewart