Career challenges (Part III): Picking up the pieces

The right job

Career challenges (Part III): Picking up the pieces

September 24th, 2008
By CareerBuilder blogger in The right job
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Your desk is empty.

The lights are out at your workplace.

And you’re home with a severance package or an unemployment check — and some time on your hands.

What’s next?

Get smarter

Many severance packages are tied to the total number of years you worked at the company. Some of those packages can span over a few months – the length of a semester at colleges and universities.

You may want to consider using this time to expand your skill set by taking classes. These can be credit classes at your local university or continuing education courses offered by colleges, high schools and community groups. Either way, it’s an ideal time to take advantage of a learning opportunity. And you’ll still have plenty of time during the week to focus on your job search and to schedule interviews.

Do your own career assessment

Losing a job can have an enormous impact on your life. And for many people, it acts as a catalyst for them to really think about the direction of their career — or if they’re even on the right career track to begin with.

Take some time to really think about where you are in your career, as well as where you’d like to be. And take a look at some of the following career resources:

Check out CareerPath.com, which has a number of tools to help you assess your strengths and your interests.
Spend time researching salaries of various fields on CBsalary.com, which outlines salaries for various job titles.
If you want advanced help with building a resume, check out CBResume.com, where you can connect with a professional resume writer.