Day 6 Decide when you will begin your job search

If you are released or laid off from a job with a severance package you may feel like you owe it to yourself to take a few months off before beginning your new career search. Weigh the pros and cons of postponing your job search before you make that decision.

To some extent the circumstances surrounding your termination may dictate how much time to take off before starting your search. As I mentioned in my first blog, I was caught off guard by my termination. I knew there was a good chance that I would be let go or that I would leave on my own but I thought it would be another six months before the employer or I would make that decision.

I was stunned when I learned that I was going to be let go. Two or three weeks passed before it was officially announced to my co-workers and the public. Nearly a month passed before I felt emotionally and physically ready to start my job search.

Set a time limit for how much time you need to transition from your old job to the starting date for searching for a new one. Get rested. Recover emotionally but decide when you you are going to start looking. Chances are, especially if you are over 45 that it is going to take longer, much longer than you think to find work. Be intentional about resting then be intentional about starting your job search.