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Author: By CONNIE J. MAYSE
Source: Crain's Cleveland Business
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So it's come down to this - a hastily packed box of personal belongings, an empty spot on your key ring, and a sinking feeling. Downsized, right-sized, outsourced, RIF'd - it doesn't matter what you call it, you're out of a job and it's personal.
Now what? If your former employer has offered you outplacement services, you've just been handed a lifeline. I know, your first response is likely to be, "I don't want anything from those (insert expletives here) ever again!" But outplacement is a valuable benefit worth thousands of dollars. Would you turn down free medical insurance during your job search? Not likely. Plus, this is your last chance to get something - anything - from the employer.
What is outplacement, anyway?
"Our job is to help people get better jobs, faster," says Mark Gonska, vice president of outplacement services for Dise & Co. in Shaker Heights. "How to define 'better' is up to you." Outplacement services vary depending upon job level and budget. At the least, you may be offered a one-, two- or three-day seminar with a group of similarly situated job seekers, including resume preparation assistance, interviewing training, and maybe even a videotape of yourself in a mock interview to help you work on your skills. At the high end, outplacement may include office space, computers, voice mail and e-mail, administrative assistance, personal one-on-one counseling, and detailed networking and marketing plans.
What should you expect from your outplacement provider?
Foremost, you should always be accorded courtesy and respect while in outplacement. Expect to meet with a counselor who will ask you about your work and educational background, the types of jobs you're looking for, and what you want in a company. You should be assisted in developing a marketing plan, identifying target companies, and writing a resume that accurately reflects your abilities and experiences. Your outplacement counselor will help you write marketing letters and then help you mine your networking contacts. Consider the outplacement office to be a resource center, enabling you to conduct research on potential employers. And your counselor should be encouraging, cheering you on throughout your search.
Mr. Gonska offers some advice for getting the most from outplacement:
- Use us - Invest the time to learn exactly how your outplacement program can help. Your career is your single most important investment.
- Work purposefully - Work your action plan with a commitment to quality and a high level of energy. Constantly do the things others won't do. For now, this is your job.
- Communicate - Career change is serious business. Your outplacement firm can only help if they know what's happening, so talk with them on a daily basis.
- Expect excellence - You shouldn't settle for less than a top shelf outplacement experience. Let your outplacement firm know your concerns about their staff, office accommodations, equipment or anything else.
- Talk with strangers - Job offers are generated through face-to-face interaction with those who can hire you. Job seekers who meet with more potential employers get more offers.
Here's one way to put your job search in perspective. If you're seeking a job paying $50,000 a year, and you hope to stay for at least five years, you're playing for a quarter of a million dollars. With that kind of investment, shouldn't you make use of every available tool to secure and manage it? Think of outplacement as a tool to manage your portfolio of business skills and abilities into a quarter-million dollar nest egg.
So take the outplacement if offered, and work it as energetically as any job you've ever held. You've nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain.
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Ms. Mayse has 14 years' experience in human resources and employee communications. She may be contacted at
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