Ideas	Voting results and bounty paid	Comments

We all do it, take a job because it pays the bills and will give us experience or build our resume but with full intentions of leaving as soon as we accomplish the meager task. Then one year turns into two and two into five we have stuck ourselves in a rut in which we feel comfortable but miserable. The feeling of dread everyday as we get ready to walk into those doors and have our creativity and confidence crushed. So they let you go, free to explore those things which you would truly excel. You have the experience, the contacts and the resume and nothing to lose. Produce a killer resume and then start contacting everyone in your network. Let them know what type of opportunity you are looking for and what your needs are. Most people are hired through their own contacts; those recruiting services are really a waste of time. Do some pro bono work for local charities; this will get your name out and show the type of creativity and leadership you possess.
Suggested by Jennifer

You have lost anything. You've gained the world. Go with with it brother. Assessment - When ever and where ever you are in your CAREER, you need to always assess yourself. EXPLORE - your options. PLANNING-How to get where you want to be. ACTION - Do it, get there. EXPERIENCE - you learn and achieve. You did that in the job you lost. You're doing it now as you experience the loss - learn something from this time. You achieve knowledge, insight, skills, all those things people are after in life. Back to Assessment - Always move ahead. It's the ware of our lives. LIVE IT! I wish you all the best of luck.
Suggested by John

Family is a great resource for such an undertaking. Give them your problems, literally. It's a lot less expensive than counseling or psychoanalysis to get you over that word you tore out of the dictionary.
Suggested by John using Word Atoms "Family" and "feelings" ($0.25 bounty each)

If you have them. Get rid of them, they are just a crutch for your emotional need for companionship. Concentrate and reconnect with PEOPLE instead. If you don't have them - Get one. Training and getting to know a new pet can be a life changing experience. Either way the goal is the same - change your life, man.
Suggested by John using Word Atoms "feelings" and "Pets"

Remove yourself from your job, from your comfortable (or not surroundings) the people around you - tell them you are going on a brief hermitage And especially go into the dictionary and remove all the pages from DIR to DISP. Disappointment will then be removed from your vocabulary. Substitue OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH.
Suggested by John using Word Atoms "pushing" and "Remove"

Recreation is a lateral-thinking opportunity. Take your 3 favorite activities, 3 activities you've always wanted to do and 3 activities it never occured to you to ever even attempt. DO THEM ALL! The last 3 first. See what ideas, emotions and lessons come from it. Reinvention through Recreation.
Suggested by John using Word Atoms "Recreation" and "Recreation"

Redo the steps that got you into that darned career that just bucked you off like a neighbor's hammer-head horse. Once you've identified the steps and the feelings that you had back then, choose - either throw all that out and start over or do it all again and see where it gets you.
Suggested by John using Word Atoms "aside" and "Redo"

Lost your job? Take a step back to when you were at home, with your family and the whole world was in front of you. Be curious, find out what drove you forward then. Figure out how to get those same things to drive you forward now.
Suggested by John using Word Atoms "positive" and "Family"

Tension causes us to not think clearly. We get so caught up in the moment that we get outside ourselves for a while. Begin every day with a meditiation and a half-dozen Yoga poses. This will give you a chance to relax into your world every day.
Suggested by John using Word Atoms "Relax" and "there"

First, realize that security is an illusion. Most of us count on the money we get from our jobs to pay our bills, but there is no assurance that you will be employed tomorrow. I keep a list of good local companies that I would apply to tomorrow if I lost my job.
Suggested by Regina

Why did you loose or leave the job? What did you like about it & how will it apply to your new job. I go to the people I liked at the previous job for suggestions about places to hire. I ask where they could see me working. Then I apply for jobs that are a cross of the previous job & there recommendations.
Suggested by Anthony

You've lost your job. The verb in that sentence is *to lose*. You've lost something: something damned important. Feelings of grief, loss, anger, fear, etc. are unavoidable. So give yourself 1 day to be *really depressed*. Get drunk if that's your thing, or watch TV, or sit alone and eat ice cream, or journal, or cry, or break things, or do all the above. Let the feelings of pain and loss have their way with you. And KNOW that after 1 day you will move on. After 1 day, then move on. Get to the gym, stick to a daily schedule, set job search goals, etc. That's all goodness. But first, get depressed.
Suggested by John

You are not your job. You may have a passion for what you do--if so, you should have a career, not a job--but the more closely you identify with a "job", the more severe the loss and dealing with the loss.
Suggested by Robertt

Walking or running on a treadmill can be a great way to mull things over and think about what's happened, what you're responsible for and what's outside of your control. Endorphins are good for you and will help you keep a positive frame of mind through a difficult transition. It's important to maintain some connection to the outside world, not just hole up at home. Who knows, maybe someone you meet at the gym will be your foot in the door at your next company!
Suggested by Annette

Most people who lose a job don't lose their dream job! Make a list of what you liked about the job and what you didn't like. That should help you decide whether you want to look for the same type of job or something very different. Then write a description of your dream job. What would you have to do to get your dream job? Does your dream job require more training? Look at the job loss as an opportunity to find something much better. Finances obviously play a role in your decisions. Come up with a long-term plan. You may decide to take a fill in job while you are getting additional training or just to make ends meet. Having along term plan helps in the decision making process. "Does choosing 'A' take you closer to your goals?" This process helps you take control of your life, reduces stress and puts you in a better frame of mind for the job search ahead.
Suggested by Nancy

It is helpful after a loss, job or otherwise, to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and evaluate what has happened. So often people get caught up in the emotion of the loss (bad boss, finger pointing, anger, poor me) that they do not have access to their rational brain to figure out what happened. Was this a layoff because of a troubled industry? Was I a bad fit for this job? Why? What do I really enjoy doing? What "flow" activities did I find in my last job (if at all) and how can my next job be more like that? Talking to someone on the "outside" of the situation might be able to better provide insight and put you on back on solid ground with a new attitude to move forward. Career consoling / Coaching can be invaluable tool to get the feelings out of your head and on the blank page.
Suggested by chad