Have you or someone you know recently been downsized, laid off, or RIF’d? If so, you’re going to want to watch and share this video.

When one is downsized, there is a range of emotions. Some feel betrayed and carry hurt feelings, while others fight with the fear of uncertainty and the reality of lost income. Despite these VERY REAL emotions, I wanted to give you four activities, practical steps, that will pay off after a lay off.

Step 1: Call Your Recruiter Network

The very first thing to do is to call the top few recruiters who specialize in your function and industry. They should be able to give you a snapshot of the market, help you develop a plan of action, and assist you in setting realistic perimeters for your job search. If you’ve chosen the proper recruiters, they should be able to present you some viable options and get the interview train moving quickly.

Step 2: Build a Spreadsheet of Posted Jobs

After those discussions, you’re going to want to go on-line to look at job postings. Notice, that I said look at and not apply to. We are going to circle back to that. As you’re reviewing the jobs that are posted, make a spreadsheet of these openings.

Once you a have a list compiled, the