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# Some well meaning job loss advice is wrong ...
- URL: https://katecarruthers.com/some-well-meaning-job-loss-advice-is-wrong/
- Published: 2008-10-14T08:35:00.000Z
- Updated: 2008-10-14T08:35:00.000Z
- Author: Kate Carruthers
- Tags: ideas, #Migrated-1775015344493, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-04-01 14:49

![](http://www.mises.org.br/images/articles/2008/Maio%202008/Will-Work-for-Food.jpg)

Lots of sites are starting to dish out ideas about how to handle losing your job. This one in the [Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/11/AR2008101100250.html?ref=katecarruthers.com) is a good example, suggesting that the best thing to do is to wait until you've lost a job and then "Start the climb back by rebuilding your self-image."

Nice advice, but I think wrong. Your job is your passport to living the life you want. The resource that enables you to get a job is you, together with all your skills, competencies and experience.

But the work starts long before you lose a job - and it starts with:

- taking an inventory of your skills and capabilities
- keeping your resume up to date with recent achievements
- joining appropriate industry bodies & networks
- identifying knowledge gaps & planning to fill them
- participating in networks & forums both online and offline
- getting to know other people in your industry

If you wait until the moment you lose your job to do all of these things you are at a disadvantage. Even if lucky enough to get a good redundancy payout the negative feelings associated with losing your job still hit with force. Also you might not have the financial or emotional resources to undertake these activities after a job loss.

Far better to be prudent and be ready - ready to take advantage of new opportunities as well as dealing with a job loss. As they say "Always plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark."

\[\* Richard C. Cushing \]