It is never pleasant to be laid off, but the experience can be a good opportunity to make important progress. Here are some tips to help you come out on the other end in a better position than before the job loss:

1. Don’t withdraw and lose hope in God’s leadership and guidance. Admit, accept, and deal with any anger, shame, or fear, then give those feelings to God so that you can be relieved of them.

2. Don’t forget your gifts, talents, and skills. Assess the talents and gifts you already have. Then, based on these, search the job market for jobs that best fit these gifts, abilities, and talents.

3. Identify your abilities, pray, study God’s Word, and recognize your gifts, talents, abilities, and desires. Allow the Lord to reveal to you the assets with which He has gifted you. Ultimately, God is in control of your life.

Search for a new job

Begin a job search with focused, persistent effort. There are no guarantees for immediate success, but keep going. Seek God’s direction through prayer – it’s essential during this time. Maintain a good attitude, keep the big picture in perspective, and ask yourself whether you really trust God or you just say that you trust Him.

Identify your objective.

Identify and secure resources needed to achieve your objective. Develop a well-thought-out strategy or plan, and network, because the most effective method of finding a new job is through your contacts. These could include family, friends, business relations, business contacts, your local Department of Labor office, and church family.

Sell yourself

The best way to convince potential employers that you are the person they are looking for is to know what gifts, talents, and abilities are your greatest and most marketable assets. Write out the answers to these questions.

1. What are my accomplishments? Include business, career, personal, family, community, cultural, and societal accomplishments.

2. What skills were needed to accomplish them? Separate the skills into primary, secondary, and limited categories.

3. What are my values, principles, personal standards, and ethics? Eliminate from your job search any company where it is immediately obvious that you would have to compromise these values and standards.

4. What are my interests, abilities, skills, talents, desires, and gifts? Separate them into primary, secondary, and limited categories.

5. Concentrate job search efforts on your areas of greatest strength. This shouldn’t necessarily be a time to learn new skills, unless you have enough financial resources to take your time and you have a desire to expand your skills base. Find several companies you’d like to work for and the job position or responsibilities that match your strengths. Contact managers of departments where you’d want to work in the different companies and ask for an interview. If a manager is open to your suggestion, send your résumé, and always follow up later.

Work as unto the Lord

Take literally the principle of work in Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Look to the Lord for a successful job search.

Originally posted 4/12/2013.