I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack. Any advice in how to start job search? I haven’t looked since university job fairs 15 years ago and don’t know where to start.
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@owl+1a42ANrW agree 100%
At least this time, there is time to prepare for what’s to come. In 2020, those that got PIPed got hit with no warning and no time to prepare (mentally or otherwise).
Assuming the same as in 2020, if a person gets PIPed and leaves, they will pay till the end of October 2021 and that’s seven months away. That’s a long time to get ready (plus six more months of unemployment benefits).
In this industry, waiting until you’re cut to start looking for another job is foolish, IMHO. You should NEVER stop looking for the next job. The day you got hired by EM you should have started your next job search. I know it sounds nuts but in this industry it is the only way to remain employed and self empowered. Good luck to you!
OP I feel the exact thing. Use indeed, LinkedIn
What would you like to do next? Search companies that do what you’d like to do and go on their websites. EM is not worth your health and happiness
I have nightmares most nights because of my work and blood pressure is higher than has ever been. I know two other coworkers who have developed high bp as well so please start looking elsewhere
I’m at the point where even if I don’t get another job shortly I will quit. My health is important and my kids/spouse need me to be ok
Really great comments here. Having just gone through this mess of reinventing myself to find something new beyond O&G and experiencing what OP talks about, it's really important to first take control of your health. That is largely going to determine your ability to perform. If you're feeling sluggish and c-appy physically and/or about yourself, your optimism and outlook is going to suffer, impacting your ability to do things like putting a good resume together or interviewing well. I run and it helped me through all of it (as well as an amazing family and network of professionals and friends). Find whatever activity you can do - running, biking, yoga, spin, HIIT, etc, etc.
One additional thing I had to learn through this process - your PADP/EADS isn't a bad place to start, but remember, what EM likes is not valued by many other companies. You need to design your resume to resonate with whoever you're interviewing for. Cover letters are important too. Unless you're going for a company that explicitly won't accept them like Amazon, do it. Tap into your network to help you craft your resume or give you leads on potential jobs. I did all of this, and it fast tracked the process 100%. In fact, I might still be looking had I not done that. I highly recommend having people outside of EM look at the resume and cover letter. They will help you get the outside perspective so important for resonating beyond the EM bubble we have all gotten accustomed to. You'd be shocked at just how much EM coerces your view of everything.
I want to reiterate another comment on using keywords. SUPER IMPORTANT. Make sure you take many of the keywords in the job description and somehow weave them into your resume / cover letter. What you don't realize in the current situation is that an automated screening tool is being used by almost every employer. It's basically doing a word match to see how closely your experience and expertise matches against the job description. 90+ % of resumes are rejected in this step, so it's super important you are using relevant words and descriptions. Good luck, don't lose hope, you'll bounce back as others have stated. I can tell you that first hand, having just gone through the roller coaster... there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Get out and start exercising. You cannot control who hires you right now but you need to work on the little things you can control like improving your health. Start taking walks and figuring out what diet changes you can make to make yourself healthier. Mastering your own activity and health will go a long way in mastering the challenging avenues of the job search. Good luck.
Be ready to take a pay/benefits cut. If you made $200k after 15-years, they may offer you only $150k because of the market. It may hit your pride but swallow it. Also, be ready to move out of local markets to other states to ride this out. Also be ready to move to other industries other than oil&gas.
All good advice so far. Use your prior EADS / PDS as a start to your resume. Talk with people you know and let them know you’re looking. Apply with them and everywhere else. Practice interviewing, even for jobs you might not be sold on. Just get used to it. Eventually you’ll get something that you’re looking for
OP - I am a relatively old guy (51 years). Experienced hire and got laid off in Feb after 3 years with XOM. I have been laid off before in my career. If you are laid off, let me assure you that you will bounce back. The last thing you want is this temporary setback to get to your health and well being.
The previous poster has great advice about job hunting. There will always be jobs out there and you will land one sooner or later. Don’t lose hope.
I felt the same way when my company cut me. The first thing to do is to put yourself together. Make a list of things like: update resume, write down all 15 years of experience (it helps if you saved your past yearly reviews). companies you want to target for the next job, search for example resumes, search for jobs on linkedin/indeed/monster/google. Write down key words all the key words in those job descriptions and use them to build your resume but make sure you have that experience. You can't BS your way through interviews like 15 years ago.
Go to linkedin and create an account. Find people in your job field and connect with them. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job so the word can spread.
Start applying to jobs once you have your resume ready. Even if you think you don't totally fit into that job, just apply. They may have a different position open and send your resume to other managers within the company. The practice interviewing. Take every interview you get and write down as many questions you remember that they asked you right after the interview. Use these questions as practice questions. It may take a few months to find a job, but you'll find one. You may get depressed, especially when you thought the interview went well, and no one calls you back. Don't worry, you'll get many rejections cause you're competing with all those 10+million folks who are unemployed. But keep going at it and don't give up. Even if it's 6 months, keep going. Don't get lazy since you're getting unemployment check. That will run out before you know it, so keep applying and keep interviewing. Remember, you only need one company to hire you and then you're set. I have been through it, and your emotions will go up and down and up and down. Continue to talk to your family and friends. It helps to talk to someone about what you're going through when searching for a job. They will encourage you. But don't give up.