I quickly left the store and hurried back home to my desk,
which was cluttered with different versions of my resume, piles
of notes from calls I’d made, and a honey-do list that I was
actually adding to myself.

     I lost another night’s sleep later, but not because I was tired.
Instead, I was nervous, unsettled, and anxious to talk to people
and look for things to do to keep me busy.

A Faint, Scared Look

     I was unemployed. I had no direction. My family, who was
providing all the moral support they could muster, had a faint
scared look in their eyes. We never talked about being scared,
but we knew we were. Our conversations were filled with both
hope and with anger towards the company that had put us there.
And we latched onto the old expression that “something good
will come out of it; you’ve just got to have faith.”

     And it was the faith that got us through—faith in oneself, in
family, and the faith in a higher power. Faith has an unbelievable
impact during these redefining moments in our lives. It is a time
when we have an opportunity to reinvent ourselves, to think
about all the things we ever wanted to do, and often to over
think all the what ifs.

     It is a time when ego is overcome by humility, and courage
is driven by fear. I had quite a few sleepless nights during that
period in my life. And I reinvented myself for the better, which
culminated in, strangely enough, the opportunity to write this
article in this magazine.

A Lesson in Humility

     The psychiatric community says that this period of time is
one of the top three most stressful events in our lives. Death
of an immediate family member and divorce are the other two.
They also say that it is the time when we change the most as
individuals. To me this time was the ultimate lessen of humility.
That is what unemployment truly is—a lesson in humility.

     It is a time when you find out who your true friends are or
are not.
     It is a time when you must focus and force yourself to find
answers and solutions.
     It is a time when you are ultimately alone and self-awareness
rules the day.
     Unemployment is not a condition; it’s not a state; it’s merely
where you are at a particular point in time. How you conduct
yourself during this point in time is critical to how you pull out.

Working the Process

     Conducting a job search is in actuality a simple investigative
process. And as trained investigators, the process will unfold as
you conduct your search.

     It starts with the obvious development of a resume and
contact list, which includes your friends, acquaintances, vendors,
retailers you’d like to work for, and any company in your city that
has a loss prevention or security function.

     Yes, this is the time to consider alternatives, such as going
over to the dark side to become a vendor. It’s a time to consider
contract security firms, the banking industry, the manufacturing
industry, and maybe even changing industries all together and
doing something totally new.

     But all of it will be determined by how hard you work
the process and how open your mind is to new possibilities.
Flexibility here is the key; it is what will pull you out the quickest.
The more limitations you have, the longer it usually takes.

Your Job Is to Find a Job

     In today’s economic reality, when you’re unemployed you
must be flexible on your salary, your title, and your geographical
preferences. You have to approach your search as a full-time job
and work it just like an investigation with the obvious similarity
of trying to find where it is.

     Your job is to find a job and in that vain you must contact every
single individual you can think of who is even remotely connected
to the industry and get them a resume and follow up.

     Work the Internet, the recruiters, vendors, retailers, and, most
importantly, think outside the box. Develop follow-up letters,
thank-you letters, introduction letters, and keep good investigative
notes that will help guide you along the way. Welcome to the world
of cold calls where freezing up shadows you.

Interviewing and Negotiations

     Certainly the most critical of all the areas of this process is how
you interview. Much has been written about the subject, which we
strongly recommend you read.

     Interviewing is an art and, quite frankly, being a trained
interrogator does not mean you’ll be a good interviewee. And in
some cases it actually works against you. Therefore, educating
yourself on interviewing might be a wise investment.

     Much has also been written about negotiating an employment
package. But leave it to say that if you’re unemployed, you are
dealing from a position of weakness. One must be realistic, aware
of the obvious cost of living variances, and appreciative. Here are
three rules to consider:

Always respond enthusiastically to the first offer, regardless of 
what it is, and ask for time to consider the offer.  Ask for the
benefits and relocation details before you respond to the initial offer.
If you’re going to ask for more, then be conservative and work on the
base only.  Once that’s established, you are home free, and the rest
shouldn’t matter.

     Just remember you’ll probably have to sacrifice somewhere.
Because it is those who sacrifice the most that will go the furthest
and the quickest.

     The good news is that the bloodletting for the industry is slowing
down and, quite frankly, there may even be a slight up tick in LP jobs
the remainder of the year. But the number of jobs we’ve lost this year
has been alarming and many will not find their way back.

     So, the question is, “Where do the ones go who lost their way?” I
wish I had the answer.