For the tens of thousands who lost their jobs this year, and the millions of others fearing for the jobs they still have, YSN.com’s Jennifer Kushell shares these tips to survive the initial shock — and bounce back like a star.

1. Breathe. Stay calm.
The worst decisions are made under pressure, stress, or in a state of fear. Don’t allow yourself to be rash or irrational; keep your wits about you and commit to making it through this in one piece. Get a sense for what this layoff really means to you and what the real repercussions will be. Assess your safety nets: What are your back up plans? (All the way down to spending time with the folks in your worst case financial scenario.) Hopefully you’ve done enough to guard against that, and if so, take some solace in the fact that you’re prepared to weather a little uncertainty.

Links:
6 Steps to Survive Being Laid Off
Remember to Breathe
26 Steps to Stay Calm when the Situation Goes Bad
7 Powerful Relaxation Techniques

2. Look at this as an opportunity.
You know what they always say, “It’s not what happens to you, but what you do about it.” That might not be what you want to hear right now, but think about it: This sudden change could have a silver lining — so commit yourself to finding it. Take some time for yourself, even just a few quiet hours alone and reflect on all the things you truly liked and disliked about your job. What would you have done differently? Were you there because you had to be, or because you wanted to be? Ask yourself how you can now take the next step learning from your past experience. Is there a chance to take a step up? Or to change industries or careers entirely if you weren’t as happy as you wanted to be? So many times, abrupt changes like this are exactly what people need to get out of a rut and move on to something they’d really love to be doing.

Links:
Find that Silver Lining
Attitude is as Important as Skills

3. Audit your online identity.
Start paying close attention to your reputation management, to the platform that you’ve built for yourself online (if any) and to what new people will perceive about you when they google you. If you don’t like what you see online, or want to take control of that first impression you’re giving off, build a professional identity you can be proud of with a PROJO – your professional mojo. It’s a next generation resume/portfolio that you can share with contacts, add to/promote in your signature line, build out and keep up to date with your latest accomplishments to ensure that when someone searches for you, they find the “goods” on you, but the good!

Links:
Build your PROJO
Clean Up Your Online Act!
Manage Your Online Reputation

4. Stay connected to your network.
You probably have a lot more friends, colleagues and supporters than you realize. Survey your address books, PDA, business card files and social networks to see who’s really in your inner circle and wider network and who might be able to help lead you to some new prospective opportunities. Talk to friends and family and see who they know.

Then start reaching out to catch up with everyone you can. Befriend old friends online, shoot out a bunch of emails, even invite a few for coffee or drinks. Start talking to everyone you can! Ask your contacts who else you should be talking to, then reach out to them. Update your online profiles with the latest news and let people know that you’re actively exploring your options. This is not the time to hide out and wallow. Just make sure you force yourself to smile and at least appear to have a positive outlook for the future! Repeat the mantra to yourself: “onward and upward!”…until you believe it.

Links:
Keep Those Contacts!
Networking Your Way to a New Job

5. Assess your financial situation.
The first serious thing you need to do once you have the ability to think calmly and rationally (see #1) is to figure out the true state of your financial affairs. If you can, sit down with a financial consultant who will know how to ask you the right questions to get a proper assessment. Take a very careful look at any severance (if you’re lucky), benefits packages (like insurance policies, 401ks, etc.) that you may be able to “roll over” from your old company’s plan. (Take care of this right away too!)

Links:
Create a Budget — and Stick to It!
YSN Secrets #20: CAAAAASH

6. Ride the coat tails of senior execs.
If you’ve done a good job of befriending and staying tight with your bosses and other senior management, it might just pay off in real dividends now. Keep in close contact with them!!! The more connected they are, the faster they will probably find their next great opportunities and look to set themselves up for success in their new spot. When that happens, seasoned execs take quick steps to surround themselves with people they know and trust. They build teams from people they know — and that could include you! Make it known that you’re up for the new adventure if you are.

7. Use your leverage.
What can you do to leverage the experience you’ve had so far and the skills you’ve been building? What do you know that others want to? (Besides proprietary trade secrets!) How can you use what you’ve learned to your benefit and to others? You don’t have to play hardball or let your ego run wild to put your experience and expertise to work for you in a positive and proactive way. A great way to do this, and make some quick money, is to do some consulting work. Taking a few projects on will keep you in the game and buy you time to figure out your next move. Who knows, you might actually like it so much you decide to make it your new business!

Links:
Tips to Help You Stand Out in Your Profession
Learn to Understand Your Own Intelligence

8. Open yourself up to new opportunities.
Employment prospects or ideas you hear about from friends and relatives might not sound quite right at first, but give them a chance to explain — and yourself a chance to explore a bit. Don’t limit your attention to a very narrow set of options right after a layoff. Try to imagine yourself working in a whole new scenario and consider whether you might find happiness in some other industry or way than you’d previously envisioned. Ask a bunch of questions…even just to humor yourself. You might actually learn something you never expected or discover a connection to something that does actually fit you.

9. Stay healthy…or make this your big chance to GET healthy.
Whether you’ve been really diligent about taking care of yourself while employed or have totally forgotten what an athletic shoe feels like on your foot, make your health a major priority now. Take the time to sleep, get some fresh air, walk, run, do some yoga — whatever makes you feel your best. The endorphins will help a lot in bringing a smile and positive outlook to your face. You’ll also project more confidence as you go out to pursue other opportunities. You never know who you’ll meet along that run either!

10. Use this as preparation for the next big shake-up in your life.
Right now this might seem like the end of the world, but the good news is that if you can weather this storm, you’ll only be better prepared for the next one. Though we’d like to say this will never happen again, the truth is that life is a cycle of ups and downs, and preparation is the key to surviving it all.

If you are ready to look at the big picture, listen to our Secrets of the Young & Successful podcast series and create the life you’ve always dreamed about — no better time than the present! You can also come and talk to others about what’s happening to you in our discussion forum. You never know where the next great idea or opportunity is waiting…

Good luck!

After the non-stop madness that is our typical schedule here at YSN, getting any time to have a normal life is tough sometimes. For any of you building a business of your own, juggling a family, or relentlessly pursuing your passion…you know what I mean.  It’s amazing to see how many people are putting in double or triple time these days too.  I guess we’re all working like dogs to push our projects further or worst case just keep the lights on. That’s one of the things I love most our network here at YSN.  We’re all out in the world fighting – some to achieve their very first taste of success, others to maintain and build on the things we’ve worked so hard to achieve.

While you may not turn to YSN on a daily basis, we just want to remind you that you have a wealth of resources here to help and a whole family of like-minded members as dedicated to their own success as you are.  We may come from all different backgrounds, cultures, environments, and over 150 countries, but we can be an incredible support network for one another – through the good times and bad.  So, don’t forget that YSN is filled with people whose stories can inspire you 24/7. We also have our Career Q&A section where you can ask questions about new opportunities you’re exploring, or help others.  You can also send your burning questions to ask@ysn.com and one of our experts will post their answer right here on the blog. Don’t forget to add @YSN_CareerSOS on Twitter to get updates on new articles and exciting news!

Bottom line, we’re here for you. Want to help us?  Keep spreading the word about YSN to your friends so we can keep growing stronger.  And hang in there!

Here’s to your success!
Jen

YSN – Expert Advice on Career Advancement and Tools for Professional Development

Lauren Berger, The Intern Queen

I’m Lauren Berger and I’m called ‘The Intern Queen’, a fictional name that I created. I now run a business and live the life I want to live each day as ‘The Intern Queen’. People said it would never happen. They said I could never make a living calling myself ‘The Intern Queen’.  I proved them all wrong. It’s so important to do what you enjoy in life. Work shouldn’t be so much work, it should be something you enjoy, something you’re passionate about. I encourage everyone (young and old) to take a long serious look at their lives and focus on letting your passion drive your career.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself so you can get started!

What are my interests?

I suggest that individuals looking into their first career or looking to switch careers find a listing of all potential fields. Go to any large college website, and find a list of the majors they offer. Circle any that have the slightest bit of interest to you.

When I did this as a freshman in college, I circled public relations, film, advertising, creative writing and meteorology (random, I know).  Doing this exercise eliminates options that don’t work for you and creates more of a focus.

What have I achieved?

Have you won any awards? Done anything that’s been recognized on a larger scale? Have you taken any specific classes for a long time? Are you skilled or trained in a specific area?

Answer these questions to start your passions list. I had won a few writing awards back in the day. I took dance classes for a long time. I had 15 internships and that was the kicker that really stood out on my resume and list of passions.

What do you enjoy?

This is the time to name your hobbies, what you like doing in your spare time.

I really enjoy writing, researching, and meeting new people. I enjoy laying by the pool, making my own schedule, socializing, and going to Barnes and Noble.

What do I enjoy and what makes me unique?

After looking over your list of potential careers and answering the above questions, look over your answers and circled choices. Does anything stand out to you? Are any of your hobbies, your accomplishments unique or make you stand out?

For me this “Stand Out Factor” was my 15 internships. I knew this was different than anyone else, I just needed to find out how to create a business around it.
I asked my friends on Twitter what they thought about doing what you love:
geointlinc@InternQueen because life is short. Do what you love.

sabrinareid@InternQueen It’s best to do what comes easiest to you. That way you will have the maximum potential to be @ the top of your industry.

CrisN73@InternQueen because it is what will take you up the career ladder and enjoy it along the way

LaurGrob@InternQueen doing what you love gets you through the times there are few other rewards ($) for your work (like in a crummy economy).

kaneishnorthern@InternQueen Because when you do what you are passionate about, you will never work another day in your life!

lindsayglatz@InternQueen if you do what you love it never feels like work. You will achieve great things if you focus your energy on your interests.

jjaime@InternQueen because you get bored, unmotivated and finally stop being productive. And above all you are unhappy.

JohnExley@InternQueen It’s important to do what you’re passionate about in your career b/c you’ll probably out-perform those who are purely $$-driven.

rachelesterline@InternQueen If you aren’t passionate, then you won’t be willing to be put in the effort needed to become great.

BiancaMercedes@InternQueen think about all of the classes you took in college and hated… Now think about the ones you loved. I aced the ones I loved

Lauren Berger is called “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her 4 years of college. Lauren is the expert on everything internship-related and she actively pursues opportunities to help educate Students, Parents, Professors, and Employers about internships.

Early in my career, after I’d helped my first few hundred people discover new career paths, businesses and organizations to launch into, I found myself wondering why different industries fascinated me so much. It didn’t matter whether the topic was entertainment, finance, apparel, aerospace, publishing, technology, food service, fitness or stranger stuff like neutraceuticals, biofuels or nanotechnology! Every industry was a totally different world that had different experts, jobs, media, events, publications, education centers, trends, definitions of success, terminology and even dress codes! And every single one was packed with opportunities as limitless as your imagination.

As if all that wasn’t intriguing enough, there were endless ways you could find or invent opportunities in any combination of industries. For example, take animals. With a traditional eye, you’d probably think your career options might include pet stores, veterinary medicine, breading and boarding. But cross a love of animals with all the other ways you could serve them and their owners and you get clothing for pets (apparel), gourmet pet bakeries (food service), organic health supplements (neutraceuticals), magazines and books (publishing), animal tracking devices (technology), and so on. With a little creativity you could have a field day coming up with ways to play in this world.

Then one day, my good friend Bob Cohen from the Harvard Office of Career Services explained to me the difference between “function” and “industry.” Simply put, function is what you do, industry is where you do it. Your industry, he explained, is your playground. It’s the world where you can have the most fun doing what you do best.

I realized right then that one of the biggest things holding people back from loving what they do is not knowing what industries they should (or should I say want to) be in. And the simplest way to figure this out, if it isn’t already obvious, is to get someone to think about what they love doing. If you love playing video games, consider working in the video game industry. If you love music, there’s a whole other industry to play in. What you do in that industry is a question of function. You can be a writer in any industry, right? You can be doctor in any industry. An accountant. A teacher. A marketer. A salesman. The world really is like one big candy store of options and opportunities! You just need to find your industryxthen dive in.

Once you’ve identified your playground, it’s just a matter of getting yourself into the middle of all the action. Join the trade associations, subscribe to the blogs and newsletters, buy the top magazines, attend the conferences and events, follow the hottest experts and stay on top of the trends. For more information on how to Master Your Universe, check out the 10-minute podcast from our NY Times Bestseller, Secrets of the Young & Successful.

Think of your industry as your playground and this powerful secret of the young & successful will cause a paradigm shift that can instantly turn your career exploration into an adventure.

I’ve been sharing this article with family and friends, who are worried about the state of the economy, to help keep them motivated!! Here are some highlights from Jennifer Kushell:

“In thinking about the current job market, your best bet is not to get emotional, but stay practical and challenge yourself to be very proactive about building and sustaining your new career.”

With the mindset that this economy is actually a great opportunity for those just now launching their careers, what should you be doing to keep that advantage?

Here were my favorite tips:

• Look the part.
• Think like an economist
• Act link an entrepreneur.
• Be a maverick. – “Down markets like this often spawn some of the most highly successful people and biggest success stories. Stay sharp and jump at the opportunity that’s out there. This is when you need to be a maverick and fight for your future and your career. Don’t take anything for granted.”

Copy and Paste this link into your browser to read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-828-Entry-Level-Careers-Examiner~y2008m11d14-Unemployment-rate-reaches-65-percent