Keep both chins up - It will happen

The idea of searching for a job in this economy is daunting. The interplay between jobs that are disappearing and new ones created to take their place is heavily weighted in favor the disappeared. Add to that the reality of being at the stage of life where your chin is plural (double), in other words sixty years old, it becomes uber daunting.

Its easy to get caught in no man's land when it comes to strategy. Total networking, a form of salesmanship, or internet/Linked-in. Do search companies (employment agencies) work? Just how do you connect with the right people when you've never met them?

Rule 1 has to be, find a strategy that keeps you engaged and refreshed. The two are not mutually exclusive. Even if you never had a tendency towards depression before, you are vulnerable during times of job loss. Sliding down that hole is a bigger obstacle than anything because it is the first thing that happens to the job seeker.

First, concentrate on the fact that this is not your fault. You were not fired, you were laid off. There wasn't anything you could have done to prevent it. It was out of your hands. When you accept that, you will have conquered the 800 pound gorilla in the room with you.

Second, develop a strategy for focusing on something outside of the job search. It has to be something you do everyday as a mental and spiritual vacation. Mediation, yoga, an exercise routine, writing, something that you can accomplish and refresh your mind.

Third, talk to your spouse. This is a time of your life where you don't have to be meeting the next deadline, living up to the bosses expectations, making sure the next performance evaluation has a snowballs chance in hell of including a raise. Your spouse is your biggest fan and also a resource. The time focused on each other is a means of recharging your spirit.

Fourth, seek out people that know more than you do. Ask them how to search, where to search, what is out there to go after. The tendency toward isolation is in all of us.
Resisting isolation will bear fruit in the sense that while you are asking the questions, you are also networking. You are in the job hunt, activley pursuing a resolution to your employment and having some success doing it in another persons presence.

Notice I didn't give any advise about the search itself. The foundation of the search process is the searcher. A clear, informed mind will find a solution. The process is important but has to be executed by that clear committed mind. Taking care of your mind, your outlook on the situation, and utilizing that wondrous asset on the couch next to you (spouse) is the beginning of it all. And this time of your life is only temporary. REALLY HONEST TO BRETT FAVRE WITHOUT A DOUBT