None of us ever want to be unemployed. Unfortunately, the reality is that it happens. I’m one of those who had reality slap me in the face when I was let go from my job last month. Disappointing? Sure. But, it was also a perfect time to refine who I am and what I really want to do.

What did I do?

I spent the first few days developing a plan of action and started to strategize my next steps. Think you can’t do a SWOT analysis on yourself? WRONG! Take any public relations-centered term and you can put it to use in your job search. Here’s what I did in the first weeks of being unemployed.

Research-I did Google searches and talked to trusted colleagues who are now out on their own to see what was out there and how I could market myself.

Strategy- If I wasn’t going to be working in the office setting full-time, I needed to know what I wanted to do and how it would work for me. Much like you do strategy sessions with clients, I took a critical look at where I wanted to go.

Key Messages- If someone were to ask you to define who you are in three concise sentences, could you do it? Being unemployed is a perfect time to define yourself.

SWOT analysis- Yes, I wasn’t just throwing the term out there earlier. I actually looked at my strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats. It helped to clear up where I was going and what roadblocks I could encounter.

Pitching- Think about it. When you have to pitch a client to a producer or reporter, it needs to be compelling and newsworthy, right? The same can be said when pitching yourself for a new job or solo work.

Most importantly, don’t give up. You will hit some bumps, but with these five tips in your corner, you should feel more confident of your success.

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