Facing unemployment after being at the top: impact, job search strategies and crucial competences

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

This work project analyzes the impact of being dismissed, in the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis, for highly-qualified individuals, as well as the strategies they used and the key competences in the job search. Considering the individual impact, it was possible to aggregate the sample in three groups: those who were hurt, those who saw an opportunity and those who kept a “healthy level of concern”. Their personality traits and competences deeply influenced the unemployment period and the strategies used. Being network the most successful one, people who chose a systematic and organized approach were emphasized.