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Layoff Recovery
Losing your job by any means including getting laid off or
even worrying about a layoff can turn your life upside down. Here
are eleven strategies, far beyond polishing your resume and taking
advantage of company and government unemployment benefits, which
will help you survive a layoff and come out the other side.
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Allow yourself
time to mourn the job loss.
Our jobs are often a large part of our identities and losing the
job challenges who we think we are. A typical mourning process
may follow these steps: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and
acceptance. Recognize when you are in mourning and work your way
through it. Do what you can to get to acceptance. You probably
will not like the situation but when you accept it, you open the
door to putting more energy into recovery.
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Be honest with
yourself and others.
This is not your fault. You got caught up in layoffs just like
hundreds of thousands of others every year. Hiding the facts just
makes it harder to follow through on recovery.
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Focus on the
positive.
Work to keep a positive attitude with yourself, your family, your
friends and your network. Everyone knows you have every right to
be upset but you will get more of what you concentrate on.
Concentrate on the good things you still have in your life and
strive to create more. One tactic is to create a list of all the
good in your life and all the good things you have done. Keep
this handy so when your spirits fall, read the list. It’s better
than coffee to perk up your self-esteem. Your attitude, good or
bad, shines through.
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Make layoff
recovery your new job.
Use the time you have to work on finding a new job into a job.
Start by just making a plan to get through one day to the next and
then develop it into a detailed plan that engages all your
resources to take you where you want to go.
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Look for new
opportunities.
If you are like 75% of people, you may have been deeply
dissatisfied with your job at some point in time. Consider what
you want to do differently and use this as an opportunity to try
to find something that better suites you. The fact is you are
being forced to change. Try to capitalize on that. Be cautious,
however, of trying to completely reinvent yourself. It takes time
to build skills, experience and a resume that you can sell to
potential employers.
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Invest your new
“free time.”
Now that you
are not working, you may be uncomfortable with 8 to 10 hours of
time that was previously filled up with work. This can be both
boring and distressing. A good way around this challenge is to
make a plan to use your time in ways that will take you closer to
reaching your goal of a new job and are enriching to your mind and
soul. Make time an asset and invest it well.
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Set aside 1
to 8 hours a day for job hunting: this is you new job so work at it – make sure you are moving
forward on your plan
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Take on
part-time work:
don’t be afraid to supplement your income with jobs related to
your profession or even those that you normally would not have
considered
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Invest in
education:
read a library book or go back to school
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Donate to
good causes:
helping others is a great way to help yourself – donate your
time and skills - volunteer
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Do some
things that are enjoyable:
enjoy friends and family or do other things that are both
enriching and enjoyable. Just don’t spend money.
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Mind your
money.
The loss of income is second only to the potential loss of
self-esteem with a layoff. One of the great challenges of a
layoff or other job loss is that you probably have no good idea of
how long you may be out of work. Yes, some will infringe on your
lifestyle but look at this as an investment in avoiding bigger
financial problems. Here are three things to do monetarily to try
to reduce the stress of lost income:
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Cut expenses
drastically:
no more lattes, stop the cable, sell the big car, eat at home,
etc. There are at least 30 things in your life that you can
trim. Make a list.
-
Replace
income:
beyond unemployment, work whenever and wherever you can. Use
your job and life skills to find work.
-
Stop losses:
cut out waste in your life. Recycle and reuse.
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Network,
network, network.
This is part of your new job. Every day you must make contact
with at least one person. There are some great strategies for
networking so hit the library and the net and read about how to do
it effectively. Networking well is a skill. The more you learn
about how to do it, the more effective it will be for you.
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Talk with your
friends and family.
It may be tempting to withdraw from the people who are close to
you but this is the wrong thing to do. Let them know that it does
bother you but that you are committed to making the best of it and
you will appreciate their help and support. Keep them informed,
as appropriate, on your job search. You never know how they might
be able to help you beyond providing moral support.
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Accept the need
for change and compromise.
The only guarantee you have right now is that nothing will ever be
the same. You may actually come through this with a better job
and a better life but it will be different. Be willing to let go
of the past in favor of the future. Understand that sometimes it
is almost impossible to meet or exceed the old salary and working
conditions. Consider the stage of life you are in and use your
best judgment when making new life and job choices.
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Persevere.
Perseverance may be hard to come by at times but going on is a
demonstration of a good work ethic and commitment. Even in the
later days of a long search you can point out how hard you are
still working and how that will help your prospective employer.
Layoff recovery summary
Layoff lay off, downsized, fired, rightsize, reduction in
force, severance, mass layoffs, and a pink slip: they all add up to
personal job trouble.
Recovering from a job loss begins and ends with what and
how you think about yourself. Your job is what you do not who you
are. Apply these strategies to make the best of this bad
situation. Yes, it’s work but getting a pink slip is does not have
to be the end of the world…it just feels like it sometimes.
With hard work, perseverance, a positive attitude, and, yes, a bit
of luck, you can get through this and prosper.
Steven C. Martin
Business Solutions – The
Positive Way
www.profitpro.us
Here are some resources for you if you have been caught in a layoff...going
or surviving.
U.S. Department of Labor Layoff
Services
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