So you have been Downsized, RIFFED, Laid Off, Outsourced, Made Redundant and you are not pleased—to put it mildly. It hurts like hell. It seems embarrassing. It is scary. I have “been there/done that” three times and remember how I felt. I wish it were different for you. It will get better.
What now?
“Danger, Will Robinson, Danger”
Do not:
1. Bad mouth your former employer/boss to anyone who will listen.
2. Destroy company property.
3. Beg to get your old job back.
4. Hibernate, sleep all day, play computer games all day.
5. Send out nasty messages on Facebook and Twitter about the jerks who laid you off.
6. Call all your friends and beg for a job.
7. Hide the news from your family.
8. Surround yourself with others who feel angry and just fuel the negativity.
9. Decide that no one will hire you at your age, with your lack of skills, etc…
10. Beat yourself up about the loss. (If only, I had… or I am such an…)
11. Get drunk or high.
12. Start to send out resumes in a flurry of activity.
13. Hire a resume service that will send out your resume unsolicited to random companies.
Do:
1. Take it slowly. Acknowledge how you feel.
2. Let your family and friends know what has happened and that you might need to vent. Tell them you prefer support to advice.
3. Journal, meditate, take walks, exercise, breathe slowly.
4. Seek professional help if needed. Job loss can be as devastating as death or divorce.
5. Sign up for unemployment benefits if you qualify.
6. See if you can help someone else—it will help you.
Do take it one step at a time. The first step to do is to acknowledge how you feel. A book that I recommend is The Job-Loss Recovery Guide by Lynn Joseph, Ph.D. Her web site can be found at: http://www.joblossrecovery.com. You can order the book or a CD of her visualizations from it. I was pleased to see that you can order her book in e-form and have it right away.
FUTURE OF THE BLOG
This blog is going to take one step at a time on navigating the process of getting a fulfilling new job. I am starting with the lay off, but for readers who have gone beyond this, keep checking in, I will catch up to the stage you are in. I plan to post each Sunday evening and answer questions or respond to comments several times a week. You may also refer to the section of my web site on Steps to Getting the Job that You Want.
PLEASE COMMENT
I would appreciate any experiences, comments or questions that will help other readers. I would particularly enjoy some humorous experiences and success stories. Once a month, I will choose one commenter to contact for a free coaching session.
HOW TO REACH ME
QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
Seek those who can light your fire.
“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into a flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.” Albert Schweitzer
