Layoffs Suck; Here's How to Get Back On Your Feet

Mass layoffs have grown in popularity in recent years. To the point where in a lot of large companies, the seemingly endless rounds of layoffs can feel like you're playing layoff roulette. Layoffs are one of those things in life that before 2020 people did not talk about. Partly because the economy was doing great and partly because getting laid off is accompanied with the feeling of shame and self-doubt. If you somehow evaded those emotions while being laid off, you clearly do not need this blog, but for everyone that faced that feeling, this blog is here to tell you how to get back on your feet.

July 23rd, 2020, I was working for a company that was struggling due to a slowly failing economy. We were all sent home to work full time due to the pandemic. Work slowly started to get slower, everyone in the company began feeling uneasy. That morning, we had a townhall meeting (Virtual of course) the president, let us know that the company was going to be alright, however we were not going to get bonuses that year.

Disappointed and understanding, I was convinced that my job was secure, so after the meeting, I went on about my work. Shortly after the meeting, I got a call from the president, the CEO and HR. I almost didn't answer the call, I couldn't think of a reason for the President to call me. To my surprise, I was laid off and for nearly 3 months, I faced rejection after rejection. During that time, I only spoke to my closest friends and family, and I never posted the now famous "please help " LinkedIn post. It hurt and it was hard to keep my spirits up. 4 years later, and I can now say, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  Let me tell you how I got where I am now.

THE STAGES OF GETTING BACK ON YOUR FEET

Stage #1: Like with most things, the first step is the hardest. Stage one is acceptance. It is hard to accept what is happening to you, you've given so much of yourself to company and suddenly you don't make the cut. There's no two-week notice, but if you're lucky you might get a severance package. It sucks, I know, but even though it might feel like you were just fired, you weren't. There are a couple of key differences between being fired and laid off.

• The #1 difference is you were not let go because of any fault of your own. You were let go because the company couldn't afford to keep you and it was likely you weren't the only one. Most companies have a policy on how they decide who gets laid off, sometimes it’s because they are paying you too much, sometimes it’s because you were the last to be hired, the list goes on. When you're fired, it is usually because of an action you took or did not take.
  

• The #2 difference which is the most important is, you can qualify for unemployment when you get laid off and, in many states, you can't qualify for unemployment when you get fired. Apply to unemployment here.
  

• The #3 difference is it is not as hard to find a new job after being laid off.

Stage #2: Conquering self-doubt. It's important to dismiss the negative thoughts that creep in.

• Why wasn't I good enough? You are good enough; you just have bad luck.

• Why didn't they keep me?  Because they couldn't afford your talent.

• How will I recover from this? You will come back stronger than a Dandelion in the summer.

• Will I ever find another job? You've got to eat one way or another.
  

Try replacing the negative thoughts with positive thoughts:

• I can't wait to see where this leads me!

• I bet this is a blessing in disguise

• I was looking for a change and now I get a chance to find a new challenge

Stage #3: Growth, this is a great time to start healthy habits and a new perspective

• Start a workout habit if you don't already have one, completing a workout can give you the sense of accomplishment that you need to get through the day and avoid depression

• Build a daily routine, have set times to wake up, eat, apply to jobs, workout, practice, mindfulness, learn a new skill, and go to sleep

• Come up with a plan on how you can avoid being in the same position in the future.

Stage #4: Pulling it together, unfortunately you can't live off of negative feelings alone, so you've got to get back into the job market or start a business.

 Getting back into the job market;

• Update your resume

• Refresh your LinkedIn, you can even use the green open for work banner to make yourself easier to find

• Reach out to all of the recruiters that you have respectfully declined while you were working at your old company. (They may know of an opening that is perfect for you)

• Start applying for jobs that interest you. You can find them on:

• Company websites

• Recruitment Agencies

• Job Boards

• Prepare yourself for interviews

• Make yourself look good (If you worked in an office and you already have fresh professional clothes great no need to buy new clothes, but if you haven't worn a blazer in a couple of years you may want to go buy one)

• Start interviewing, you're not going to get every job and that’s okay, not every job is for you.

• Assess the job offer, when you do eventually get the job offer, make sure it’s an offer that you're willing to take before you sign the paper just to say you have a job.

• Start your new job

Starting a business

Although being laid off isn't the ideal time to start a business, below are the steps you would follow. Keep in mind that you may not make money right away, so you need to be sure that you will not starve while trying to get your business off the ground.

• Assess your skills, savings, and responsibilities

• Develop a business plan

• Get a business license

• Open a business bank account

• Buy the proper equipment

• Open for business

Now that you've got an action plan and you feel better about yourself, it’s time to spring into action. Though being laid off may have felt like a setback, in reality, it was a reset.

You've got this,

Ms. Sunflower