So, You Got Laid Off. You're in Good Company

An unfortunate truth about the working world today is that most of us have gotten laid off at one point or another.  I’ve been laid off twice within a one year period.  Luck has not been with me.  It hasn’t been with most people, either.  But since we’re all in this same big boat we have to figure out how best to navigate it through the job search waters.  Ok, not my best analogy but I’ve been baking Christmas cookies all weekend so my brain is still working through a sugar fog.  It was a lot of cookies.  Seriously.

One thing we all experience when we get laid off is the combined sense of loss, guilt, shame, embarrassment and panic.  The sense of loss is something everyone has to work through in their way but the rest of it can be taken care of pretty quickly.  The guilt, shame and embarrassment come out of feeling like we’ve done something terribly wrong to be in this situation.  Maybe we really aren’t good enough in our chosen field or that we screwed something up so badly they decided to give us a severance package and send us on our way.  That’s rarely the case.  The reasons for your being laid off had little or nothing to do with you as a person or an employee.  The decision was made much higher up than you and had to do with economics, not your value as a person.  It took me a while to fully realize this.  Hopefully you can get to that point earlier.  Sometimes I’m slow.  Just know that your worth as an employee is not related to why you got laid off.

The panic that sets in, though.  Now that’s hard.  It keeps you from thinking calmly, robs you of sleep and throws you off emotionally.  It’s beyond stressful when you need a job and don’t have one.  But if you react in panic your job search is going to be less effective.  Panic says, “Lets send out as many resumes as humanly possible, every day, forever until we get a job”.  That’s just not effective.  Hiring managers can see when they’re just part of your mass applications.  Like all of us, they want someone who really wants them (or their company) and not someone who just wants anyone.  Even though you may be panicked, take the time to properly apply for jobs you’re interested in and qualified for.  Tweak your resume for each job and write a fresh cover letter/email for each one.  You may only send out your resume once or twice a day, or even just a few times a week.  But it’s more effective to be focused.  It’s hard when you’re panicking but take a few deep breaths, maybe go for a walk, and calm down.  It’s not the end of the world, it just feels like it.  Besides, that’s not happening until Friday.

So you got laid off.  Things are looking, and feeling, pretty dark.  You’re stressed, worried and panicked.  Just remember, it’s not a reflection on you as a person or an employee.  You’re still a good person, you’re still a good employee and you’re going to prove that to yourself at your next job.  And there will be a next job. And it will probably be better than where you came from.  I know I’m much better off than I was and you can be, too.  It just takes a little time, some focused job searching and a little optimism.  The main point is; Don’t Panic.