Article Category: Career Advise
By Holly McClure Ambrose"Laid off" always seemed to me to be a nice way of saying you'd been fired. As a kid growing up in the rust belt, I had family and lots of friends whose parents had been laid off from the steel mill.
But it's different when it happens to you. Instead of the words sounding nice, now they sound patronizing to me. (Please, spare me the niceties.) It's just hard to accept that your job has disappeared.
In my case, the company I worked for was purchased by another company--a start-up in another state. People in both companies were excited about what was happening. Together as one company, we'd position ourselves as the top experts in our field, with the Web sites to prove it.
Then only about five months afterward, the company decided to close the office in our state. The dream vanished for me. People in the company were scrambling. We all had three weeks to make the transition.
Without detailing each scenario demonstrating how unfair and hostile I believe the company treated those who were laid off, I can just say it could have gone more smoothly.
"The layoff gave me the gift of time. I had time to think about my next move and about the kind of work I wanted to do next, and I had time to strengthen my skills and learn about things I'd put off learning because I had been too busy."
But I don't feel sorry for myself. Actually, in my situation, I'm in good company: The Industry Standard magazine reports on their Layoff Tracker that between Dec. 29, 1999 and Nov. 7, 2000, more than 22,000 companies laid off employees. These include start-ups that never launched as well as sites backed by multimillion-dollar companies. Some of these employees didn't get notice or severance pay.
So, I told myself, it could be worse. I had notice and almost a month's pay, plus the job market is pretty good. I'm flexible and open-minded and have several marketable skills. I had professional help refining my resume and was contacted by a recruiter in no time.
But why did I often feel so lousy?
I had become so negative and grumpy that even small annoyances enraged me. After thinking about it, I realized I had been focusing too much on the negative: what the company did and said to me and my co-workers, and all the stress I'd been under. Being negative all the time was a real energy drainer, too.
It's said that time heals all wounds, however, and I found this to be true. The best thing the layoff gave me was the gift of time. I had time to think about my next move and about the kind of work I wanted to do next, and I had time to strengthen my skills and learn about things I'd put off learning because I had been too busy. When people asked me if I'd found a job yet, I told them I needed to take a little time to make myself nice again--only slightly tongue in cheek.
A month later, I'm almost ready to graduate from that stage of making myself nice again. I feel more even-tempered, personable and healthy. I'm also more knowledgeable of the kinds of jobs that are available, the skills they require, and how much they pay. Overall, I'm in a better position to make my life work even better than before.
Layoffs may be common in technology and on the Web, but we can't let them keep us from success or cause career suicide. From my experience, there are a few things that really help ease the layoff blues:
Update your resume
You need to do it anyway, but thinking about all you've accomplished in your job will boost your confidence in your abilities. Getting professional help or career counseling can double this confidence.
Circulate your resume
Post it online at the various job sites, send it to colleagues and fax it to companies found in the want ads. Even if you don't feel ready to take another job just yet, this should help you feel you're on the way toward making a positive change. Any interviews that come out of this will give you insight into what other companies/fields are doing, the skills they're looking for and how to improve your interviewing next time. (Or
interviewing could even give you a job!)
Train your thoughts toward the positive
Whether you use affirmations, prayer or behavioral conditioning techniques, don't allow yourself to think negative thoughts. If a negative thought does slip in, replace it with a positive thought. Not only do you need to think positively for your own mental health, but your next employer is more likely to hire a positive person.
Take some "me" days
However much time you need to research and/or sort things out for your life, don't feel indulgent in using your time to relax and think. You need this time to compose yourself and to mentally and emotionally make the transition from your last job to your next job - or to whatever status you choose.
The process of being laid off can be downright painful. But it can also be freeing - it all depends on your perspective. Once you get past the pain and develop a new outlook, you may find an even better job and way of life. I'm certainly looking forward to it.
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