4 Things to do Following a Job Loss

Change happens frequently in business today and that means one day you might be the one getting notice that your services are no longer needed.

Getting laid off from a job is not fun or easy but there are some things you can do to make this time more productive for you and ease your transition into a new job or career.

1. Give yourself a break. Following a layoff you might feel a lot of different emotions: shock, sadness, relief, anxiety, anger. These are all normal feelings and you should allow yourself to feel what you feel without any guilt. Take the time you need to work through your emotions and avoid making decisions when feeling angry or anxious. 

2. Evaluate. Take some time to think about your last job. What did you like about it? What did you dislike? Was it a good fit for your skills and interests? Is there something else you're passionate about doing with your career? Now is a good time to consider making the career move you've been dreaming about.

3. Get organized. When your life is organized you tend to have more energy and initiative to get

things done. So take some time to organize your home and your office. You can even take time to organize your work and career life by updating your resume and linkedIn profile.

4. Reach out. As appropriate, stay in touch with former employers and request recommendations on linkedIn. Ask your former manager to be a reference as you look for new employment. Also reach out to your network of family and friends and get the emotional support you need, while also requesting any leads on work that might be of interest to you.

Losing a job is difficult and confusing but focusing on the four things above can make the transition to satisfying new work easier.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Happiness, Surviving Layoffs, and Career Success

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• How to Make a Financially Intelligent Career Move: "Most experts agree that you should keep a six-month supply of living expenses in savings just in case the unexpected happens."


• 6 Steps to Surviving a Layoff: "Have an open discussion with your family, including your children, and explain the facts about what has transpired and how this will impact everyone. Ask your family for their help and support over the upcoming months."


• The 3 Things All Humans Crave--And How to Motivate Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: "This means leaders must behave in ways that make employees feel that they are safe, that they belong, and that they matter."


• The Best Definition of Success is the One You Never Use: "
  Determining whether you are successful is based on answering one question: How happy am I? 
  Your level of success is based solely on your answer to that question
  ."


• Stop Fast-Tracking Your Career: "If you're someone who constantly obsesses about becoming an overnight success, you're aiming at entirely the wrong target. Recent research describes the negative correlation between rapid adoption and eventual failure." 

High Five Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 5 Ways to Rebound from a Layoff
"When you get laid off, it hurts. You're thrown completely off-course, and usually at the worst possible time."


2. How to Explain the Gap on Your Resume
"If you’ve been downsized or jumped from project to project with some noticeable gaps in the timeline of your resume, you’re not alone."

3. Don't Like Your Job? Change It (Without Quitting)
"Maybe you're in the wrong field, don't enjoy the work, feel surrounded by untrustworthy coworkers, or have an incompetent boss. Most people would tell you to find something that's a better fit. But that may not be possible."

4.  Second Job Interview: 5 Ways to Seal the Deal  
"Congratulations -- you've landed a second interview with your dream employer ... Now you just need to win them over. Here are five great tips that will help you snag the job."

5. Embracing Risk in Career Decisions
"If you want your career to take off, you may need to do the opposite of what risk managers try to do: Instead of focusing on how to reduce risks, you may need to embrace and enhance them."

The 5 Stages of Job Loss Grief

The chances are very good that you or someone you know has recently lost their job or will lose their job at some time. Just last week, a member of my family lost her job. In her words, it was "completely out of the blue." People tend to grieve the loss of a job in some of the same ways as grieving the loss of someone we care about. After all, many of us find our identity in our careers. Here are the 5 stages of job loss grief you may experience.

Stage 1 - Shock and Denial
Whether the writing was on the wall or not, we are almost always shocked when it happens to us. Of course, you can't truly deny the fact you are being laid off. However, thoughts of "I can't believe they are letting me go" and "They will not be able to live without me" go through our minds in this stage. Much of the time, I hear from people who were so shocked and numb in the lay off meeting, they forget to ask important questions such as benefits extensions, severance, and requests for letters of recommendation.

Stage 2 - Anger
The other day, when my family member was laid off, she was very unhappy to find that even though she was a director, the company had someone escort her to her desk and watched over her carefully while she packed. Of course, this made her very upset. It is okay to feel anger, it is an important part of the healing process. However, never burn a bridge - that person you "tell off" could very well be an excellent source of referral down the road.

Step 3 - Bargaining
Don't get mired in asking yourself the "what if . . . " or musing about the "if only . . ." typical bargaining with yourself questions. Instead focus your energy on bargaining your severance package. My family member I mentioned earlier negotiated an additional month of severance pay and benefits extension.

Step 4 - Depression
People tend to take lay-offs very personal. You have to keep in mind that this is not personal, it is not a reflection of your value, it is simply a business decision based on the company's financial status. It is important to have an updated resume at all times so you can avoid wallowing in self-pity and instead focus on getting back into the job market.

Step 5 - Acceptance
I am one of those people who believes that everything happens for a reason. I just wish the universe would share its motivations with me once in a while! Accept the reality of the situation and use it as a springboard for a new chapter in your career. You may be in for some rough times, but with a great resume and perseverance you will land on your feet again soon.