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Surviving a Layoff
by Susan Joyce
Sometimes you can see the layoff coming, and sometimes you can't. But, one day you're invited into an unscheduled meeting with your boss and someone from HR. *BINGO* - you're out of a job. Welcome to the crowd.
Don't take it personally! Being "laid off" is NOT being "fired," although the impact on your finances is the same. The impact on your career doesn't have to be. People are usually laid off for being in the wrong place at the wrong time - wrong employer, wrong location, wrong position, wrong department, etc.
Being laid off is not a personal failure, so don't let it destroy your confidence. It may be bad luck, but it may not... (and I'm writing from personal experience here!)
Do's
# Try to cover as many of the points in the "Preparing for a Layoff" article as possible, particularly the written recommendations and the colleague contact information.
# Try to negotiate "outplacement" benefits - severance pay, career coaching and resume writing assistance, office with telephone and administrative support, etc.
# IMMEDIATELY: Ask for the details on continuing your medical insurance coverage (assuming that you were covered by your employer's group health insurance at the time you were laid off). It's called COBRA - an acronym for the federal legislation that set it up. COBRA allows you to continue to participate in the medical plan, for a specified period of time, but you pay your own premiums. If your employer doesn't provide the information, be sure to ask your state's Employment Office about it.
# IMMEDIATELY, register for unemployment compensation with your local state Employment Office [Employment Offices by State], even if you’ve received a nice severance pay package. If you wait to register, you may find that you no longer qualify, so don't wait! Don't try to hide your severance benefits, but don't wait to register.
# Have personal business cards made, or make your own on your computer.
# Get support in your job search. Each state has several One-Stop Career Centers where you can find assistance and support. [Also, see job search support groups by state.]
# Catch your breath, and deal with your feelings. Take a day (or a week) off to cry, if you feel like it, and rage at the unfairness of the situation. If it helps, and it does help many people, dump your anger out on paper. Write it down. Get rid of it so it doesn't sabotage your job search. Then, unless you can afford to be unemployed, move on with your life and career.
Don'ts
# Don't hide the fact that you've been laid off.
# Don't consider yourself "fired."
# Don't trash your former employer in networking events and interviews. Be as upbeat as you can be. Fake it 'til you make it, as they say. After a while, you may not be faking.
Look ahead to your new future!
Strangely, being laid off can be a good thing. We often stay in jobs we don't like out of inertia - too busy, or not quite unhappy enough to make the effort to find a new job. A layoff pushes us "out of the nest" into an involuntary job search -- which can lead to a better job, a promotion, a career change, and, even, more happiness!
The Truth About Managing Your Career...and Nothing But the Truth, by Dr. Karen Otazo, reveals what really works: 60 proven principles and easy career management techniques you can start using right now. Regardless of your age or stage of your career, you'll find practical tips and tools to make your workplace journey smoother, more enjoyable, and potentially more profitable.
Need a little help acclimating yourself to a new job? Enter Sink or Swim, by Milo Sindell and Thuy Sindell, Ph.D. This book/workbook is a winner for anyone who not only wants to get that new job, but for someone who wants to keep their new job! Sindell and Sindell provide readers with a clear, 12-week plan to take newbies fit into an organization by helping them with everything from body language, image, and conversation, to teamwork and corporate culture.
