How To Handle Being Laid Off

One of the biggest fears that all professionals have is being laid off from their job. It’s an unexpected and devastation experience that shakes your whole world and leaves you only with questions. Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? How will I support my family now? What will I do from here?

As troubling of a situation as this is, it’s not the end of your career by any means. You can bounce back from this and with the right approach, being laid off will be nothing but an unpleasant memory you left behind. Here are some tips for handling it.

Don’t panic.

It’s hard to keep your emotions in check in a moment like this but losing your cool will do you more damage than good. Breathe and focus on what needs to be done, because there are a lot of important decisions to be made in this moment. Speak to HR, see if you can receive a letter of termination due to lay offs, ask for references letters from appropriate people. Above all, leave the office on good terms with everyone. You might be mad and frustrated in the moment but don’t tear down relationships becuase of impulsive things said in the moment. Keepig strong professional connections will serve you well going forward.

Remember, it’s not personal.

There’s a distinct difference between getting fired and getting laid off, though that doesn’t necessarily make it hurt any less. you can at least leave with the solace that it had nothing to do with you job performance, yet there’s the frustration that you worked hard and worked well yet still lost your job. But be sure to keep in mind that being laid off is not a personal attack. Resist those negative feelings that you’re worthless and a failure because they are unfair, untrue and not helping anyone. So while this can be an uncomfortable time, pull yourself out of a spiral of self-pity because that type of thing can bring you down for a long time.

Find solid support.

It is said that losing your job can feel akin to losing a someone close to you. No doubt it is a traumatic experience for just about anyone who has spent a considerable time in the job and it will certainly hurt. As with any such event, surrounding yourself with a solid support system can do a lot to help you out. This doesn’t mean you have to have people take care of you, just people that care about you. Again this is not a time to dwell in the negative but rather surround yourself with some positivity.

Make a new financial plan.

There are obviously many decisions that need to made once you’ve been laid off, especially when it comes to your finances. You may have the urge to seek out your new job prospects, but losing you main source of income can be a major shock to your finances and a new plan needs to be put in place. Take some time to look at your savings and what changes need to be made in the time in which you may be without a job. While it’s good to be optimistic, you also have to be realistic with your financial situation.

Take some time.

At a time like this, probably the last thing you want to do is take some time off, but it’s a good idea nonetheless. You’ve been through quite a momentous change not only to your professional life, but your life in general. You need time to process it. That doesn’t mean you should spend a few weeks sitting on thee couch in your pyjamas eating junk food. Stay active, make plans, even start updating your resume, but give yourself a bit of time to decompress before you go full steam ahead.

Get back out there.

Above all you need to have the courage and strength to get back into the professional world. It won’t be the easiest thing after suffering such a blow to the ego, but no matter what hurdles you encounter, there is never anything big enough to stop you from moving forward.

If you’re looking to get back in the professional work,