Laid off? How to stay positive and land that next career!
Yes, it truly sucks to be laid off, but how can you stay positive and focused on securing the next career adventure!?
Tons of people have probably been laid off at some point in their lives, but should that take you down a dark road of misery? NOOOO! There are a number of reasons why people can get laid off and most of the time it’s not your fault at all! Companies restructure, relocate or sometimes even merge. It’s all business at the end of the day and never forget that. That’s exactly why they say no job is really permanent. This is why I feel many people need to also keep their options open, which is why having a good recruiter or recruiters on your side can always come in handy! Job security is always something thrown around too freely, but is it really a true perk? I do think so for some companies job security is true, for those that are very established and have tenured staff. That is something I would recommend paying attention to when you are interviewing or even researching the company and who works there. I mean you can typically sense when the employees are ready to run out the door behind you. (Hehe)
When you are dealing with a lay off, especially if it was sudden, anxiety can hit you like a bag of bricks! One main reason is because of the real life responsibilities that we all have to take care of. Losing your career could set you back and have you wondering how you are going to take care of those things. That is totally understandable and we must let that feeling happen, but don’t let it linger for too long because you are powerful and you will figure it out! Use your network, reach out to previous coworkers, or maybe even start applying for careers asap! Most importantly, keep your head up and know that your skills will be needed elsewhere and you will work your tail off at the next place you land!
There are a number of resources out there that can also help you while you are unemployed and I highly recommend doing some research on what they are and how they can help your particular situation. In the meantime, after you’ve dedicated time out of your days to apply for jobs and network, how about you take some time to catch up on a tv show, read a new book or even pick up a new skill to enhance your skills in your industry or even a new industry. Some people even start a new business and work for themselves after being laid off and become super successful! There are many things we can do to stay positive during a lay off and for me, the best thing to do is to surround myself with positive people like family and close friends that will be positive influences and help me through! We are only human, but that new role is right around the corner and you will crush it! Good luck!