How to bounce back after a lay off

Copyright (c) 2009 Sharon Alexander

Whether you've worked for a company for twenty months or twenty years, a lay off is a major blow to your pocketbook and your self-esteem. Few people look forward to being laid off, and most experience predictable stages of grief when it happens. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance are all emotions that will hit you, so expect them and be ready to roll with the punches.

You can bounce back faster than you think if you anticipate and cope with your feelings and your practical challenges in a realistic way.

Here are some tips:

- Respect your process. Your first impulse after a lay off may be to run out and replace the job you just lost as soon as you possibly can. At some point however, (possibly even before you get all the way home from your old job), you will experience feelings of loss and anger that are normal and healthy. Let yourself feel them. Painful feelings pass more quickly when you let them come and then let them go.

- Ask for help. Apply for unemployment compensation immediately if you are eligible, and check your state government website for other resources. Some states offer government financing or federal grants for job training, and almost all states have workforce development programs set up to help the newly jobless transition into a new career.

- Reassess your skills and your interests. Most people who are newly laid off look for jobs just like the one they lost, but this might not be a good strategy. Make a list of what you are good at and what you love to do, and see what develops. Chances are you are qualified to more than you think.

- Call at least one person or company every day. As a lay off drags on and no interviews appear on the horizon, depression can set in without you even noticing it. Every day call at least one person for support and organization for a lead or some information. Make networking a habit. The best jobs are never advertised. Instead, most jobs are filled by word of mouth before an ad is even needed, so talk to everyone.

- Consider self-employment or temporary work. Chances are good that you know how to do something for cash while you look for work. Many temporary or self-employed gigs turn into small businesses or new careers. Take in bookkeeping, walk dogs, run errands for the elderly, type term papers, do some catering: Anything that keeps you busy and brings in a little cash will help you get where you need to be.

- Volunteer. If all else fails, volunteer. However discouraged you may feel, rest assured someone is even worse off than you are. Many rewarding paid jobs in social services and community work start out as volunteer opportunities.

Lay offs can be stressful, but often a lay off can be an opportunity to reassess and renew your work life. With a little effort and a lot of faith you may well find that that what comes next is even more exciting that what you left behind.