Knowing that you lost your job can be difficult news to swallow. You may be shocked, hurt, embarrassed or flooded with many thoughts… Why is this happening to me? How am I going to manage? In the world today, our jobs and work are a big part of our life and identity, and being laid off can feel like a huge loss, of all the time, energy and effort we may have put in to doing the job and balancing life beside it. 

While some people may be laid off for performance concerns, a lot of the time people may be laid off “for business reasons”. It is important to know that in today’s economic climate, no one is immune from losing their job. You could be the best performer or most stable employee and have to go through this experience.

While it can be tough initially to accept loss of a job, the feelings will shift and it is important to view this as one event in an otherwise productive life. Avoid letting negative feelings build up and focus your energy on the search for a new job.

What to do immediately-

Draft your exit statement or resignation later and make sure you feel comfortable with the wording. You can discuss this with your employer and be in agreement about what is written.

During your exit interview ask questions about severance, support services or any outplacement services. You need to make the best decisions of the available resources to face the challenge ahead.

Talk to your family or friends you trust so freely express your feelings, get support and a realistic perspective on the situation.

Avoid being negative about your employer on LinkedIn and other social media platforms as these impressions can stick with you, cloud the job hunt ahead and negatively impact your future job options.

Take stock of your financial situation-

It is advisable to have a savings of 3 to 6 months of your salary to buffer through to job hunt ahead.

If possible, this should be separate from retirement funds, investments for the future etc. Avoid breaking these as this event is only a temporary dip in your career.

You do not have to do this alone, if you do not have the savings to tide through, you can have a conversation with your spouse or family about managing finances during this time and outgoings that may have to continue like medical/life insurance etc.

Reassess the positives-

Sometimes we may remain in a particular job in spite of feeling unhappy for various reasons, like a toxic workplace environment, not particularly like the role or line of work etc. While there are practical difficulties to address when you lose your job, it can sometimes also offer a chance for a change. You could think about what you would like to avoid being repeated in your next job. What are areas that you can work on in yourself, and how you would like things to be different? Alongside the hunt for a new job, you can also spend time with family, friends, higher education, hobbies and other equally important areas of your life that perhaps you may have not had time for before.

Create a structure-

It is quite normal to feel some amount of guilt, anger, anxiety or sadness during this time and it is easy to become inactive or consumed by these feelings. However, they could use up your emotional energy that could be directed towards finding a new job. Have a routine for your day. Set time for exercise, and daily routines, engaging with family, interacting with friends, networking and searching for new opportunities.

Sometimes you may feel forced to keep the bad news to yourself. You may be concerned about the stigma friends and family may associate with it. You may be concerned about gossip, some legal repercussions with the workplace or general negativity that may ruin your future prospects. This can be isolating. It is important to talk about what you feel with people you trust, friends, family or old colleagues. You can also avail of confidential counselling to help work though this situation.