4 Steps to Surviving a Layoff: How to Land on Your Feet
What to do after the shock of a layoff wears off
Losing your job just sucks. Even if you know it’s coming. Even if you hated the job. Even if your whole team was downsized. Even if you took early retirement or the voluntary leave package.
Whether it gets called a reorganization, restructure, downsize, redundancy, reduction in force, layoff, transition, or some other euphemism, it is still difficult. Job loss tops those lists of most stressful life experiences, right after losing someone you love.
One of the most stressful aspects is not having control. The employer is calling all the shots and deciding when and how it happens. Each company handles layoffs differently, making it hard to know what to expect in your situation.
I’m sure these layoff stories sound familiar:
A meeting with your boss and HR that pops up on your calendar
Logging in to to find that your system access has been shut off
HR showing up at your office door with a box and Security waiting to escort you out
Rumors of layoffs with no clear information until you get the call
After years of high ratings, being put on a performance improvement plan
Previously supportive supervisors who are suddenly distant and unresponsive
Given months of notice and expected to be grateful and continue to be fully engaged
Surviving layoffs and feeling guilty and in constant fear of the next round
Laying off members of your team knowing that you will likely be next
The layoff often comes as a surprise and all you can do is react in the moment. Finding small ways to feel in control in the uncontrollable situation can be helpful. For example, maintaining your dignity and staying calm, insisting on packing up your own belongings, saying goodbye (or not) to colleagues, asking questions about the layoff process, insisting on getting information about severance and insurance, fighting for your promised bonus, or being completely honest in an exit interview.
As the shock of the news wears off, here are a few ideas for what to do next:
Create Your Support System
We know from research studies that losing your job is stressful in all the ways that something can be stressful: emotionally, financially, and professionally. In general, the more unexpected something is, the more traumatic it can be. But those of you who had a heads up about your layoff know that even an anticipated layoff is still difficult.
For this reason, your first step – before you update your resume, check job ads, or schedule networking chats – is to create a team of people around you who will be your support network.
Emotional Support
Job loss can take a huge toll on mental health. There shouldn’t be any stigma or shame in being unemployed, but we know there is. Losing a job often affects a whole family so everyone in the house feels the stress. And you never know how long it may take to get reemployed, so you don’t know how long the uncertainty and anxiety and job searching may go on.
It is vital to create your community of people who will be there for you: the person whose shoulder you can cry on, the one who will listen without judgment, the one who loves to give advice, the one who will make you laugh, the one who reminds you to have fun, and the one who will read over your resume.
Financial Support
Job loss often means a change to your financial situation, so take stock of your finances and consider what financial guidance or support you may need.
Career Guidance Support
If your next steps are job searching, consider how confident you are feeling in looking for jobs, networking, interviewing, and negotiating job offers. If you are feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start, this is my shameless plug to find people like me who can help you navigate the job loss and job search process. (Check out my Resources page for free job search resources).
Clarify Your Career Goals
Before you hop on the job boards, take the time to clarify your goals. I can already hear a bunch of you saying, “But I can just look at the job boards to see what jobs are open.” The problem is that you end up scrolling through a ton of job ads, most of which are not a good match, and then feel overwhelmed and conclude, “There are no jobs for me out there.”
Instead, take the time to figure out what positions and companies are a good fit for your skills and experiences.
Start by answering these questions:
What are my skills and strengths?
What are the job roles and duties that match my skills?
What industries and work environments (for-profit, nonprofit, government, academia) fit my values?
What do I want my work life to look like in 5 years?
The goal here is to have a pretty good idea of the types of roles (i.e., job titles) and the types of work environments (i.e., industries, companies, organizations) that match your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
You’ll know you’re ready to jump into job searching when you can answer the question:
“What kinds of jobs are you looking for?”
Set Up Your Job Searching Strategies
Once you have clear job searching goals, the fun can begin. There is great advice out there about revising your resume, updating your LinkedIn profile, using job boards, working with recruiters, building your skills, and networking strategies (check out my Resources Page for links to great content).
In a nutshell, here are the basic strategies:
Showcase Your Skills: Update your resume and LinkedIn profile to highlight your skills and strengths. Tailor your resume (and cover letter if you write one) to the specific job.
Identify Open Positions: Develop your key search terms for job boards to find your targeted jobs and companies. Consider if it makes sense to work with recruiters and staffing agencies. Consider if you need to update your skills.
Build Relationships: Connect with people in your personal and professional network, find people to talk with who work for the companies or organizations you are targeting.
Keep Going Through The Ups and Downs
Job searching is a lot of work. It can be physically and emotionally taxing, and even more so if your confidence is low after getting laid off. It requires you to put yourself out there and probably get rejected a bunch.
Job searching is a marathon, not a sprint. You never know how long it will take to find a new job, and it could take longer than you want. Right from the start think about what you need to stay motivated and avoid job searching burnout.
The emotional work of job searching is to keep going and not give into discouragement. When you get that rejection, take a moment and feel the sting. Take a day or two off from job searching, hang out with supportive people, and do activities that you enjoy. Then get back on the proverbial job searching horse and keep going. Keep looking for job ads, keep networking, keep tailoring your resume, and keep reminding yourself of your great skills and strengths.