Drawing on her own experience, Jean Cocco offers reassurance and actionable steps to help you steady your emotions and regain confidence after being laid off
Hearing the word “downsizing” or “restructuring” often leads to fear of losing one’s job. Personally, I have been laid off several times from small to large size organizations. At the time of writing this article, I was laid off again for the fourth time in my career. Whether the organization is based in the US or internationally, it is never easy to go through this experience. However, I’m here to let you know you are not alone. Let me share my insights to help you navigate if you experience such a situation.
The fear of the unknown can be overwhelming. However, you are stronger than you think. Often, being unemployed seems like it is our fault. This is not the case. Remember not to take it personally. I’m constantly asked by other administrative professionals how I manage organizational restructuring or loss of a job.
After years of experience of many ups and downs in my career, my advice is to ride the wave. Consider the ocean. The tide comes in and then goes out. So goes the evolution of organizational restructuring or job elimination. We must take a step back from the process. We may not see the rationale at the present time. However, understand that you will come out on the other side in a better place.
Managing Your Emotions
Whether you have been with your company a few years or many, think of it as a grieving process.
- Denial – I will not be impacted by the restructuring even though my boss has left the company.
- Anger – Why give my blood, sweat, and tears to this organization only to learn my boss and my job are being eliminated?
- Bargaining – Maybe if I stay with my head down, I will not be impacted by the restructuring.
- Depression – Why is this happening to me?
- Acceptance – I will start looking for a new challenging/rewarding opportunity.
Robert Half’s article “Bouncing Back from a Layoff” reminds us that you need to give time for yourself through this endeavor. There is nothing wrong with stepping away from your career and focusing on things that matter to you, such as your health, family, and friends. If there is a hobby you always wanted to try but never had the time, why not give it a try? These activities will realign your priorities and help you navigate what your next career path will look like.
Moving Forward
After you have taken time to digest all this, you will have a much clearer mindset. Brush up on skills that you would like to learn more about. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Professional development is critical to administrative professionals. Life-long learning is my motto. Stay connected to your network, including former co-workers. My former executive and I are connected on LinkedIn. They are always available to me when I’m in doubt about a career choice. Always network with fellow administrative professionals. They might know of an opportunity within their organization.
Reflect on your previous position
- What did you like about it?
- What didn’t you like about it?
- What type of industry and size organization would you like to be part of?
- What talents do you bring to the table?
All these questions will help you develop a laser focus vision on what your next opportunity will be.
Start your job search
There will be rejections along the way. Do not get discouraged! You know your value and worth to any organization. Take the rejection as a learning process. Begin to understand what your challenges are and strategize on how to improve. This will help you see the bigger picture. Think of the rejection like going on your first date. You need to meet many frogs along the way until you find Prince Charming. Find a mentor and/or advocate. They will bring a different lens to your next career opportunity.
We face many challenges in life. It is how we deal with these adversities that makes us stronger. Let’s take time to remember this and enjoy the wave of life.
