I was laid-off last year. I could have used some of this excellent advice from the Anti-Pimp.
You’ve been with your company for 2 or 3 years…gone to the picnics..schmoozed your manager…won employee of the month…been on the holiday party planning committee and see yourself retiring with your company. It’s a regular
Thursday afternoon – You get laid off – and you never saw it coming. Even though you’ve been a loyal kool-aid drinking employee for the last 2 or 3 years, they don’t offer severance, your benefits end in 2 weeks and you’ve already taken your 2 weeks of vacation for the year. It’s you vs. the world in a battle royale/cage/lumber jack strap match and your biggest weapons are what personal items you took from your desk when you left. A photo of your wife/husband, a wad of car keys and a half eaten tin of Altoids aren’t going to get you very far. Sitting in your car, you curse yourself for not preparing for what you thought would never happen . Get ready for an onslaught of feelings.
He goes through not only practical things to do if you are canned from your job and recognizes the emotional impact that accompanies job loss, and also recognizes that the grief is real. And it is, you don’t know how to regain your identity or that the loss is as painful as losing a loved one. Not quite as bad, but terrible nonetheless. And although people are sympathetic, they just don’t get it until they go, God forbid, through it.
It’s devastating and although I’ve rejoined the job market temporarily, it still is mind-numbing on the steps to take, which Scott saves the day and gives you a handy guide to follow.
I just can’t recommend this post enough.