9 Lessons I Learned From Losing My Job
It could be the best thing that ever happened to you.
But there’s hope. You can learn a lot about yourself and life after a crappy event. Here’s what I learned when I got laid off without notice on a Thursday morning.
The Rollercoaster of Emotion
If you’ve ever been laid off, you can probably remember it in vivid detail. The initial confusion turning into an instant spike in adrenaline and then straight into horror.
I was asked to step into a conference room for a quick chat. Turns out it was a quick chat to tell me that the company was doing layoffs across the country (we were consultants and worked on-site at our clients’ offices) and I was the person being downsized from our team.
Needless to say, I was upset. I had never been fired or laid off before. In fact, I had been a model employee my entire career, with bosses who had repeatedly told me they couldn’t imagine trying to work without me. Now I was suddenly expendable?
It definitely did a number on my self-esteem. I went from being confident in my abilities to wondering what I could’ve done to ensure I wasn’t the one on the chopping block ever again. And then I felt guilty that I would rather one of my co-workers–who I adored–get laid off than me. Because of course I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, let alone people I respected and admired.
But this was going to turn into a blessing in disguise, though I didn’t know it at the time. It would be one of the best things that ever happened to me.
The process taught me a lot about myself, what I wanted out of life and how to get it. Here’s some of the things I learned during my foray into unemployment.
1. Immediately create a new budget
Even if you get a severance package, you need to immediately create a new, tighter budget. You could get lucky and land a new job within a week. Or you could strike out for six months.
If you keep spending like you did with a routine paycheck, you’ll get in trouble. Quick. Don’t do that.
Also, check and see if you qualify for unemployment. It won’t be much and some states won’t let you get it until after your severance runs out, but it’s better than nothing. Look into it and start filling out forms right away. Don’t wait and find out you’re past the qualification date.
2. Don’t just copy/paste your cover letter and resume
It goes without saying you need to apply to a lot of jobs to even land an interview, let alone a job. However, it’s important to make sure you are tailoring your cover letter and resume to each job you apply to. Copy/pasting is a sure way to show you aren’t really interested and get no callbacks.
3. Utilize your network
Don’t be afraid to reach out to any and all contacts you have. Don’t spam, but a note via email or LinkedIn is a great way to find potential jobs or even just get some references.
You never know what help you can get. I landed my current job by reaching out to an old contact who pointed me in the right direction. I think you’d be surprised how many people got their job by knowing a person who knows a person.
4. Get out of the house
While it’s important to apply to plenty of jobs, staying in the house all day obsessively looking for jobs is a recipe for disaster. All you’ll do is grow pale and depressed.
Get some fresh air. Go for a long walk, take your dog to the park, visit a friend, volunteer for something you care about. There’s plenty of things you can do that don’t involve binging Parks & Rec for the 50th time (or The West Wing, in my case).
5. Take time to figure out what you really want to do
If you hated your last job and were miserable, don’t apply for more of the same. Sit down and really think about what you want to do. You finally have the time and space to think, so take advantage.
Make a list of everything you enjoyed doing at any and all of your previous jobs and see if there’s a common theme. If you enjoyed organizational tasks and creating step-by-step plans, maybe project management is a good fit. If you enjoyed writing instructions or putting together presentations, maybe communications is more your speed.
Just remember there’s no wrong answer. Also, life is too short to hate what you do every day. It’s bad for you and bad for everyone around you because you’ll be a miserable jerk. (Not that I’ve ever been that person…)
6. Don’t settle for the first offer you get
Along those lines, don’t settle for a job you don’t think you’ll like just because it was offered. If you don’t think that it’s the right fit after the interview and learning more about the company and job, don’t do it. If money is tight, look into side hustles you can do that will bring in enough money to stay afloat while you wait for a job that bore you or make you hate life.
7. Talk to your support system
Don’t bottle all your negative feelings up. While you don’t want to be that person who is constantly complaining, you don’t want to give yourself ulcers from stress you pretend isn’t happening.
Fine a family member or friend with a listening ear and let them know when you are struggling. Talking it out really can help. Just make sure your support person isn’t negative, too; you need someone who can remind you of the good things, the brighter side to your situation.
If you don’t have anyone you can talk to, journal it out. There’s loads of studies about the benefits of journaling. However, it’s the same as talking to a friend: Don’t be negative the entire time. Make sure to end on a positive note: something you’re looking forward to or a list of things you’re grateful for or something beautiful you saw when out on your walk.
8. Don’t be afraid to take risks
Apply for that job that seems totally out of reach. Move into a new career path that you’ve always wanted to work in. Take your side hustle and make it your main job. Move across the country, or to a new country, for your dream job.
Playing it safe can be a good thing, but it can hold you back as well. Just because you don’t meet every single criteria of the job you love doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply for it.
And if you really think you can’t qualify, then find a way to learn what you need to know. Find an online course or see if you can shadow someone in the industry or job you want to be in. If you really want it, make it happen. After all, only you can.
9. Practice your interview questions incessantly
Interviewing is the worst part of applying to jobs. But it has to happen, no matter the job.
Cue an asterisk here. If you find a job that wants to have their interview via chat, just say no. Especially when you first become unemployed and emotions are high, you can be stupidly gullible and there are tons of job scammers out there. Don’t get excited and go down the rabbit hole to find out that it’s a scam when they ask for money to send you equipment. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking. Be careful out there.
Don’t wait for an interview request to start practicing your answers. Start as soon as you apply for the first job. You can google popular interview questions. Make sure you are prepared for a wide variety of questions. Rehearse constantly: in the shower, on your daily walks, while you’re watching Parks & Rec (again), at the gym. The more you practice, the more natural you’ll sound and relaxed you’ll feel during the actual interviews. And a natural, relaxed, confident person is exactly what companies are looking for.
So please, don’t panic
It feels gut-wrenchingly horrible to lose your job. I know. But it really doesn’t have to be the end of the world. See the good in the situation. Realize it could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Are you ready to take advantage?
If you enjoyed this article, please give it a clap (or 10). And be sure to check out my other articles on Medium.
Anastasia Voll is a content marketing strategist who specializes in helping women entrepreneurs find their voice and attract their ideal clients.
You can learn more about her and how to work with her at www.vollcontentmarketing.com.
