Here’s what I did after I lost my job
True account by a 26 year old who was laid off due to Covid-19
“I’m very sorry. Your role has been made redundant.”
My mind went blank immediately. In less than 24 hours after the call, I was already in the office to do a quick handover and returned my stuff.
My team and I had been working on a conference for the past 8 to 9 months but we had to postpone it due to the rapid escalation of the global pandemic. When news about pay cuts and layoffs started circulating, I had already anticipated for the worst.
I’d never lost my job before so what really surprised me was my initial reaction to the sudden job loss.
Initially, when a few of colleagues texted me to ask how I was doing, I told them this was not unexpected and wished them well. I tried not to think about it and kept telling myself: “I shouldn’t be feeling down when millions are losing their jobs globally…right?”
I was in complete denial.
Then I started to feel angry and hurt because it’s essentially a rejection. The company is telling you,“We don’t need you right now. The rest of the team can manage your work.”
And I spent the next few nights crying in bed.
