How to Survive a Firing, Demotion or Layoff
Anyone who works faces the risk of a firing, demotion or layoff at some point during a career. No job is secure for life.
Employees can quickly bounce back from a job disaster by preparing themselves for the possibility of trouble even before it’s remotely in the wind. They know when downturns hit, job insecurity becomes the norm.
How to survive depends somewhat differently on whether it’s a firing, demotion or layoff. Each option has different levels of pain and consequence. That being said, a handful of the same rules are helpful in handling all three situations.
A firing of course is the most painful event both financially and psychologically. The financial impact brings with it the risk of not finding a similar job and income. The psychological impact can last a lifetime because of severe damage to a person’s self esteem, trust and reputation. Although some firings are justifiable, some are not.
A demotion is not the end of a job or career, but it is a serious warning sign about the future of the employee, the position or the company. The demoted employee at least still has a job and income. But job insecurity and sleepless nights skyrocket. The final hammer always seems to hover nearby. It’s time to look for a new job, but how does the employee explain the demotion to a potential employer?
