I’ve Lost My Job, Now What? -- by Professor Bill White (McC61)

Q:
"For the past three years, I worked for my most recent employer. Last year I received a small promotion and I thought everything was going well. Now I have been laid off. I never expected this to happen to me. Will someone want to hire me since I was laid off from my first big job?"

A:
Let’s start with your last question first: the answer is yes; someone else will want to hire you again. However, you need to believe it in order for that to happen.

Emotional upset after being laid off is normal. You might feel rejected, that you were a failure, or that your good work and efforts to produce results weren’t appreciated. After any upheaval, you will go through stages from denial, to anger, to acceptance. How long that takes will depend upon the person. But if you wallow in your own misery, you’re going to make the transition much harder. The better you take care of yourself emotionally, the sooner you’ll be able to be to move forward.

Although your first reaction may be not to tell people what happened, because you are embarrassed that you were the one who was cut while others got to stay, understand that it really wasn’t about you. You were laid off because your skills didn’t match what the company needed. Now the task becomes finding another organization where what you do will match its needs. This takes us to the practical side of things: Talk to everyone in your network. Tell them that you lost your job and are now putting together a plan. Let them know you’ll be back to them before long to ask for their advice and possible help.

Creating your plan requires some serious introspection. The first thing to do is look honestly at the mismatch between your skills and what the company needed. What shortcomings do you have that you need to work on (and all of us have them). Seek the input of your trusted advisor(s). Chances are there is someone in your life with whom you can talk honestly. Ideally that person is objective enough to give you honest feedback. Most likely you and your advisor have discussed your activities and work environment over the past few months. Reflecting upon these discussions may highlight some areas to improve as you move forward.

Now, think about the specific job you had. What tasks and skills would help you be successful in other environments? Let’s take an example: working for a company that makes or distributes school supplies. From that experience, you know how a seasonal business operates. How could you apply that knowledge to other industries that are characterized by high seasonality? Or, let’s say you worked for a business with a large number of stock-keeping units (SKUs) in an inventory-sensitive environment. How could you apply these experiences in an adjacent or similar industry that has the same issues? Think beyond the superficial job requirements and focus on the underlying processes in which you have a developed skill set. This will allow you to expand your search for industries and companies in which you can truly add value.

Throughout the process, you will need the advice and support of your network. As your plan comes together, engage your contacts to help you expand your horizons. Ask for their advice, which may very well end up in a conversation in which people volunteer to help you—perhaps introducing you to others and making connections on your behalf.

Getting the next job starts with your attitude: be positive and resist the temptation to mope. Be introspective about your strengths and weaknesses. Develop a plan, dig deeper into your skill set, and tap your network of people who are ready to champion you.

Questions? Bill@FromDayOne.com

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Your Extraordinary Career features proven success strategies and advice for recent graduates and young professionals from William J. White, who draws upon a successful corporate career, including as Chairman and CEO of a New York Stock Exchange-traded company. Bill is now Professor at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University, and author of the career book for young professionals, From Day One: CEO Advice to Launch an Extraordinary Career.


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Posted January 25, 2010.