Life After a Pink Slip
It’s an ordinary workday. You arrive at your job ready to start your day and a big meeting is called. The company’s president makes a big solemn speech, says there needs to be deep cost cutting, apologizes and then gives out a whack of pink slips – and you get hit with one. Now what?
The first thing a worker who is “pink slipped” should do is try to relax and not panic. Take your severance and take stock. Remember that life after layoff doesn’t have to be bleak. There are other jobs out there. But don’t just slap together your resume and jump at any job that happens to come your way. That’s not the best way to move forward in your career. Take this change as an opportunity to look for a better job, to take stock of your career path and decide which direction you’ll take now. That could mean going back to school, starting a new career entirely, or starting to work for yourself.
“Don’t Panic.” That’s tough to do when you’ve just lost your job. True, but it’s vital. Even when a slew of people are laid off from one workplace, the jobs they do are varied so people won’t necessarily be competing for the same job openings. But get help to make this next transition. If your employer – soon to be former employer – offers any kind of job placement or transition assistance, take full advantage of it. It can only help.
Next, set in motion everything else you can to find what job opportunities are available. Of course, use the Internet, update your resume, talk to friends and former colleagues about what’s going on in their workplace. The more people you talk to, the more you’ll find out about new opportunities.
Nowadays, it’s almost commonplace for a worker to be laid off, downsized, or get fired. Few employees stay in one workplace for a long time anymore. However, the weeks or months after a layoff can be really tough with emotions ranging from shock, and loss to sadness and anger. Since you can’t change the fact you’ve been laid off, it’s best just to take a deep breath and starting moving forward.
