Getting ‘laid off’ is really no big deal. It’s been happening for decades. And don’t tell me you’ve never heard of it! Of course, you have. But now you get to see it most of the time flashing over your screens – laptops, smart phones, TV or whatever. Facebook Meta, Twitter, Microsoft, Amazon, BYJU’S – what a party!!
So, you’re one of those millions who’ve got laid-off. Brilliant! So quit the sniveling and get real. Here’s a few sledgehammering tips on what you shouldn’t be doing when you get laid-off:
- Don’t go knocking your head randomly against the four walls of your room. Face it. You’re fired. You’re sacked. You’re rendered jobless. Period! The faster you accept this reality the quicker you’ll be able to bounce into action. And that’s what you need to do right now – GET INTO ACTION!!
- Don’t even remotely assume being laid-off is a reflection of your capabilities or more morbidly – your incapabilities. What’s a salary for you is an investment for someone else. And Nerds do exist who initially go ‘whoopee’ when making investments and then go groveling when they’ve overdone the ‘whoopeeing’ and start ploughing them all back. Too bad you were the whip end of the plough back. But that isn’t a reflection of your awesomeness as a professional!
- Don’t keep staring at your personal finances. It’s going to take a beating. And the longer you spend time just staring at it, the faster it will deplete. Keep your mind off it. Till things settle back in place, get used to the fact you’re going to have to skip a few meals for a while. In any case – fasting is the new hype to get fit!
- Don’t randomly run around placement agencies as if your life depends on it. While it may look practical to you, they are overloaded with laid-off resumes and you’re just another laid-off bloke. Instead, investigate that fancy handset of yours. Click into your contacts and make a list of all those people you could reach out to, especially those you’ve done a few good favors for. It’s payback time, Folks! And it just may surprise you how many people in your contact list will actually get cracking to get you back on track.
- Don’t fib if you’re laid-off. You’re not the first on planet Earth. Be transparent about it. The guy on the other side of the table knows why you’re sitting for an interview. He also knows that one size doesn’t fit all. And guess what?! He may have also been laid-off in his life. It’s just that you don’t know it. Be bold. Tell him as it is. Transparency and authenticity are degrees that you don’t earn mugging through the night. It’s a natural within!
- And finally, don’t exclusively rely on your knowledge and experience of the industry you exist in. Here’s a great opportunity to do a few ‘minusings’ and ‘plusings’ to fit into an ever-changing ecosystem. We don’t realize this till we are thrown back into it from the safe confines of a seldomly changing one within the organization. You’re back in the battlefield. Check whether the armory you’re wearing will jettison you to a higher level of performance. If not, replenish it. That’s the need of the hour right now.
Whatever may be going through your mind, just keep your shirt on and chin up. Being laid-off doesn’t define your prowess as a professional. You have all it takes to be successful. You always knew it. Here’s a great opportunity to set your bandwagon into a different direction. And don’t worry about faltering. You’re human. Yes sure, you’re going to find ways that aren’t going to make things work. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be finding ways that will. Just believe in yourself.
More importantly, replace Hope with Faith. Hope makes you walk through fire hoping you don’t get burnt. Faith makes you fly over it!!!
