How to Manage a Layoff
Some tips on things you can do to help yourself if you're working through a layoff.
People have been approaching me sooner than usual with the more recent layoffs. It used to be that people only reached out for support after being stalled for months, but lately it's been people days or a few weeks out from a layoff asking for help. With the latest announcement of cuts at Microsoft hitting close to my geographic home, I wanted to share some of what I tell people being thrust into a job search.
Feel the feelings
Being laid off elicits a wide range of responses, including everything from grief to relief, with guest appearances from anger, fear, guilt and surprise in the same swirl of overwhelm. That's even before dealing with challenging practical realities. Still, many of the people that reach out to me want to immediately skip to talking about their resume or a cover letter or something “practical.” While the initiative is great, I suggest stepping back and understanding how they're processing the experience. As always, I am not a therapist, but you can't skip the emotional part of a layoff no matter how much you might want to do just that. You need to acknowledge those feelings to work through them.
As a non-therapist why do I care about whether my clients have processed their feelings? Beyond the sympathy and empathy involved, those feelings impact the work to be done. It's hard to be optimistic when you're filled with cynicism. It's hard to feign confidence when your self-esteem is wavering. It's hard to think about career highlights when your memories are tainted. Those feelings are real and might cause an unwanted outburst or brain fart at an inopportune time. It's much easier to open the next chapter if you take the time to close out the last one.
Capture the numbers
Your memories of your former role will never be fresher than they are right now. Even if you're planning to take a break now is the time to make a brain dump of all the things you did. What projects did you finish? Who was involved? How were those projects successful? How did you measure that success? How much did you sell, how much did you save, what process did you optimize? Drink a big cup of coffee and write it all down. It doesn't even need to be immaculately organized but trust me, you're not going to remember the details later. While that isn't the end of the world, future-you will thank now-you for the effort.
Find community
I don't mean get out there and start networking. While that's good as well, for now be in community with your colleagues in a similar situation. Talk to your family and friends about how you're feeling. Listen to your friends that need support. I want you to be reminded of the fact that you're not alone in this process. Other people want what's best for you just as much as you do. When it's time you can extend that energy to networking and ask for support there as well.
Drink more water
Let's face it, you probably do need to drink more water, but this is really just a reminder to take care of yourself. Eat, sleep, bathe, and rest. Go on walks, play the piano, or even just veg out on the couch a bit (Andor is an excellent watch, and now's a great time to read a book or two). Self-care takes many forms. Make sure you're taking time out for it.
Ponder what's next
You're going to figure out what's next. You likely don't have a choice. Some parts of that journey are going to go quickly while others will leave you feeling like you're running on a hamster wheel. Regardless, this is an opportunity for you, even if it's not on the timetable you envisioned. How do you want to grow in your career? How can you better utilize your strengths? How can you find a better organizational culture? Now's the time to consider those questions in hopes that you can make your next step better than the last one.
If you need support as you navigate a layoff, I'm here to help, but I also want to point you to resources like Pay Forward Coaching, a nonprofit that offers a career coaching session at no cost using their body of volunteer coaches (I'm one of them).