When you lose your job, you go through the five stages of grief, which are, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Psychologists tell us that you do not have a linear grief process where you neatly move from one stage to another but you keep going back and forth. Do not be surprised if you experience all the stages at the same time. Take time to grieve, taking care not to be stuck in the process but move towards acceptance so you can embrace the new. The pace to full acceptance of the new reality will vary for each person depending on personality type, support available and other life circumstances.
Below are the main lessons from my experience that helped me move forward:
- Seek God’s help and guidance as you deal with the loss and as you plan for your future.
- Take time to reflect on both positive and negative implications of your job loss. While you may feel confused and probably angry, realize that you will have to deal with these emotions eventually. Should you need help, please do not hesitate get it. Some of your main concern may be financial planning and debt management concerns. I have addressed the two areas in my previous articles which you can access the following links.
- A Job loss puts you at a cross road where you need to make a decision on which direction to take. You may have in the past, considered making certain changes such as to retire early, change employers, switch careers, try your hand in entrepreneurship or even go back to school. Yet, you might have postponed the decision since there was no urgency or you had not mustered the courage to make the change. Though painful, loss of a job presents an opportunity to critically review, define and take decisive action in relation to your life’s course or direction.
- Take time to acquaint yourself with your capabilities and interests. What skills and work experience do you have? Are they transferrable to different work contexts? What aspects of your work did you enjoy the most and what did you dislike? What are your areas of development? Remember your self-esteem may have taken a hit and you might judge yourself too harshly. Where possible, review this with a mentor, your immediate former supervisor if you are in a good relationship with them or a trusted colleague. Review your previous performance appraisal reports and personality tests. You may opt to have your curriculum vitae professionally written in a manner that brings out your competencies clearly.
- Next will be to clarify where you want to apply your competencies in the next season of your life. Do you intend to pursue a similar job to the one you lost, switch careers, set up a business, go back to school or retire early? Once clear, share your vision with your network and let them know what kind of a job you are looking for, the problems you are solving through your business and qualities of your clients. By doing this you recruit your network into your team to help you find work. While majority will not take any active steps to get you a job or clients, they will most likely notify you or refer clients to you when they encounter an opportunity that suits you.
- With time, you will come across opportunities, some of which will not ideally fit your skills set. The opportunity might seem very challenging and you might doubt your ability to be effective. Take a risk, send in the application, when called for an interview, show up, and give it your best shot. If you get the job, invest all you have to learn about the work, get a mentor or a coach to help you shorten your learning curve. Build relationships with your colleagues to build your social capital. If the job turns out not to have been the best fit, you will walk away with new lessons and relationships.
- Should you decide to switch careers, go into business or retire early, invest in educating yourself in preparation for the new season. Some people may need to take a well-deserved rest to enable them have a fresh perspective to life. You might need to unlearn some things and relearn new ones to succeed in the next season.
My redundancy experience happened very early in my career and I had a dream of becoming a professional in the financial services industry. I was about to complete my professional examinations and I enjoyed my work. Recently, I had developed new interests and I was acquiring new skills such as client management and negotiation as I accompanied business development team on several occasions as they pitched for business. I was also learning what matters to clients most and how to make presentations.
While still working I shared with my network of friends and trusted former colleagues that I was looking for a similar job. A friend and former colleague from my first job saw a newspaper job advertisement and called me to check if I had seen it. It turned out I had not, and we discussed it at length. It was a sales role and my first thoughts were that I should not apply for it since I had no interest in a sales career. Patiently my friend explained how my experience and personality suited the job. Suffering from low self-esteem, I applied for the job more to please my friend than expecting anything from it. I was invited for an interview, got the job and went on to have a challenging, satisfying and financially rewarding career.
I did see God’s intervention in all these circumstances. Soon after my induction, a critical staff in operations resigned and since I was experienced in that area I stepped in to the role as the company recruited a replacement. This allowed me to have a gradual transition to sales, something I could not have foreseen. Looking back, losing my job is such a significant part of who I am today and I can confidently say that all turned out well.
Scriptures provide us with a lot of encouragement to deal with this translation as per a sample of verses below:
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV): No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
- Psalms 34: 4-6 (ESV): I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
- Proverbs 29:18 (KJV): Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
- Philippians 4:13 (NLT): For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
- Isaiah 55:8 (ESV): For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.