“Your position here at Wertheimer’s is no longer available. You have been let go and I’m here today to talk about your options….” said Miss Keener in the 2009 movie, Up In The Air, while a shocked Mr. Samuels sat opposite to her, not even trying to suppress his innermost feelings about the shocker.
Like Mr. Samuels, thousands of people are let go every day globally. If you are among one of them, it’s better not to think about retaliating like Mr. Samuels and it’s more sensible to think about Miss Keener’s next words, “The sooner you trust the process, the sooner the next step of your life will unveil itself.”
Why does it happen more often than we think it does?
There are a million factors that are involved when a company starts to downsize its man power, bad economy being one of the most notable factors. Bad performance is what you should avoid at all costs because if your company has this reason to show for cutting you lose, then more often than not, your next job interview will be kind of difficult to crack, for obvious reasons.
No matter what, you will have to keep in mind that it’s you who needs to survive after being let go, and the company will do so on its own accord. So, it is more than advisable to keep your image clear and tidy before you venture towards your next job interview.
What’s next?
Alls not lost when you are let go by your company. Prepare yourself for outplacement services, assistance programs and continued benefits. Although it may seem difficult to believe but after you are let go, the opportunities favoring you may just as well increase. Whether or not it does is, of course, something which depends a lot on you.
Stay focused and calm: Remember never to lose your head. Think on your shoulders and plan your next move. Your career’s resurrection begins with approaching seniors and bosses for references. If you enjoy a good rapport, who knows they may well refer you to a good company.
Don’t create a scene: Your next company will almost always do a background check, so keeping a good track record in your previous company is not only desirable but also absolutely necessary.
Give them a reason to call you: Every company values good workers. Even then, however, a company may have to let go many a hardworking employees because of reasons beyond control (bad economy being just one of them). If your performance record was impeccable and if the same adjective can be attributed to the way you left, there is always a chance of a recall when things improve for your ex-employer. A sour parting, on the other hand, closes this window of opportunity permanently.
Whichever way you look at, it is in your best interests to not let negativity affect you. A lay off does puts you in a tough situation, but wouldn’t you be working against you if you mindlessly react to it instead of thoughtfully acting.
