It is bad enough when a person is just starting out. Feelings of failure can lead to serious problems relating to self worth and self-esteem. But when the individual is an established professional in his or her field, the effect is compounded many times.
Even if the individual has been informed months in advance that he or she is being let go, thus allowing him or her time to find something else, there is still a nearly overwhelming sense of failure for most people. It is perfectly common for people in this situation to blame themselves, to engage in self-destructive behavior, and to withdraw from those around them. I know these symptoms well. I've been fired or laid off from more jobs than I care to remember.
Dealing with the rejection and loss
Before you start to look for a job, you have to feel good about yourself. To do this may take time but you must deal with your feelings of rejection and loss before going any further.
The first thing to do is recognize that you are not alone. With the increase of automation of work, the chances of being replaced by a machine are increasing at an alarming rate, and it is not just happening to blue collar workers. For example, physicians spend most of their time diagnosing patient illness, but according to many sources, those efforts often are incorrect. Scientists are now creating machines that do a much better job of diagnosing. The effect, of course, is a need for fewer physicians, a fact that is already being felt in the medical profession. As the former administrator of a group of medical clinics I can personally attest to this phenomena. How do you imagine a physician feels, when he or she knows he or she has been replaced by a machine?
Second, you must recognize that anger and bitterness, can overcome a person. When this happens, the rejected employee can lash out at the former employer to the point of losing new opportunities. For instance, the fired employee may complain about his or her last employer in an interview for a new job. Or he or she may become so obsessed with losing the job that all he or she thinks about is telling the world how he or she was abused. In any case, he or she must come to grips with the situation before he or she looks for a new position.
One important part of this transition is for you to continue to do the same things and live the same way you did before you were fired or laid off; psychologists are clear on this point. Although, given the financial realities of the situation, you may have to scale down your lifestyle a bit. The more you change your behavior and pattern of living, the more you will reinforce the negative feelings you have about your predicament through denying yourself this or that and then blaming your former employer. By the same token, not significantly changing your lifestyle reinforces the idea that things are not so bad and that you can look to the future with optimism.
Assessing strengths
At this point, you must recognize your own assets. This step is imperative before you begin a job search. If you do not think you have value, who will? It becomes a matter of sitting down and recognizing strengths and weaknesses.
Focusing your job search
Now that you feel better about yourself and understand yourself a little more, you should begin to focus on what you want to do. Is this the time for a career change or should you stick with your present occupation or profession? (In chapter 8 we discussed the job-changing process.) Whatever the answer is to this question, the candidate should look at the situation as a challenge to get involved in bigger and better things. This will aid your job search a great deal because it will increase your sensitivity to the opportunities out there.
Dealing with your income needs
Now comes the tough part. It is all well and good to look into new possibilities; but, the candidate must be realistic when it comes to financial matters. How much money do you really need every month to pay all the bills and live the way you want to? (Remember, you want to continue to live as you have in the past for emotional and psychological reasons.)
You should begin by doing a careful inventory of your financial assets such as bank accounts, stocks, property, etc. Next, determine what your current liabilities are, including mortgages, automobile loans, and credit card payments. After you have done all of this, you must also average your daily living expenses such as utilities, food, entertainment, and clothing. The final step is calculating where your assets can help and what your financial needs are. If you do this carefully, you are in a position to know what your minimum income level is, so that when you are offered a job, you know what you can and cannot accept. It will also tell you how long you can afford to be out of work.
If this analysis tells you that you must find work in a hurry to avoid losing your automobile, it may be a question of taking a low-paying night time job just to make ends meet. But this should not be an end in itself. This strategy serves two ends. First, it gives you the necessary income to avoid a loss. Second, it allows you to continue to job-search during the day. Incidentally, there is no need to mention to a prospective employer that you have taken this night job that is below your experience and educational level. In fact, it might bias your case. In any event, taking a temporary job that permits you to gain some income while freeing you to continue to look for the right position should be seen as a stepping stone to new employment that will satisfy your real needs.
Above all, try to avoid selling things off and giving things up if at all possible. Such actions can depress you and make you bitter.
