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Being laid off can be an overwhelming, humbling,
scary experience. Suddenly, after months or years at a company, you're
coldly given the ax and left to fend for yourself. You don't know where
your next meal's coming from; you walk the streets gazing into office
windows and remembering the days when you, too, had a job.
But it doesn't have to be like that. Following these
steps will help you get back to work as quickly as possible.
Don't Burn Any Bridges
This is the number-one post-layoff rule, and it
applies to almost every layoff-related situation. In all your dealings
with the company, your supervisor, your human resources representative,
and your former coworkers, use "don't burn any bridges" as your personal
mantra. You never know when contacts you made at your job will help you
in your new life. The company's fortunes could take a turn for the
better and you may be invited to return to your old job; a former
coworker might find a perfect place for you at his new company; a
headhunter might call your old company's HR department looking for
someone like you.
If you've kept a professional, cordial relationship
with all concerned parties, you'll be able to take advantage of
opportunities like these.
Negotiate the Terms of Your
Departure
If you're laid off, there's a good chance you'll be
offered some kind of severance package, generally a continuation of your
salary for a set amount of time. What you may not know is that you do
have the ability to negotiate for more benefits. For instance, if your
company doesn't offer to keep you on the health plan for a while, at no
cost to you, ask it to. If you have stock options and are near a vesting
milestone, ask HR to accelerate your vesting schedule. The company may
also be able to help you with outplacement services.
You should also try to negotiate for more money. The
key is to come across as professionally as you can. Appeal to the
company's sense of fairness. Chances are, your managers feel horrible
about the layoff and want to be as just as they can with your parting
package. Don't be afraid to request as much money as you need. After
all, you don't have anything to lose. What are they going to do, fire
you?
Understand Your Severance
Package
You'll probably be asked to sign something agreeing
to keep the details of your severance package secret. You may also be
required to sign a non-compete clause (saying that you won't work for
any of your company's competitors). Use your intuition and best judgment
when asked to sign this one, but keep in mind that the clauses are
illegal in some states and unlikely to hold up in court in others. If
you have any questions about your benefits package, don't hesitate to
ask HR. Before you leave, make sure everything is clear.
Make It Easy for Your
Ex-Employer
Be sure the company has updated contact information
for you so it can send you your COBRA notice (allowing you to continue
purchasing health insurance on your company plan until you find a new
job), W2 forms, and any other correspondence.
Decide Whether You're Resigning
or Getting Laid off
You'll probably have the chance to decide whether, in
official terms, your departure from your company is the result of your
resignation or your getting laid off. Discuss this question with HR. My
advice is to avoid resigning whenever possible; it may disqualify you
for unemployment insurance - and being laid off no longer has the
stigma it once did. You may feel strongly about resigning, though, and
if this is the case, let HR know.
Get a Reference Letter before
You Leave
Ask your supervisor for a letter of recommendation
before you leave the office. You may be able to write it yourself and
have your supervisor sign it. It should include a description of your
duties, a verification of the dates of your employment, and, hopefully,
unqualified praise for your skills and talents. Even companies with a
policy of not providing references will often make an exception in the
event of a layoff.
Clean out Your Desk and
Computer
In a best-case scenario, the company will allow you
privacy and plenty of time to get your personal belongings and computer
files out of the office. However, it may watch you to make sure you
don't take anything belonging to the company or tell you that you only
have a certain amount of time before they'll cut off your computer
access.
Try to take your time and be sure you don't leave
anything you wouldn't want someone else to see. Remove any confidential
information, personal contact lists, and paper files that you'd rather
keep to yourself. If you have any personal office supplies, you may have
to prove that they belong to you and not the company. Don't lose your
cool if you're asked to do this. Remember that the idea is not to burn
any bridges and to remain calm and professional.
On your computer, delete all personal e-mails and
documents. It's true that nothing is ever completely deleted, but you
can at least make personal information more difficult to find. And make
your post-employment life easier by transferring important personal
documents and files (e-mails, e-mail address books, et cetera) to your
home computer or a CD-ROM or floppy disk.
Use and Expand Your Network
Don't be afraid to let people know you've been laid
off. Tell family and friends that you're in the market for a new career
and ask them to think of any acquaintances or colleagues who might be
interested in hiring you. When you meet a stranger at a party or on the
bus and he asks you what you do, go ahead and tell him you were recently
laid off and you're looking for a job. You never know who might be the
key to your new dream career.
In the name of never burning bridges, keep in touch
with all your fellow laid-off coworkers. They'll have new jobs soon,
which means they'll be in the position to help each other out. One of
them could start working at your dream company.
Start attending job fairs and contact
employment agencies and recruiters. Get reacquainted with all the
old-standby job-search resources; post your resume on the Internet and
start perusing the classifieds.
Polish Your Resume
Update your resume right away. Visit related sites
for resume tips. You might also consider showing your resume to someone
who worked closely with you at your old job; he'll be able to help you
put your experience in the best light.
Stay Organized
It's tempting to look at a layoff as a vacation, and
there's nothing wrong with taking a few days off (or more, if you were
lucky enough to be granted a generous severance package). But when
you're ready to find a new job, buckle down. Right now, the job search
is your job, and you need to tackle it with energy, discipline, and
organization.
Put yourself on a schedule and make yourself spend a
certain amount of time each day on job-search activities. Keep track of
the companies to which you send your resume, companies where you
interview, and your follow-up activities. Start each day with your
newspaper's classified section or with a visit to the job listings at
various job sites. And look for new resources each day.
Although midweek visits to the beach are one of the
perks of losing your job, try to keep them to a minimum. Stay on track,
and you'll be employed again before you know it.
Keep Your Chin up
Even though it seems like everyone is getting laid
off these days, you can't help but get discouraged by losing your job.
Don't let it get you down too much. Vent to close friends, spend a
couple of days feeling bad, and then get back to work. You got laid off;
it's not the end of the world and it doesn't say anything about you as a
person.
If you need to, see a counselor to work through your
feelings. Ask friends and family members if they've ever been fired or
laid off and how they bounced back; you just might hear some
motivational stories that will have you looking on the bright side.
You'll also feel better about yourself if you don't let yourself spend
too much time wallowing in self-pity. Networking and searching for jobs
and going to interviews, besides getting you a new job, will also help
your self-esteem.
You're going to be fine-and you didn't really like
your job anyway, right? |
