Life After Layoffs
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Over the course of almost three years, my work at Hubba became an intrinsic part of my identity. Everything I did was tied to where I worked. Everyone I met knew where I worked and, more importantly, knew how much I loved it there. Amongst many things, it was a place of many firsts:
The first time I had a job I actually enjoyed, through and through;
The first time I felt respected and valued by an employer;
The first time I was given opportunities to show off my many skills, and;
The first time I was given a real voice in the workplace.
As someone who’s worked a myriad of jobs since I was 14, not only did I feel as though I’d finally found my piece of the professional pie but, for the first time in my adult life, I felt like I had found my place in the world. I was perfectly content to stay nestled there for as long as I could.
That being said, like with most workplaces, mine wasn’t without its flaws. Eventually, the worst of the worst happened - I (along with about half the staff) got laid off somewhat unexpectedly.
For one long moment, I felt the ground go out from under me - I had no clue what I was going to do. I had finally settled into my life, nearly a decade after moving to Toronto from Montreal. I was finally OK enough financially to sleep most nights. In the last year, I'd gained a dog but lost any family members that used to live in the city… Naturally, I immediately began catastrophizing - where was my next meal going to come from? Who could I possibly go to for help now? What would become of my dog?!
Thankfully, one of the most significant things I'd earned during my time at Hubba was an absolutely incredible and supportive group of friends. While I stood sobbing in the middle of a meeting room, the feeling of their arms wrapping themselves around me snapped me out of what felt like my worst nightmare and I was able to breathe again. I was going to be OK.
That was almost a month ago. Now that the dust has settled, what’s next? I’ve thought a lot about how my situation might be helpful to someone else. So, I came up with five tips for getting out of your head before you get back out there…
1. Take a minute to get your mind right
In the days immediately following the layoffs, I observed so many different reactions to the news it, made my head spin. Some people didn’t skip a beat, with schedules that were, unbelievably, more jam-packed than ever before. For them, two, sometimes three interviews a day, wedged in between coffee dates with well-connected friends, and calls with eager recruiters became the norm. Meanwhile, I was… way on the other end of the spectrum. Initially, I embraced my chronic depression like an old friend, spending my days eating in bed while watching The Office or trying to out-nap myself.
Looking back now, I wouldn’t exactly recommend either of those approaches. One thing I remember telling a friend that was going particularly H.A.M. with her job hunt was, “You’re doing all the right things, and that’s fine. But this is a trying time for you and it’s totally OK to take a second to breathe. Take the weekend and just do nothing. Or do things that make you happy. But don’t think about getting a job for a minute. You need to recalibrate and reset and, in the long haul, that’ll only make your job search more effective.”
Essentially, I was asking them to practice balance. And that’s the same advice I’d give to anyone else: Listen to your mind and your body, and make sure you’re aligned. This way, you run less of a risk of making decisions based on fear or desperation as opposed to making moves that are actually good for you!
2. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, now is the time to get picky*
*Of course, the amount of time you have depends on your individual severance package. I have a friend who seemed to take the “beggars can’t be choosers” approach to their job hunt immediately after our layoff. But the fact is, that simply isn’t true. The way I see it, they weren't outright fired for cause (so the fact that they’re currently unemployed has nothing to do with their merits as an employee), they’ll be an obvious asset to whatever company they end up with, and they have a severance package to fall back on - none of this makes them a “beggar”. All that mentality was doing was steering them towards acting hastily and potentially making a wrong decision.
While it’s not the most comfortable for me, I’m making a concerted effort to be extremely picky about where I end up next. Before this job, I suffered through 10 years of the most abusive, incompetence-filled, disorganized workplaces. By the time I ended up at Hubba, I was a shell of who I once was. It took a ton of therapy to rebuild... but being in a supportive environment definitely helped. Suffice it to say, I’m not about to take a step back. In my mind, now is the time to be intentional about my job search because A) I can still depend on regular paycheques for the time being, and B) I’m not distracted by a day job - I have all the time (and mental capacity) in the world for research, interviews, and applications - and, yes, I recognize that that is both a huge perk and a privilege.
So, if you’re in an even remotely similar situation? I say go for it! Hunt thoroughly, but be discerning.
3. Ask yourself what you want out of life
I’ve been asked this a few times since being laid off and… I honestly don’t have a clear answer to this question. And that’s OK (for now)! This is the perfect time to figure that out! Not only for my peace of mind but to better plan for my future. If you’re like me, you’ve likely been so busy working or thinking about work (or now thinking about where to work) that you haven’t had time to really think about what you want. Now’s your chance.
So, ask yourself the question and process your thoughts in whatever way works for you: a mood/vision board, lists, post-its, the works! Really map out what you want your future to look like and what steps you need to take to make that happen. In the end, you should have at least a slightly clearer view of what you want and what you’re looking for, whether in life or in a new job.
4. Pursue your passion project(s)…
…and consider the possibility that that may very well end up becoming a full-time gig one day. If so, what does that mean? What does that look like? Does that change the type of jobs you’re applying to or not? The weekend before being laid off, I had taken part in a boot camp for aspiring speakers. Fortunately, that left me brimming with new ideas about what I wanted to pursue creatively. After I found myself with no job and plenty of free time, I dived head-first into revamping my website, designing a brand new resume, and some brand spankin’ new business cards. The creative output not only made me feel better but it was a much needed distraction from all the fear and doubts bouncing around in my head.
For you, maybe this is a hobby you’d like to get re-acquainted with. Maybe it’s a side hustle you’ve never had the confidence to put your all into. Maybe it’s a new facet of your career you’d like to pursue an education in. Whatever it is, now is your chance to seize the opportunity to learn a new skill and learn more about yourself in the process. Added bonus? It’s a fantastic boost to your self-esteem.
5. Reach out to friends and family
This is another thing that felt a bit counter-intuitive at the time of the layoffs. I found myself keeping the news to myself for days before I could bring myself to tell anyone. To me, sharing what had just happened with people who didn’t already know only made it feel more real. But that’s totally normal - don’t feel rushed to tell people before you’re ready.
However, I realized I was also worried about people’s reactions - which none of us can control. Namely, my mother's. I imagined that she would freak out. Which only made me want to freak out even more. But when I finally gathered up the courage to tell her the news, I found she was a lot more supportive than I expected (even going as far as suggesting I take this time to go on vacation, hah!). And that’s the thing, the more supportive and encouraging voices I heard, the better I felt. Over time, I began to not just hear what people were saying, but actually listen and believe it. Their voices began to replace the ones in my head telling me I was screwed; I would fail; my life was over.
It’s normal for some people to keep to themselves at a difficult time, but the thing about losing your job is you need external support more than you realize. Every encouraging note, warm hug, and “You can do it!” adds up. Pretty soon, those tiny gestures begin to build an armour of self-esteem that, let’s face it, you need if you’re about to start a whole new job hunt.
Speaking of which, don’t feel as though you have to go it alone! My friends and I often meet in public places just to have someone to sit next to while we look for jobs or work on personal projects. Not only does it give us a sense of normalcy (and an excuse to get out of the house), but it’s a great way to bond, ask questions, and seek help when needed.
In the end…
We all deal with difficult times in our own way and unexpectedly losing one’s job is never easy. But it doesn’t have to be the end of your world. Just take a breath, remember it’s not your fault, and know that there are people out there rooting for you just as much as you should be rooting for yourself!
-D.