Don’t Let Redundancy Ruin Your Self Esteem
In today’s economic climate, redundancy can happen to anyone, even great employees. Losing a job can be a huge blow to your confidence and self-esteem, but there are things you can do to make yourself feel better and bounce back quickly after losing a job.
Give yourself a mourning period
It’s important to take some time to mourn the loss of your job, especially if you weren’t expecting the layoff. Take a few days to sleep, watch TV, or whatever you feel like doing. You may be in shock or denial and it will take some time to adjust to this new reality.
Don’t pull away from family and friends
You may feel a variety of emotions after losing a job. Some people want to be alone and avoid interaction with family and friends. You may feel embarrassed or ashamed about being made redundant and think that by avoiding people, you can avoid talking about your work situation. As hard as it may be, you need to just face those around you from the start. The longer you put off talking about your job loss, the harder it will be. Friends and family can be great for support and also for networking as you start searching for a new job.
“Redundancy is a life-changing event. Don’t expect to bounce back to your normal self right away”
Stay connected to former co-workers
This can be difficult, but staying in touch with your previous co-workers can be a huge help as you look for another job. Former co-workers can serve as references and may know of other job opportunities for you. If other employees were laid off at the same time, you may have a great support group of people going through the same experience.
Look for other jobs
It seems obvious that you’ll want to start searching for other jobs, but in the shock of being made redundant, you may lack the motivation to start looking for new opportunities. It’s important to overcome this and search and apply for new jobs right away. Set goals for applying for a certain number of jobs each week. Interviews and the prospect of new employment will help you move past the disappointment of losing your job.
Volunteer
If it seems that finding a new job will take a while, look for some volunteer opportunities. Volunteering can fill your time, help a worthy cause, and expand your social network. Also, when you start going to interviews, being able to mention some volunteerism will show that although you’re unemployed, you’re staying active and contributing to your community.
Redundancy is a life-changing event. Don’t expect to bounce back to your normal self right away, but also take care to work through the layoff gracefully and without giving up on yourself.
