I Got Laid Off, Now What Do I Do?
(Part 1 - Exodus)
By Dennis Faust
Realize
that this will happen to most of us at some point in our careers.
It is normal. Like most things business activity is cyclic. It
goes up and it goes down. Many of you started your careers in
a period of the longest economic expansion in history. You haven't
had to worry about losing a job or even getting a job. Your biggest
worry has been which job to take. Well kids, welcome back to the
real world. It's going to hurt. But the pain is normal.
To give you some perspective I'll describe my first job in the Bay Area. Think 1987 and recession. It was a consulting programming position that paid twenty four thousand dollars a year. That is about what school teachers made at the time. I had just sold a custom programming business back in Florida so I felt I was uniquely qualified. Indeed I did get hired after five rounds of interviews. Once hired, I learned that the company ran one ad in the paper, no recuiters, recieved more than two hundred resumes, interviewed more than seventy people and finally picked me! The next couple of years are probably going to be more like that than the last couple of boom years. Get over it right now. You're going to have to scratch and fight for your next job.
You
find yourself standing outside the conference room with your last
paycheck in hand. What now? Let's first get you out of the building
in as few pieces as possible given that your work life has just
been shattered:
SHOW
ME THE MONEY: Verify the finances. Often final paychecks are
done by hand. Go over everything with a fine tooth comb. Make
sure all the details are correct. Count the number of vacation
days you have left and how many days were deducted. Make sure
the severance amount is correct. Check everything financial! Twice!
Go sign up for unemployment as soon as possible.
MY
LAWYER WILL CALL YOU: Companies often use the exit interview
as an opportunity to protect themselves. You may be asked to sign
releases or indemnifications. Be wary. You don't have to sign
anything. Read everything. Take your time, check it all out and
seek advice. Don't make any hasty decisions you'll regret later.
You are in a fragile state of mind and shouldn't be asked and
can't be forced to make important decisions on the spot.
YOU'VE
GOT YOUR HEALTH: Don't even think of going without health
coverage. Get all the information regarding your health insurance
and either get your own coverage or continue with the company's.
US residents can elect COBRA but it is expensive and you will
be cancelled when the time limit runs out. If you get really sick
on COBRA you will have a very difficult time getting alternate
coverage. Do not take the issue of health coverage lightly no
matter how young and healthy you are now.
POLISH
YOUR IMAGE: You probably feel like committing some violent
act against the company or your supervisor. Refrain from doing
anything that can be construed negatively. Take only your personal
items and leave everything else. That goes for your workstation
as well. Nuke your hard disk and you could be charged with destroying
company property. Don't do it.
Keep
in mind that while you may never come across the business people
at your company again you will most assuredly encounter the technical
people in the future. Have some class. Help out the people who
have to clean up your mess. They will remember and appreciate
it.
Don't
use the company email system for personal email. It's never a
good idea but in volatile times it is even worse. If you must
send and recieve emails from work use Hushmail or another free,
secure email service.
NETWORK:
Take a few minutes to connect with everyone before you leave the
premises. Get everyone's contact information and future plans.
You never know if you might need them and you'd be surprised how
fast everyone will scatter to the winds. Many hires come about
from personal referrals. Make sure you have some.
Keep
in mind that you are going through one of the most stressful events
in your life. Expect some fallout. Take care of yourself and give
your self time to process this. At the same time realize that
this process is now part of the employment landscape. Like any
other part of your career you need to put effort and thought into
how to do it and how to do it well. Next time we'll cover your
mental state and getting prepared to find a job.
Here
is a secure email service: www.hushmail.com
If you think you have it bad there is always someone
worse off.
Part II - Nobody Loves Me -->>
|
