Sometimes life just doesn’t go as planned and you have to realize that everything will be okay.
This past week was a tough one for me. My company went through layoffs and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. I fortunately am happy to report that I was one of the lucky ones and was able to keep my job. My job assignment is going to be changing as there are many changes within the organization but I am luckily to be in that position. This was actually the second time where I survived mass layoffs at my job. Working for Corporate America can be very tough for this exact reason. You feel so secure in your role and next thing you know your company announces a restructure. There are many lessons that I’ve learned during this time and I wanted to share them with you if you ever are in this position or have friends/family going through this.
This happens everywhere.
What I’ve realized in Corporate America is that layoffs happen ALL the time. It sucks, I know but it is reality. Especially after going through it twice at two different companies, I’ve realized that I just have to accept this and it is something that I signed up for.
Try not to let it distract you, it is out of your control.
Usually before mass layoffs, you know that it is going to happen. Your senior leadership usually makes an announcement in a town hall or investors call that they plan to “restructure”, “cut costs”, or go through a series of “employee reductions.” When stuff like this is announced it causes stress and anxiety right away. Regardless of how “safe” you feel in your current job. This is completely normal. My company made this announcement back in March so it has been pretty uneasy ever since however in September the announcement was becoming a reality and we knew the exact time frame this was going to happen. Leading up to this date, I can’t tell you how distracted my office was. Everyone was talking about this 24/7 and it was causing a pretty negative work environment. What I reminded myself was that the decision is out of my control. There is nothing that I can do to change anyone’s decision and I just have to move on and go on with my day. What I highly suggest doing is just accept it and keep up the good work you have been doing for months (maybe years) prior.
Network.
Network with past colleagues and connect with them on LinkedIn. If you lose your job, know that your colleagues have your back and can be a great advocate for you. You never know what your bosses bosses boss can do for you down the line. Who knows, they can introduce you to a recruiter for your dream job.
Update your resume and look for other opportunities.
This is SO important. When I knew layoffs were going to happen, I immediately updated my resume and connected with people on LinkedIn. I also spent some time searching for jobs just in case. This was hard for me because I love my current job and to be honest with you, I have no idea what I would want to do next. Let me tell you, this is not a good state to be in especially when you get laid off. You don’t want to be clueless and not know what to do next.
Change is good.
This one is really hard to accept when your friends and colleagues get let go. You have to trust the process. Most of the people who get laid off during a mass lay off you question and the reason behind that is because companies hire an outside organization to make the cuts. It depends on the situation and whoever is involved but performance is not always in consideration during these tough decisions. It is pure luck. What I do is trust the process and have faith in my company and senior leadership that they are making the right decision for the company. Change is never easy but sometimes it is what a company needs to grow faster and be better.
Have you ever been in this position before? How do you handle it?
Thanks for reading Elle’s Edit. If you have any topics that you would like for me to discuss, feel free to email me at elizabeth.lane.dooley@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you! xo
