How to survive being sacked

 

You know the feeling: your mouth dries up, you get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, and you start to feel a little faint.

You’ve walked into work, sat down at your desk, and waded through an unusually large number of emails. It’s unusually large because your inbox is filled with goodbye messages from fellow colleagues (some of whom you’re quite sure you’ve never even met before).

For a moment there you think you’ve managed to avoid being retrenched. No one’s come over to your desk. Your colleagues reassure you how much your work is valued, and how important you are to the organisation.

Then, just as you start to relax you hear your name followed by, “can you come with me, please?”

‘It’s all over’, you think.

You find yourself in a large boardroom. It’s difficult to hear what your boss is saying to you because you’ve move into a mild state of shock.

You’re handed some documents, some figures are thrown around, they ask you if you have any questions, and then finally you receive a quick handshake… and then it’s over. You’ve been sacked.

It could happen to you

Most people I know have been made redundant at some point in their career. A financial planning friend of mine once told me you can expect to be given your marching orders between 3 and 5 times in your life if you work in the banking sector.

It happened very early on in my career. I was working for the Commonwealth Bank. There was a round of redundancies in the weeks that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

If there is any kind of material downturn in any sector you work in, you can be sure management will be looking to cut costs, and that usually means job losses.

Just in the past few weeks we’ve seen mass redundancies at the ANZ Bank and at Fairfax. My own employer, the ABC, is also shedding staff following the announcement of funding cuts in the Federal Budget.

There are likely to be more on the way too more broadly. Trend employment, at least for now, looks to be heading south.

Harsh but fair

Now this is where I start sounding like your best friend – the guy that tells you the truth, even if it stings just a little.

Here’s the thing: companies don’t sack employees because they get a rush from it. Nor do they do it because they’re bored, or they can’t think of anything else to do. They do it because, ultimately, they believe the organisation will be better off.

If your role is made redundant, it means just that, it’s now ‘useless’. Importantly though, it doesn’t mean you are redundant, or that the work you’ve been doing is meaningless.

It just means your organisation doesn’t think the work you’re doing now will be of use to the organisation in the coming months and years.

It can happen so easily. Management may find a way to streamline an administrative process, for instance. Two people can now quite easily do the work it used to take three or four people to do.

Of course the harsh reality is that you’ve been told that you’re no longer adding value to the organisation. That’s because if you were, they would want to keep you on.

Take a break

If your role is made redundant, your company will likely offer you some sort of careers counselling. You may like to attend (gives you something to do for a few days) but I would avoid doing that… unless you’re seriously lost about what to do next.

Often the best thing to do is to take some time off. Take a short holiday, or just be nice to yourself for a few days. You’ve been through some trauma so it’s important to let that heal just a little.

I do have one caveat. After the initial shock, people who have been sacked often feel a need to fight back (perfectly natural). It can come with a healthy dose of adrenalin. If that’s you, hit the phones.

Make calls to companies you’ve always wanted to work for. Make a lot of calls. The feeling doesn’t last forever so take advantage of it while it’s there. Be prepared for more rejections but the upside is that you might find some hope too.

Next steps

After a few days, and maybe a weekend, you’ll need to get back to work. Yes, that’s right, work.

As part of your redundancy you’ll have been given a payout. That payout’s designed to fund some of your time off, but more importantly, it’s designed to help you stay afloat during your search for a new role. So, find yourself a space to work, grab your laptop and a phone, and start looking for a job.

It can be helpful to set yourself a normal work day routine. Make phone calls and write emails between 9am and midday, take a lunch break, then work on your resume and your social media profile in the afternoon. As the days and weeks roll on you could find you’re quite busy with job applications and meetings.

Dark days

You’ll inevitably have days where things just aren’t going right. The unemployed can experience feelings of loneliness and depression.

I’m not a psychologist but it seems to make sense that at least if you know these feelings may come knocking, you can prepare for them in advance.

Possible coping mechanisms include a regular catch-up with a trusted friend or someone in your industry, professional counselling, and of course regular exercise if you’re fit and able.

Stuck in the mud

If it’s been months and months, and you haven’t made much progress, you need to ask yourself some tough questions: are you looking for the right kind of roles? Are you qualified for the jobs you’re seeking? Is your industry hiring right now, or are you part of a broader contraction in your sector, and if so, is it time for a career change?

Recruitment agencies for me are a last resort, but they can be a terrific resource for some. I landed my first role through a recruitment agency. Recruitment consultants can also help you get back on track by filling you with confidence and hope.

Stay positive

A taxi driver once told me he’d noticed that he picks up noticeably fewer customers when he’s feeling tired or unsettled.

You’d be amazed how much simply staying positive and proactive can help you in your career search. That means deciding within yourself to keep pushing forward in a hopeful manner, notwithstanding inevitable setbacks.

The beauty of forced redundancy is that you have an opportunity to collect yourself, recharge, rethink, and move forward.

If you‘re proactive and ‘succeed’ in your redundancy and unemployment, you will be better equipped for your next role.

David Taylor is a journalist with the ABC. Before taking up a position with the ABC, David was a financial markets analyst and economics commentator. You can follow him on Twitter: @DavidTaylorABC.