Fired, Canned, Terminated…

Dismissed, let go, downsized or laid off! It doesn’t matter what term is used to describe it, they all SUCK! Although it is rarely a personal issue, it is impossible not to take it personally! Most will feel alone, rejected and scared combined with shock, disbelief, resentment, anger, overwhelming self pity and shame. All of those negative emotions can lead to some poorly made decisions so despite the emotional roller coaster that you will be riding for at least a few days, do your best to hold on tight and ride the waves of emotion.

Don’t go to the bar! Do go to the gym. Share the news only with those who truly care about you and have the ability to be both empathetic and supportive. If you believe the company or organization is not offering a fair and acceptable severance package seek legal advice immediately.

Worrying about the future will not change anything so think of your job loss as an unexpected holiday and your traumatic experience will become much more bearable, at least for the short term.

As much as we would like to believe all employees are respected and regarded as more than a name or a number, this isn’t always the reality of the situation at the corporate level and downsizing a department may be related simply to the number of employees or length of tenure rather than the individual so don’t take it personally. If the opportunity was given to prepare a case for NOT ME prior to the company issuing the “pink slip” you might have the right to say WHY ME but that doesn’t happen either.

Join a networking organization for those in career transition as soon as possible. You’ll discover losing a job is as common as acquiring one and any sense you had of being the only one who ever lost a job will quickly vanish.

So stand tall, accept that you have been fired, canned, terminated, dismissed, let go, downsized or laid off along with millions of others! Again, you are not alone. This one closed door will result in an awareness of many open doors, one of which could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Keep an open mind and remain optimistic. You could be ready for a Human Detour.

Martin Buckland has been providing executive career management services since 1993. For further information or to obtain a free resume critique contact Elite Resumes.