You Just Lost Your Job – What to do …

Losing your job can be devastating regardless of the circumstances.  You may have seen it coming, you may not have; frankly it doesn’t matter how it happened.  What matters now is “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?”

This reality is something that many people have to face; few of us are ready when it happens.  Sometimes the reason is economic, such as a layoff or perhaps the company is moving or going out of business.  In those situations, you may have had time to plan and prepare.  Some people sense the end is coming and they move seamlessly to a new organization; that is the best situation.  For others it is a shock and they are not prepared. 

Most of us have responsibilities.  We may have families, children, or people who depend on us.  We all have bills to pay.  We had plans that are in jeopardy now.  Most of us strongly identify with our jobs.  When the job is gone, it can be very easy to lose our sense of purpose, especially if we have been doing a job for a long time.

That walk or drive home to announce the news can be horrible, as can be the sense of uncertainty and fear about what comes next.

The important thing to realize is that the world is not over.  What sometimes seems like the worst thing in the world might actually be a good thing in the long run.  I have been through this myself and have heard that statement many times.  I will be honest with you that I did not believe it at the time, but given enough time and hard work, they were right.  Sometimes losing a job forces you to re-evaluate yourself and the change can be good for you.  In addition, frankly in these types of situations you have to approach things from a positive perspective because that is the only choice that is going to get you out of that situation.

Before you do anything else, prioritize income replacement. You can apply for employment insurance (EI) the day you lose your job. If you were not fired “for cause” and you have enough hours, you should be eligible for EI.  Be aware that any severance will affect your waiting time and the EI staff can help you understand that. Your employer has 5 business days to file the Record of Employment (ROE), which will back up your claim. Many people mistakenly think they cannot file until they get that document. It is important to get your file started as quickly as possible as it takes a few weeks for the claim to start.   Even if you were dismissed “with cause”, you should still apply. 

Doing paperwork maybe the last thing, you want to do, but you need to get your income replace as quickly as possible because of the processing time.

Remember there is help available and you are not the first person to have to go through this.  Many of us have faced similar situations and came out the other side and so will you.  I have made presentations to many people on this subject and have experienced that long walk home twice in my career, so this is not just an academic exercise for me. 

The way to the future isn’t easy, but you need to make a plan and work through the problem.  Your attitude is going to be important.  You will may experience discouragement, possible depression, self doubt, rejection, anger, and/or self-criticism about what got you here; at least I did and so have others I have talked to – it’s natural and it is part of the process.  Stay positive as much as you can and keep faith in yourself, like I said you are not alone and you will find another job again.

1. Take some time and take a deep breath.  Acknowledge that your emotions and feelings are all very real and very natural.  Your job and career are a big part of your life and losing them pushes you very suddenly out of your comfort zone.  It will take you a while to get over those feelings, trust me, its okay.
2. Take stock.  Review your finances and your expenses, if you don’t already have a budget, now is a good time to start.  What are the things you can defer for the short term?  What are the priorities:  rent or mortgage; loans; food, etc.  Knowing the minimum amount you need to make to meet your budget will help with finding the right job.  You may have to go without certain luxuries for a while.  Check out 211 for assistance programs that might be available. You can negotiate with credit card companies to lower interest rates if you have a good payment history.

Be careful when looking at the gig-economy as a way to make money while you look for a more permanent job. While this will give you cash flow, these platforms often cost more than what you earn especially if you are using your car considerably more. Renting a room in your home through home sharing platforms is more viable, but you will need to assess whom you wish in your home and how your home is laid out for your family’s privacy as well as the guest’s.

3. Take stock – part 2.  Objectively look at the skills, attitudes, and experience that you have and decide what kind of job or career you want at this point in your working life.  Decide how much money you would like to make.  You may have to revise your expectations based on the current marketplace for someone with your skills.  Decide how willing you are to take something temporarily, if you need to.  Consider anything and everything, take advantage of this time to perhaps pursue something that you have always wanted to do but couldn’t because you felt you couldn’t leave your previous job.

4. Realize that you will find another job.  This is important, particularly for older workers.  Regardless of your particular circumstances, you need to “work the problem”.  If you find yourself hoping your former employer will call you back after they realize they made a mistake understand that it isn’t likely, or at least they never did for me.

5. Losing a job is traumatic at any age, the older we get the harder it might seem.  Ageism is a reality; however, you must treat it as just one more problem to solve.  There are ways.  Get help from organizations that provide employment services, if you can’t find them, call 211, they are there.  Get help to combat ageism, be better prepared, and remember there are solutions to every problem.

6. Talk to people about what happened to you, it will help, especially with the “what if’s”.  Regardless of the reason why you are in this position, you will ask yourself “what if I had done that, what if I had done this,” it’s natural but not necessarily helpful.  By talking to people, especially people who have been through this type of situation, it will help you to move forward and to stop looking backwards.

7. Consider what you will say to people when they ask, “What are you doing?”  Blasting your former employer is not likely going to help you at all.  Tell people you are looking for a new challenge and a new opportunity; ask them to tell anyone they know that might be looking for someone and that you are available.  People like to help, but in order to help, they need to know, and don’t be embarrassed.  Remember if the situation were reversed, you would help them.

8. First step of the plan:  You should have already done.  Apply for whatever form of “Employment Insurance” is available to you.  Even if you were, “terminated” still apply.  In my experience, it is worth the effort and even if you are declined, you can still appeal and usually are approved if you are persistent.

9. Second step of the plan:  If you think that you might be entitled to severance but did not receive any, speak to the local labour board or obtain advice from the local employment centre.  Find out what legal costs you may have to pay; most employment services will have information to help you decide whether to pursue compensation or not.

10. Third step of the plan:  This is going to take a while to get over, you will have good days and bad days, do not underestimate the psychological affect that losing your job will have on you.  You will not likely ever work for that company again, unless it was a short-term layoff, which really isn’t why this post was written.  This post is for people who know in their hearts, they are not ever going back to their former organization.

11. Fourth step of the plan:  Ask what government supports are available for retraining and skills development.  Depending on your province or state, there may be programs to assist you that you are not aware of.  (call 211)

12. Fifth step of the plan:  Attend workshops (most are free) on resume writing, cover letters, interviews, job-hunting skills, and role-playing interviews.  Usually you must make a commitment to attend these types of programs for several weeks, the time is very well spent and it also helps you to network.

13. Sixth step of the plan:  Remember looking for work is a full-time job!  Try for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.  I am working on a post on job search skills that will provide more detail for anyone in this position soon.  If you can’t do eight hours, spend the time doing on-line courses or projects to stay busy and active.

14. Seventh step of the plan:  In your down time, stay busy, volunteer if you can, helping other people can be great therapy and it is another way to network.  I am partial to the United Way, but there are other organizations as well. 

15. Consider joining a not-for-profit board as a great way to build your network and stay engaged. With the current Pandemic, all boards are meeting virtually so it’s easy to join with no out of pocket travel costs. Finding an organization that mirrors your passions can help keep your mood positive.

16. Eighth step of the plan:  Never give up, each day stay as positive as possible and know that you will find another job.

It won’t be easy.  The last time it happened to me, it was 6 months, the time before 13 months, and it is not much fun for anyone. 

One last point, be aware of how you treat your family.  If you find yourself in a negative headspace and your family is enduring this challenging time, reach out to community services. Your family is enduring this time as much as you are. Children are often confused when they find their activities are curbed due to the family’s finances. Talking to your children with age appropriate information can bring them onboard in reducing the household financial obligations.

It is a stressful time, everyone and can be worried and afraid for the future.  If they see that you are determined, you have a plan, and you don’t allow your personality to change; then they will handle the situation better as well.

Good luck.

A special thank you to Francesca Dobbyn for her insight and comments for this post, as well as for Misty, who really helps more than she knows with many of these posts.