Surviving sudden job loss

Sometimes you see the pink slip coming, sometimes you don’t. However, given that the news is now littered with reports of cost-cutting lay-offs in a growing list of both home-grown firms and local subsidiaries of multinational firms, the possibility of sudden job loss is higher now more than ever; it should be something to keep at the top of your mind.

Let’s face it, whatever the circumstances, being fired, more so without warning, will knock the wind right out of you. What do you do when you have just been fired especially when you did not see it coming?

Where do you even start? How do you cope? It pays to be ready for your worst-case scenario if it comes along, because like many of life’s misfortunes, how you handle a job loss will determine whether it scars you or buoys you up and leads you to a better place. 

Joan Thatiah talked to two women who lost their jobs out of the blue and three experts who shared tips on how to cope and build your resilience after unexpected job loss. By

SHEILA’S EXPERIENCE

Last November, a newspaper article painting her employer in bad light became Sheila’s undoing. She left her workstation at a local manufacturing firm where she worked as a procurement manager one evening and woke up to handcuffs, when she was arrested by police on suspicion of leaking company secrets to the media.

“In a few short days, I lost my job. I had a good relationship with my bosses. I didn’t see it coming,” she recalls.

After the relief of having not been charged wore off, the worry and depression set in. The 33-year-old mother of three worried that she would no longer be able to provide for and afford treats for her children.

 “I was so depressed, I couldn’t keep any food down. I lost weight so fast that my 11-year-old son started to get worried. Luckily, my husband took some time off work to support me emotionally,” Sheila says.

However, there was a silver lining to her sacking

Being jobless forced Sheila to discover a set of skills she didn’t know she had. Six months ago, she took up multi-level marketing which she is enjoying doing. It puts food on the table and allows her time to spend with her children.

“I am still searching for a job, but my job search is now systematic. I am not just frantically looking for anything that I can find.”

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LORNA’S LEMONADE

As for Lorna, two-and-a-half months ago, she was in a good place. She was about to renew her two-year contract with a local media house.

She had just turned 28 and was about to start the final year of her communications degree. When the human resources department called, she assumed it was for her contract renewal, but instead she was asked to pick a letter of notice.

“To add salt to injury, I got a very small severance package, so my biggest worries right now are about money. How will I pay my college fees and my health insurance premiums… if I got sick right now, the illness might wipe out my entire savings.

 “It’s been six weeks since I was fired so I haven’t had time to process all the emotions. I feel all of them at once: Anger, sadness, fear and even embarrassment,” she says.

However, as much as Lorna needs to recover from the blow, she also need to get back on her feet as soon as possible.

And from brainstorming on how exactly to do that, Lorna has realised that her chosen career is too crowded anyway, so she is working on using her youth facilitation skills, something that used to be a pastime, to make a living until she graduates. She has already gotten a few gigs.

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EXPERT VIEWS

HR PERSPECTIVE

Rachel Agunda, lead HR consultant at Mnarani Management consultants says…

In an ideal workplace, the employer would prepare employees for such an eventuality. This is what Rachel Agunda, a HR consultant advises her clients to do. Unfortunately, most do not and sudden job loss catches their employees unaware.

Perhaps because of the initial state of denial, the most common mistake she has seen made is ignoring the obvious. Failing to rethink your budget, cut down your spending and figuring out how long the money you have will last.

“It is easy for one to resort to easy but misguided options like taking a loan in a bid to keep up appearances,” she says.

Rachel has also observed that newly-unemployed people spend too much money on the job search. True, financial experts will tell you to treat your job search like a job, but this doesn’t mean splurging on a skirt suit worth Sh10, 000 for an interview when you barely have any savings to get you by.

“Moreover, after riding out the emotions that come with sudden job loss, there is that sense of newness. A desire to start a fresh. This wanting of a clean slate can blind one into wanting to pay off their debts using their savings,” Rachel, observes.

This, she says, is a very bad move.

“Even if you are hopeful, you can’t be certain when you’ll get another job. Negotiate your debt repayment terms with your creditors. Unlike a decade or two ago, banks today are pretty accommodating.”

Survival nuggets

• A social media outburst attacking your previous employer will reflect poorly on you and might ruin employment opportunities. Last impressions matter too.
• Avoid quick fixes like loans or inappropriate jobs.
• Before embarking on a job search, examine the career field. Is it stable? Are there employment opportunities? Do you have a passion for it?
• If you find yourself looking at a job offer and thinking that it is a downgrade, ask yourself, downgrade from what? Remember, you are jobless. Take it and work your way up.

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LIFE COACH PERSPECTIVE

Vincent Oloo, a life coach and a transformational breath trainer says…

“Breathe. Expect to feel a range of all these emotions. Every time you start to feel overwhelmed, find a quiet spot and just take a deep breath. Conscious breathing will keep your mind away from the situation for a little while and connect you with the outer world,” he says.

Staying grounded, he says, will keep you from making hasty decisions driven by panic and keep you from isolating yourself.

“After a sudden job loss, your main aim is to get to the point where you can separate your being from your job situation. In my experience, just talking will do a lot for you. Talking opens up your mind. It helps you see positive qualities in yourself, and see options that you didn’t know existed,” he says.

Survival nuggets

• If you can afford it, step away for a little while.
• Attitude is key. Keep a proactive mindset.
• Get out of the house, talk to people.
• Exercise. Hit the gym, run, and go for Yoga class… Anything that will keep your body active.

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PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Kirindi Odindo, a consulting clinical psychologist says ….

A sudden job loss is almost always met with an unpreparedness. This usually causes a stress reaction whose symptoms differ in duration, severity and nature of manifestation.

“Immediate reactions would include shock, panic, sadness, anxiety, fear, grief, desperation, anger, hostility, resentment, numbness, shame, betrayal, abandonment, rejection, guilt, hopelessness, helplessness, powerlessness and despair,” she says.

Some people easily snap back to positive responses such as hopefulness, determination, optimistic and accepting.

This is determined by an individual’s outlook, attitudes, personality, attributions and their level of spiritual faith, emotional resilience, emotional and social intelligence, gender and social support network.

You can’t fight these emotions. The only thing you can do is give yourself permission to work through the stages.

Just as in the case of bereavement, you begin with the denial and shock; allow for appropriate emotional release including the inadvertent anger. Acknowledge the thoughts of how good things were before job loss that dominate your mind and finally understand that vulnerability is a part of the healing process.

The stages do not necessarily follow a neat, simultaneous pattern and may swing, switching back and forth.

“The one piece of advice that I would give someone who is grieving a job loss is to actively seek appropriate social networks. Talk it out. Avoid unhelpful coping methods like drinking, drugs, gaming, extreme withdrawal and risky behaviours.”

Network to re-establish connections to create meaning and purpose outside your job especially because you are now no longer part of your former work circle, which gave you an identity and sense of belonging.

Survival nuggets

• Your loved ones may react strongly to your job loss. Acknowledge their emotions too.

• Maintain a regular schedule; it is effective in helping you maintain a purposeful approach to the day.

•  Involve yourself in activities that distract you in a positive way.

• Surround yourself with people who understand your situation.

• Avoid beating yourself up, you will need yourself confidence when you get back on the job hunt.