Today, April 10, 2009, I officially become one of the millions of people laid-off. Downsized. Today is my last day with my company. I also have the honor of joining the ranks of The Outsourced. Yes, my position is now held by a fellow who works for a company based in India. It occurred to me that today, my last official day of employment, is also Good Friday. Is there any significance? Is it a sign?
It has been my belief that the Lord (the one in The Bible) gave me my most recent position and when it was over, I’d know it. During the last nine years, I’d thought about looking for another job, but doing what? So now, here I am on Good Friday. The message is loud and clear; it’s time to move on.
I knew this day would be coming and even welcomed it. Back in July 2008, I arrived at work one California summer morning to find out that our company had lost the contract with the company we supported. We were out. Unlike some others, my faith gave me a sense of calm. Others were frightened and immediately upon hearing the news, they started their job search.
For me, I couldn’t wrap my head around looking for a new job, training our replacements, and dealing with the other myriad of family life issues that were/are on my plate. I can only eat one elephant at a time. My company offered a deal for those of us who’d been on the account for a while and stayed to the very end. The proposition: several weeks paid while they try to find a new assignment for us or we look for a new job. This is also known as “bench time” in the IT world. Translation for me – a paid break and time to figure out what I wanted to do next. The other benefit was if they did terminate me, I’d have several more weeks of severance pay given my 9 years with the company. So my choices: a) Start a job search or b) take my chances with a company that offered me an opportunity to remain employed for a few more months, not feel stressed and would pay me to look for new employment. “I’ll take door number 2, Monty.” I decided to take the deal offered.
My last day with the client was February 27. From then until today, I’ve made the most of my bench time. The activities below have helped me to remain calm during this transitional period. I hope you’ll find my advice helpful.
Rest – Take a moment not to fret about your circumstances. This will give your mind and nervous system a break from stress. Exercise, spend time with your dog, go for a hike, watch your favorite or new movies. Do things that you enjoy for a week to get a new perspective. As the song says, “There’s a sunny side to every situation”. Find the good in this situation.
Read – Use this down time to figure out what you really want to do. So many of us may have lost jobs that we didn’t really love to begin with. We’re not sorry for the job loss, but the income. This is an opportunity to get to know yourself better. Reconnect with the person that you are really. You have been fearfully and wonderfully made. Find books that will help you identify your values, skills, interests, and work environment. This situation may be just the push you need to start living the life you’ve really wanted. A couple of books that I’ve read and found helpful are noted below.
Plan Your Time – Establish a plan for your day. Decide what you’ll do in the morning and afternoon. It doesn’t mean that you have to do the same thing everyday, but having a plan for your time will allow you to feel like your accomplishing something each day. This is very helpful for the high self-esteem you’re going to need once you start interviewing or networking for your next position.
Get Out of the House – Don’t sit around the house every day. You’ll just end up getting fat from running to the fridge to “calm your nerves” or sitting in front of the computer getting side-tracked while surfing the web in the quest for a “new job”. If you have the option, take your laptop to a different location and work there. The local coffee house (but don’t spend too much money on lattes and coffee cake), park, or mall may be lovely environs to meet new people. Hey, you never know if you can make a contact that will help you get that new job.
The library has become my second home. There are so many wonderful resources available for FREE – book, magazines, newspapers, books on CD/tape and DVD. And if you live in a place that is part of a larger library system, that further expands the resources available to you. And did I mention, for FREE! I love that word.
Take Care of a Few of Those Long Held To-Do Items – I remember my reaction of disbelief when I’d heard that one of my co-workers was bored after our layoff. “Bored?” Is it a man thing? There is always something to do.
Wash those windows blinds (or the dog) that have accumulated dirt. Cut back the over-grown grass. Organize a closet or two. Recycle those old cans of paint. Do some of the things that you didn’t have a chance to get to while you were working. The point is to give yourself a sense of accomplishment as these are things you can control.
Write Down Your Accomplishments and Be Proud of Yourself – Once you’ve done a few things in the day, write them down and give yourself an “Atta Girl/Boy!”. By documenting what you’ve done in each, you’ll have a visual reminder of how you’ve been spending your time. You’ll be able to appreciate that you’ve actually have put in some time and can appreciate the fruit of your labor.
Although my bench time is over and now I’m laid-off, Life..Downsized doesn’t have to be a slide into an abyss of idleness, depression and financial ruin. I choose to see today as a good Friday. Like Jesus, I’m expecting a resurrection to a better life…here and in eternity. Have a good week.
Inspirational Verse of the Week
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Roms 8:37
Recommended Reading
1. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Discovering Your Perfect Career by Rene Carew, Ed.D.
2. Negaholics: How to Recover from Your Addiction to Negativity and Turn Your Life Around by Chérie Carter-Scott
