There’s nothing quite like losing your job. It’s a massive confidence blow!
In the pandemic, I moved countries and in the first two weeks in living in my new country, where I couldn’t speak the language, I lost my job.
I had no network and couldn’t even speak the language. And it was October 2020 so we were still in the midst of the pandemic.
Stirling.
I felt like the whole universe had opened its hands and was letting me freefall through space and time with no place to land.
How to Bounce Back After Losing Your Job?
1. Feel the feels
No one wants to lose their job. It could just be one of the worst feelings. We all know that every door that closes offers new opportunities but it doesn’t feel like that in the moment.
Maybe you were made redundant because the company was closing. Or maybe you worked your butt off but the results just weren’t there. Or you plain and simple didn’t deliver on what you’d promised or on what was expected.
In my case, the company was under financial pressure and within the 2 weeks of moving countries, I had made a number of errors. If I look back the stress of moving was more than I imagined it would be.
In the end, they let me go.
I was angry. I was hurt. I felt rejected. I felt abandoned and that I didn’t deserve what had happened. I was distraught.
Always a star player, I’d never been fired before. Never.
It was devastating.
New country. No work. Pandemic. And no language skills to navigate the situation.
Many a night I cried myself to sleep.
When you lose your job, there may be a variety of emotions that come up. Including relief! Give yourself a little time and space for those to surface.
2. Evaluate the Money Situation
Part of the terror and fear of losing your job is the fear of not knowing how you’re going to pay your bills.
Valid problem! Not everyone is given a 6-month payout with garden leave. And no one I know is a trust fund baby.
Unfortunately on planet Earth, we deal in money. So no one is going to feel sorry for you if you don’t have cash and feed you, well apart from your family of course.
Look at what you need to do to consolidate. In my worst time, I had to move out of my apartment and in with my mother. Thanks, mom for taking care of me!
It was tough for both of us but it definitely eased my financial pressure and meant I didn’t have to accept a job offer in London, which I really didn’t want.
Do what you need to do to make sure you can stretch the money you have until you find your next gig.
Speaking of your next gig. I LOVE this video from Elizabeth Gilbert.
3. Redo Your CV and Update Your LinkedIn
This is a tedious exercise but it’s worth the effort! You’ll look back and remember all the things you’ve done and achieved. And you’ll be ready for all the new interviews.
I suggest using LinkedIn’s Premium tool if you can afford it as it’ll help you tailor your profile, your CV and ensure you’re ready for interviews!
4. Make a Daily Plan
What you need now is a plan. If you’re in the fortunate position of not needing a job immediately, it may be worth taking some time out to think about what it is that you want and are looking for.
Maybe you want to go into entrepreneurship. OR maybe it’s time to turn your art into profit, as in the case of my dear friend Jasmine who scaled down to quit her job and turn her art into her work. By the way I definitely suggest checking her out on Insta!
And definitely listen to our podcast chat together.
If you’re going back to work, make looking for a new role your full-time role.
When I was out of work I made it my mission to craft the best-ever CV and cover letter. Then I set up signing myself for free courses which would enhance my value. And then I tackled it like a sales hit list.
I had to apply for at least 5 roles every weekday. I kept a spreadsheet of where I was in the process with each company.
You can download your own copy here.
My rule was “Lisa, you stop either when you get a role, or when you die, whichever comes first”.
I think I got that attitude from my grandmother but it really saved my ass.
5. Make Time for Joy, Support and Self Care
Buckle up baby, job hunting can be a rough ride. But you’ve got this.
Make sure though you make time for joy! Do things that make you happy. And get the support you need from friends, family and even a therapist.
Speaking of Support, I found Career Growth With Lucy a REALLY valuable resource. Check her out.
6. Be open to NEW possibilities
If your particular industry is suffering from contraction then it’s time to be open to new possibilities.
Forget about the job title. List your skills and think about what different types of scenarios you could apply them to. Then go and apply for a variety of roles. You never know what might happen!
- Research. Read blogs. Google my friend, is your friend.
- Google things to give your inspiration.
- Google new role possibilities
- Google positions in different cities
- Google remote work opportunities
You never know what new exciting things are destined for your path.
My wise friend Nic Latouf (by the way you should TOTALLY follow him on LinkedIn) always said “Go through the doors that open”.
Sometimes you can keep trying to beat down a door and it doesn’t open but another one does. Go through it!
7. Take one step at a time
Don’t think on the macro level. How will I pay school fees next year? How will I retire? How…
NO!
Bring it right back down to now, To today. And take one step at a time.
What are we doing now? We’re drinking a cup of coffee and breathing.
Then we are going to settle down to work hunting between 9am and 12pm. After that, I don’t know.
Don’t think too much in the future because it can feel overwhelming.
Just ONE step at a time.
8. Know that THIS TOO SHALL PASS
One day this is all going to make sense. You’re going to look back and see that. You can’t right now and that’s ok.
But think of it as if you were starring in your very own movie. The protagonist, in keeping with the heroes journey, has encountered a major challenge. What will he/she do to counteract the challenge?
What to do when the plan isn’t working?
Let me tell you something ahead of time which you probably don’t want to hear. The plan you have might not work according to plan.
It may take more time. It may take stepping into a different position first. It may take a professional pivot.
Or you may end up working at a ski resort or waiting tables just to pay the bills. You know what? Who cares. F’ck it as Mark Manson says.
Humility is ALWAYS a good thing. It shows us parts of ourselves that we otherwise avoid.
You will have bad days but You WILL get through them!
I’ll never forget when my good friend Jaco (names have been changed) told me that he felt sorry for me because he’s never ever had to apply for a job.
His skillset is so niche that ever since he left university, he gets a few calls a month offering him new work.
The bastard.
Well c’est la vie.
I do believe we all have our challenges sometimes not in the same areas as others. Work, health, relationships, family, money… we all get something at sometime.
There were days such as that day when Jaco told me he felt sorry for me that the darkness seemed unending.
I don’t know how my best friends put up with me because I just used to cry and cry.
I cried a lot.
But you know what I gave myself 20 minutes each day to cry as much as I wanted. And I watched comedy. It made me laugh and forget about the world.
It’s a Reset
At some point in time you’re going to be in a new space; a new business or even your own business.
What are you going to put in place so that things are different for the future?
This is about taking the past and learning the lessons. Maybe you start investing so that if this ever happens again, you have savings. Maybe you strike more of a work-life balance for the future so that you all of your self-worth isn’t only wrapped up into work.
Don’t force yourself to think of the lesson. Simply start a journal and let yourself jot down your thoughts until they make sense. And they will make sense.
How to regain your confidence
So you’re getting up every day. You’re working out. You’re going your hustle. Well done! It’s very easy to feel depressed and just give up after losing your job.
So you’re taking the steps forward and you’re showing up but still, your confidence is at an all-time low. How on earth can you regain your confidence when the doors just aren’t opening?
If you’re showing up then there’s no more you have to do. BE PROUD of the fact that you’re showing up every day.
I usually say a prayer and surrender things to the universe.
Que sera, sera.
It’s not all in your hands. So the more you attribute the state of your current affairs to your failure, the worse it’s going to be. Life has a way of knowing, even when we don’t.
Regain confidence by
- Seeing how you’re dealing with the situation.
- Listing the achievements of your life.
- Listing what you’re most proud of yourself for in terms of characteristics
It’s easy to feel like work is the sum value of you as a human but that just isn’t true. There are so many dimensions to us as humans outside of just work. So maybe it’s time to focus on yourself more than just the monetary value.
Don’t believe all the lies your mind (and social media) tells you every day.
You’ve GOT this! Remember that!
And let me know how it goes!
