We’re Sorry But Your Position Has Been Eliminated
Maybe you saw this coming or perhaps it was a complete surprise. As you process the news, you are vaguely hearing words like, “this isn’t personal,” “restructuring,” “difficult decision,” “thank you for your service,” “economic fallout,” “COVID” and “we had no choice.” Whatever the words were, chances are the only thing you can absorb is that you will no longer wake up in the morning with a sense of urgency, knowing that you have work to do and people to serve. The other thing you heard loud and clear is that you will no longer have a paycheck. Maybe you were lucky enough to get some severance or a brief extension of your healthcare benefits, but it is more likely that your family’s health insurance bill just tripled or quadrupled while your income evaporated. It’s even worse at a time when the economy is in a precarious state.
Your friends and family tell you to keep your chin up, “one door closes and another one opens,” or “follow your passion,” “this is a perfect time to refresh and renew,” “take some time off,” “retool and find something different.”
Everyone wants to share words of wisdom. Social media sites and job boards are full of advice and, before you know it, you will receive numerous offers to rewrite your resume, or help you find the perfect job at that organization that will value and appreciate your skills. But you thought you had that already until, of course, your position was eliminated.
Whatever you’re feeling - anger, depression, fear, loss, or perhaps elation - it’s normal and it’s okay. Maybe you hated your job, but not quite enough to leave without having something else in your hands. Maybe you were already looking for other opportunities but had not yet landed anything. Generally, though, let’s not sugarcoat this. Losing your job unexpectedly sucks. The only thing that’s worse is looking for another job.
We created this blog to provide some comic relief, and support for whatever you are feeling. We are not here to tell you how to find a job, how to fix your resume or how you should feel. Plenty of other sources will happily do that … for a fee. We are here to say you are not alone. We are right there with you and thousands of others. The only advice we have is to keep breathing, persevering, and keep laughing. Laughter is good medicine. (Just google it! You are likely to find laughter therapy, laughter yoga, even companies delivering services to hospitals to treat patients with comedy).
Disclaimer: We aren’t psychiatrists or psychologists, but we acknowledge that losing a job can be a stressful, even traumatic experience. If you are depressed or having a mental health crisis, please consult a professional or look for local resources for assistance. One option is to call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or text TALK to 741741.
