Surviving a Job Lay Off

Organization and Premeditation Are Crucial

Less than three months after I was hired to man a cubicle for the first time in my life, I heard people throughout the office weeping openly. I'm in my mid 40s, so the fact that this was my first grunt job is a bit strange. The truth is, I have been self employed most of my life, and I was ill prepared for the "The Office." Not the kind like those funny guys on TV, but the usual, cubicle-laden type office.

The weeping I was hearing was coming from one of the vice presidents, one of the first people I connected with in the business. He, along with about 40 others had been laid off without warning. The feeling throughout the office was sickening, like a death pall. Two people from each department were let go. It was part of a "merger" we were told.

The scene was repeated less than a year later as more than one-third of the company was laid off. I was among the group. The look I saw on so many people's faces during that first lay off, was there again on the faces those who were still employed. They very seriously had survivor's guilt. Those of us let go that day were numb by comparison, operating on autopilot.

To be truthful I had half-heartedly started looking for jobs even before the lay off. So, at the very least, I didn't have to worry about updating my resume and coming up with a stellar cover letter at a time when I needed to mope for a day or so.

Even if you see it coming, it's never a good thing, and it does rip at your ego a bit. Here are some ways to take the sting out of the process:

First Things First
Economics will be the first thought, so get those things in order.

--Apply for unemployment immediately.