Written by Lizanne Dsouza-Founder, Liz Lyn Careers
In the last few weeks, all I've been hearing is bad news about companies laying off their employees for different reasons, as much as this news saddens me it's natural that all businesses put profitability and overall growth before employees' personal needs.
A good employer will however try their best to soften the blow by being professional about this and managing the entire process with empathy, and let's hope that that is the case often.
Let's admit it, no matter how well handled, getting laid off can be a traumatic experience professionally, especially for individuals who have never experienced it before.
Getting laid off can have a negative effect on your mental health and overall self-worth, if taken too personally that is, of course, there are several people who know how to separate the two and look at this as a purely unfortunate event and move on easily.
So how then do you bounce back from this?
Take a break if you need to- sometimes getting laid off can be a great opportunity to take some time off, yes we all have bills to pay but if it is something that you can do, then a break will give you some perspective and also may give you some time to revisit your entire career path
Stay connected with potential employers and up-to-date with what's going on in the industry- this is something you should be doing regardless of losing your job. Staying relevant and in touch with what's happening in the industry helps you bounce back much quicker.
Pro-tip-keep your LinkedIn profile active at all times
Start applying for jobs immediately and do not be ashamed to reach out to everyone-
There is no shame in asking people for help and putting yourself out there when it comes to getting another job, so do not think too much and go for it.
Bouncing back can be hard and being positive during this situation may be one of the toughest things to do I know how much we hate it when people ask us to stay positive during one of the worst times of our life, so hang in then and keep on going :)