How To Move On After Getting Laid Off - What To Do When You Get Fired from Work

You go to work one day and get a call to the boss’ office. For no apparent reason, you feel cold and clammy. You walk briskly but calculatedly and enter the room. After all the pleasantries all that is left in your mind are the cold words “we have to let you go”. Yup, you just got axed.

After the initial shock of getting laid off from work what do you do? What strategies should you do to keep your sanity intact?

Among the flurry of emotions that stirs up, anger often finds its way to the top. Yes, yes, I know it’s easier said than done. But you need to keep your cool before you go berserk. You have the option of staying sane or being dragged out of the office by security personnel. The latter is an employment strategy (or post-employment strategy) that won’t do you any good. I had one colleague who hurled his computer monitor at the boss’ office window. Apart from getting fired, he had to pay for the darn monitor. So don’t do more damage by lashing out on your boss – not even at your co-workers.

The good

• Keep quiet or at least minimize any comments – remember anything you say can be used against you. So exercise the right to keep silent.
• Act professional even if you think getting fired is unjustifiable
• Remove yourself from the office premises without incidents

The bad

• Thrashing your equipment and table just to get back at your boss or company
• Lashing out at everyone in the office even those who have no idea what is happening.
• Verbally assaulting your boss is not a good way to part with the company

The insane

• Physical assault is not just unprofessional; it can ruin your record
• Don’t disparage the company or anyone in the office using your social networks
• Threatening lives or property or worse acting on your threats can land you in jail

One of the best ways to distress is to talk about it with someone. Whether it’s your spouse, a relative, your best friend, just let everything out.

The good

• Process what happened and find ways you can improve yourself
• Ask professional advice from career counselors
• If you want to look at the legal standpoint, consult a legal expert and do it properly
• Learn from your experience

The bad

• Sulking over what could have been done and not focusing on what you can do
• Bottling all negative emotions and repressing them
• Trash talking everyone in the office can only make matters worse. Burning bridges won’t do you any good.

The insane

• Telling lies about the company and the people who work there won’t get you sympathy
• Standing outside the office building discouraging people especially applicants to pass their resume is just nasty and unprofessional

Instead of wasting your time in a dark, damp room feeling sorry for yourself or plotting the demise of your former boss and company, get out and be productive. Keeping yourself busy will redirect your attention to productive outputs and hopefully to a new job.

The good

• Improve on what you have – additional trainings while looking for a new job is a good use of your time.
• Update your resume and send it out. Online applications make this easier.
• Connect and use your contacts for possible work.

The bad

• Hoping and waiting for employment without doing anything
• Going back to the office hoping to get your job back
• Drowning your sorrows with alcohol

The insane

• Going back to the office to coerce others to resign
• Harassing your boss or any employee who works in the company

Getting laid off from work is difficult. Anyone who got slammed with news like this can attest to the stresses attached to it. No one wants to experience something like this especially if you need a steady stream of paychecks. However, there are instances when such an unfortunate event catches up on you. We have the choice to move forward and move on or mope ourselves to a death.