7 Ways to Bounce Back After Getting Laid Off 💪
“We’re going to have to let you go.”
After signing a few forms for HR and packing my stuff into a box, I walked out of the building along with six other (now former) coworkers. Having survived multiple rounds of layoffs in the past at other companies, I was convinced it would never happen to me. After all, I was a hard worker, my boss liked me, and I was in the middle of several big projects.
But there I was, unemployed for the first time in my adult life and with no clue what to do next.
As I sat in my car, I was bombarded with all kinds of negative emotions —
self doubt, anger, denial, helplessness and then sheer panic.
I’ll admit it, I sat there and cried.
But then I made a choice.
Right then and there, I decided I wasn’t going to feel sorry for myself any longer. Instead of believing my life had been thrown off course, I would force myself to recognize that I had been given a gift — an opportunity to go into a new, exciting, and better direction.
These are the 7 steps that helped me bounce back and take control of my life and career:
1. I Kept Learning 🤓
While my ex-coworkers went out for a much deserved drink, I drove straight to a place that I hadn’t been to since grade school: the library. I checked out all kinds of books on marketing, growth-hacking, programming, and project management. I devoted an hour every night to reading and learning. Not only was I determined to keep my skills sharp, I was going to expand them.
2. I Kept Moving 🏃
During the period I was unemployed, I never once slept in. It’s not that I didn’t want to, I simply didn’t have the time! I was too busy meeting people for lunch, doing volunteer work, researching, writing, and exercising. My schedule was fuller while I was laid off than when I was working. I’m sure taking a few days to let off some steam can be helpful for some, but I’ve also seen people get so used to doing nothing that it’s nearly impossible for them to get moving again. They quickly lose confidence, ambition, and self worth. Keeping a routine and staying in motion helped ease my transition back into working life.
3. I Let People In 💗
Word spread pretty quickly that I had gotten laid off. Within a few hours, my close friends started calling to express their support. Initially, I was embarrassed by the attention. I felt like a failure and I didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. But you can’t keep a secret like that for long. People would ask me if I wanted to talk. For a while, I said “No, everything’s fine.” But that wasn’t the truth, I needed to be around people. The day after it happened, a group of friends took time off work and dragged me to the beach. We spent the afternoon hanging out, getting some sun, and just talking about life. I even started working on this piece! It was exactly what I needed.
Your family and friends often know what you need better than you do. Take advantage of their help and support. (Chris, Cara, and Renee, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that I love you guys!)
4. I Reached Out to My Network 📢
With my friends and family backing me up, I started to put my job search into full swing. I logged on to my LinkedIn account and started setting up coffee dates with some of the movers and shakers in my network. During each of these chats, I always asked the same two questions: “What are you working on?” and “How can I help?” It was a little nerve wracking at first, but I was incredibly touched by how many people were ready and willing to help me. My dear friend Daniel Garcia, the founder and editor of Content Magazine, gave me the opportunity to write some pieces and connected me with local agencies. The brilliant Kevin Ball, who got laid off along with me, took time out of his own job search to introduce me to his contacts at Google. Designer extraordinaire, Jessica Phan, invited me to have lunch with her stellar team over at Zugata. Jason Ferguson, a buddy since college, introduced me to a director at a new biotech company he was working with. And Kurtis Stein hired me to do some freelance marketing work for his company Prospective Leather and Supply Co. Best of all, Kurtis alerted me to new opportunities at my future home, Wrike. Many other people helped me make new connections and get into the mix, but I am especially indebted to these five amazing people. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
There are amazing opportunities all around us, but you won’t find out about them until you put yourself out there.
5. I Stayed Positive 👍
Providing well for my family is something that’s very important to me. Getting laid off was a big blow to my self-confidence and self-worth. There were times I felt depressed and insecure, especially as I watched our bills mount and our bank account shrink. But for the most part, I was able to stay pretty positive. My wife, parents, and friends deserve most of the credit here, but it did help that I didn’t allow my myself to dwell on what was outside of my control. Instead, I focused on what I could do. Sending out 20-30 job applications every day for weeks straight without hearing much back was a grind. But I never let myself feel hopeless. I would literally stand in front of the mirror and tell myself out loud:
“This is almost over, Danny. Keep going, you got this.”
And then curiously enough, things did start to change. People started calling me back. I was getting interviews - and then job offers - and then good job offers. I began to tell myself a new message:
“See Danny? You did it! Everything is going to be okay.”
We are often our own toughest critics. Everyone fails and everyone experiences unexpected hardships. Don’t let a temporary setback send you into a tailspin of doubt and depression. You need to be your own biggest cheerleader.
6. I Figured Out What I Really Wanted 🤔
I was tempted to take the first decent offer that came my way. It was a social media marketing position at a startup, but it was not something I felt particularly passionate about. I had been unemployed for a while at that point and it was almost a kneejerk reaction to just say yes. But I stopped myself. Things needed to be on my terms. So I wrote down a list of everything I wanted in my next opportunity without holding anything back. The list included my ideal salary, job title, role and even things like what I wanted my new office to look and feel like, what I wanted my next boss to be like, the hours I wanted to work, and the benefits I wanted to have. I didn’t leave anything out. Then, I compared this list to the offers I was getting and quickly eliminated half of them. Finally, I shared the list with the companies that made the cut and asked if they could meet those requirements.
Being that bold is not in my nature, but it did feel empowering to take control of my destiny. I knew what I wanted and one way or another, I was going to get it. Write down your goals and fight for them. If you don’t, who else will?
7. I Never Gave Up 💪
I’m a textbook people-pleaser (it’s the ENFP in me), so this unshakeable resolve was a little feigned. I almost caved in a few times because it felt so unnatural. Also, I’d be lying if I said the companies who I sent the list to started fighting over me because they thought I was so amazing. They didn’t. Some met me half way and tried to negotiate a few of the terms. One hiring manager lost her temper and said “These demands are ridiculous. You will never get all of this.” But my mind was made up. I held strong. And you know what? She was wrong. I found exactly what I wanted and didn’t have to compromise on anything. After what felt like an eternity of searching and all the ups and downs that come with it, I joined a dynamic new company with a talented team that’s changing the way people work.
I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes:
“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”
Be like a river.
Being laid off was one of the most difficult periods of my life, but also one of the most educational. I learned so much about myself and the people in my life that I would have never learned otherwise. With determination and immense help from my friends and family, I was able to stay positive, focused and happy through it all. I’m actually grateful it happened because it removed something incredibly harmful from my life: fear.
Fear is an ugly thing — it prevents us from taking action, causes anxiety, and limits our potential. I don’t have fear about my employment anymore. If I was to lose my job again, I know that I will be okay.
And I hope that my story can help give you the confidence to know that you will be okay if it ever happens to you.
“The comeback is always stronger than the setback.”
📬 If you ever find yourself in the same boat that I was in, shoot me a message on Twitter. I would love to help you in any way I can.
❤️ And if any of this piece resonated with you, please leave a “👏” below, comment and share it with your network!
Thanks for reading 👋
