Career transition can take many forms, but it almost never feels completely voluntary. A layoff or firing is obviously outside your control. But even when you initiate the transition, you may feel like it wasn’t entirely your choice. For instance, if you’re choosing to leave a job because it’s wrecking your health, the company where you work is on its last legs, or you’re experiencing ageism, you’re still going to feel like you didn’t have much say in the matter.
I’ve been in that position (in fact, I’ve been in all those positions), and I know it’s rough. To use today’s vocabulary, it can be traumatic. So when you find yourself laid off from or forced out of a job you had planned to keep for many years, how do you cope?
I’m not a psychologist or therapist, but I’ve both faced that challenge and coached many franchise candidates who have. Through those experiences, I’ve learned that five key steps can be a huge help. These steps can help you process what’s happened in a healthy way, and they can ultimately help you move forward to build a better future for yourself and your family.
Grieve, but Don’t Dwell
Especially if you’ve given decades of your life to a company, or helped grow it from the early stages, a layoff or exit under pressure can feel like a personal betrayal. It’s OK to feel that way. Give yourself the space to acknowledge how hurt, angry, or sad you are. Try to put it into words – journaling, therapy, or talking with a trusted friend or loved one can all help with that process.
But never let your grief turn into self-loathing, and don’t let it erase the very real success you’ve achieved in your career to date. That’s not productive. Instead, do a self-assessment. Focus on your skills and on your accomplishments. What are you really, really good at? What did you succeed at in your previous jobs? Your answers will remind you that this career transition is not about your identity. You are still the same highly skilled executive you always were, and you can use those skills for your benefit in this new stage.
Choose Facts Over Fear
If you’re feeling afraid, that’s understandable. Fear is a natural, evolutionary response to surprises and unknown situations. But you’re not facing down a dire wolf, you’re just out of a job. There’s no immediate threat to your life or your family’s lives. You have time to assess the situation, gather the facts, and make rational decisions about what to do next.
If you’re like me or most of the candidates I’ve worked with, your fear is probably mostly financial. You’re worried about losing your paycheck and what that means for you and your family. This is where you can tap into your professional experience as a data-driven, KPI-focused executive. Take inventory of your financial situation. Figure out how many months of runway you have, and what you need to make a full recovery in the future. Then start building your plan (with your spouse’s input, if you’re married) to get there.
Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
Our brains are hard-wired to focus on the negative. Historically, it’s one way they’ve protected us from threats. But do you want to spend this entire transition period feeling negative? Probably not. You want to keep some joy in your life, to be able to have some fun and be there for your family.
Research shows that gratitude practice is one of the best ways to do this. Gratitude helps you focus on what you do have, not what you don’t. And in the process, it improves your outlook, gives you more energy and resilience, and helps you move forward in a positive direction. Some popular ways to incorporate gratitude practice into your days:
- Write things you’re grateful for in a notebook before you go to bed each night
- Speak your gratitude out loud as you start the day
- Thank people when they do something that helps you or makes your day better
- When you use something that makes your life safer or more convenient (hot water, reliable electricity, a dishwasher), take a moment to feel grateful for it
- Slow down and take time to notice things that are beautiful or happy around you
Keep Yourself Organized
Organization fuels productivity. And for a KPI-driven executive, lack of productivity fuels boredom, disengagement, and even depression. Your ability to make connections, set goals, and follow a plan helped make you successful. They can do the same in this period of career transition.
If you want to move on to the next stage of your success, you’ve got things to learn and tasks to complete. To make sure they happen, plan out your days – don’t just “keep it in your head” or try to do things on the fly. Just like you did in the corporate world, schedule your activities on a real calendar. Book a daily workout to take care of your health and keep your mind sharp, coffee chats with your network to stay socially engaged, and chunks of time to research new business or career options.
Go Back to the Beginning
As you’re trying to figure out what comes next, it can be helpful to go back to the beginning – not of your current situation, but of your career. What really excited you as you started your professional journey? And what motivated you to move from one assignment to the next, or from one role or company to another?
Your answers to those questions – and others like them – can serve as signposts to your next destination. They can help you form a list of priorities, and then focus on opportunities that will move you toward those goals. The world is big, and you’re going to get overwhelmed if you try to move forward without first narrowing your focus. Digging into your deepest interests and motivators will help direct you.
One More: Accept Help
Think of this as a bonus tip. Many executives are independent-minded people who like to be in charge. We don’t like to feel as though we can’t handle a situation. But here’s the reality: before you lost (or left) your job, you had help every day – from your team. Their work helped you hit your KPIs. There’s no reason not to have a team to help you meet your goals now.
So find a therapist if you need one, go see your doctor if your health is poor, work with your spouse to plan your family’s future. And if you’re curious about franchising, add me to your team. I can help you turn this career transition into the first step toward the best years of your career. Book a free 20-minute consultation with me today to see if it makes sense for us to work together.
Comments are closed