I Understand

Being laid off is a journey filled with a rollercoaster of emotions. Everyone tells you that you’re a rock star and that you’ll have no problem finding a job. Yet, with each passing day, your confidence wavers. Alone and isolated behind this computer screen, you apply as fast as you can, only to see automated rejections pop up on the bottom right of your screen. You try to ignore them, but your curiosity gets the better of you.

Texts and calls from colleagues asking if you’re okay, checking in as you put on a front saying, “I’m OK.” You put on a strong front because you can’t bear to let them see your failures. Uncontrollable tears run down your face as you hide your despair. The feeling of not being able to step away from your computer in fear of missing a job posting is overwhelming. On the horizon, the income will dwindle, but the expenses of life will continue.

Years of skills and experience, those you’ve mentored, coached, and cheered, and you sit here alone yearning for your next position. Fearing as more time passes, people will wonder why no one has selected you. These are the true feelings and experiences as a result of a workforce reduction, often due to mismanagement or the ever-changing business landscape that impacts those who contribute each and every day.

You sit alone waiting for the phone to ring. You sit alone waiting for an email saying, “Let’s chat.” You sit alone waiting for that next opportunity. Your heart is heavy as each day passes. Every day starts off with a glimmer of hope and full of confidence, but as the day goes by, confidence wavers. You put a smile on your face to hide your fear, but that smile masks the pain.

Will anyone call my name?

Despite all this, remind yourself that it’s time to try again. Each day is a new opportunity to find that next role where you can contribute and grow. To anyone else going through this, know that you are not alone. Let’s keep pushing forward, one application at a time.