The painful word that today’s workforce can’t escape is “Lay off”. Whether you are directly impacted or if you are sitting under pressure thinking that you could be the next one. A few people might experience it once, twice or even multiple times in their career. Some people might not experience it yet and definitely don’t want to.
Whatever it is, when you hear it for the first time, your brain might freeze for some time, what went wrong? What could I have done better? After a certain number of lengthy thoughts, when you think of your bills, EMI’s, bank balances, and endless lists flashes in your mind, and they become more nerve-wrecking. After putting it aside you slowly start focusing on what’s next, depending upon your experiences, age, financial and marital status you might be considering a few options. Can you change your career path? Can you climb up the ladder? Should you get into the business? Can you be associated with NGO? Should you follow your passion? Or just enjoy being at home and do freelancing work or a part time job? Focus on your hobbies and get expertise in it or turn it into a business? You will be overwhelmed with so many thoughts as many suggestions pour in. Some suggestions increase your spirits, on the other hand some suggestions demotivate you. Yet, at times you might feel like you are at crossroads, or you are at the same position when you were about to start your career.

In the process of figuring out what to do next and focusing on the next action item, there are many moments where you get discouraged, demotivated, and feel hopeless. With a good amount of experience, you might not be able to crack the interview because of the growing needs of the modern industry and there are many other challenges you will face. Even if the interview goes well and you think odds are in your favor, you might have not been selected for the job. But one day, again you will get the job or get the thing what you wished for, maybe not exactly but you will.
In the end this is what we all have to deal with, throughout our career especially when your profile is not recession proof. Are there any measures you can take to not get laid off, not that I know of. But are there any measures you can take so you don’t feel completely devastated? Yes, there are.

Work on yourself, improve your skill set as per market needs, improve your interpersonal skills, manage your finances better, have some reserves, invest in your well-being both mentally and physically, and spend time with your family.

Work on yourself. When you find the flaws in you, and when you focus to improve yourself, you might handle a situation better than before. We are all well experienced, when you did bad in school or college you might have worried that it might impact your future and might have had sleepless nights, which you don’t remember much now. When you have a breakup, it might impact you for a while or a long time but eventually you will move on, these all are counted as self-experiences. There are many aspects in your life where you can get better by working on yourself, just like accepting change is good, whether you are ready or not, you must be constantly adapting.

Improve your skill set as per market needs. Don’t ever work to impress a boss because they might benefit from us, and our contribution might not even be noticed, instead work for a visionary leader. Put all your efforts and do justice to your job but be aware that there is a limit. If your company demands you to work on age old technology and doesn’t give you a scope to improve your skill set, you are not helping either the company or yourself. Have an updated skill set.

Improve your Interpersonal skills. Find your flaws, where you lack behind. Work on them, many companies provide trainings to enhance your professional and interpersonal skills. And there are many opportunities outside too, in the real world.

Manage your finances better. Save them for rainy days, it doesn’t mean having a stingy life. Have a plan, based on your needs and what works for you, your family, and your lifestyle. Save some money to have some reserves, so that you can use it in tough times, and it gives you some mental peace.

Invest in your well-being both mentally and physically. Even many companies promoting this mantra, if we practice this consistently, in the long run you will notice, how you handle things in a balanced way.

Spend time with family and friends. When you want to cry after getting laid off you need a shoulder, at least a listening ear to vent your feelings to. It helps emotionally.

Love your job and love your company because it provides the bread and butter for you and your family, put all your efforts in. But make sure you build a life that makes you feel alive while you are earning money.