Getting fired can be a real hit to your wellbeing, but you’re certainly not alone. Lay-offs are a grim sign of the times these days, but that is not to say that the aftermath of getting fired is quite so grim. Meet three women who were given the dreaded pink slip, and came out happier on the other side.
1. The Former Wall Street Investment Banker: Budget costs meant that 27-year-old Melissa Afromowitz lost her job in March. ‘The truth is, I hated my job,’ admits Afromowitz, a former salesperson on the high-grade credit desk at Lehman Brothers, the storied Wall Street investment bank. When she sat down to begin the dreaded job search, it dawned on her: ‘My goal isn’t to find a job — it’s finding out what’s going to make me happy,’ she says. Her severance pay has allowed her the time she needs to figure out her next step, and indulge in a few childhood dreams. She’s now enrolled in a voice-over acting class. ‘I always wanted to be in a cartoon,’ she giggles.
2. The Former Assistant News Director: Jennifer Straw, an assistant news director for WWSB-TV in Sarasota, FL, was given two weeks’ pay and an extra month of benefits when the station manager told her that the station was struggling, and she’d have to be let go. ‘I felt betrayed,’ Straw recalls. ‘I had worked so hard. And I looked around and saw five other ways to cut the budget that could have saved them as much money as my job.’ However, now she’s a lot more positive. ‘I could walk into any newsroom in this country and put great newscasts on air,’ she notes. ‘But after all these years, I’m now asking whether my career is fulfilling me. Is it giving back all that I put in? I need more loyalty, more security.’ Now she spends a couple of hours each day blogging about her experiences (missattitude.us). ‘I just feel better putting it out there,’ Straw comments. ‘It is a scary time for me, but I’m good at picking myself up and moving on.’
3. The Former Yahoo Marketing Manager: After only 106 days at a high-profile position doing search-engine optimization for Yahoo, Jessica Bowman found herself a casualty in the midst of massive layoffs that would ultimately claim 1000 jobs. ‘It was my dream job, the kind of company I thought I could work at for a very long time,’ she details. ‘At one point you think, I’m a failure. It’s very hard on your ego.’ However, Bowman learned to wear her pink slip as a badge of honour, e-mailing several notable industry bloggers saying she’d solved so many problems that Yahoo no longer needed her services. ‘I basically shouted from the rooftops that I was good at what I did, despite being laid off,’ Bowman notes. ‘I have an in-demand skill set, so I don’t have to settle for any job.’
So how do you know if you’re headed for redundancy? Corporate wellness expert Lea Goldman outlines those people who are more likely to be let go:
- Globe Trotters: ‘Your job is dependent on travel,’ warns Goldman. ‘Travel budgets are often the first line items squeezed during lean times.’
- One-Trick Ponies: Goldman details, ‘You’re only capable of performing one function. Cash-strapped employers need versatility from their hires. One-trick ponies may find it difficult to compete against those with more diverse skill sets.’
- Expendables: ‘Your boss or direct report has been laid off,’ Goldman cautions. ‘This is a sign that your division may be perceived as expendable.’
- Finger Drummers: Goldman points out, ‘You aren’t assigned any new projects. [This is] a possible indicator of an employer trying to ease you off your workload.’
- Non-Climbers: ‘Your pay has been frozen,’ notes Goldman. ‘To be sure, this could be a company-wide, cash-saving policy. Or it’s a sign that your employer is no longer invested in your growth.’
- CC Emailers: Goldman comments, ‘You’re asked to cc your boss on everything. Ouch. This is either an HR-mandated measure or an attempt to clue in your boss to your workload. Both are signs that management may be preparing for your departure.’
- Old Timers: ‘You’re part of the old regime,’ says Goldman. ‘New management typically replaces veterans with its own people. Don’t take it personally.’
Comments are closed.