Surviving a layoff

A key part adulting is trying on different jobs to see which career works best for you. This may involve experimenting with different fields, acclimating to long work hours, lobbying for promotions, or having to leave a job. For me in my early to mid-20s, this involved repeatedly losing jobs. Between the ages of 20 and 27, I lost 10 jobs. Most of these were concentrated between 23 and 26.

There were key mitigating factors: I was breaking into writing and publishing, a notoriously competitive and unstable field, and there was a recession on. In an industry beset by financial challenges in the most flush of times, keeping a publication afloat in the shifting sands of a recession meant routine layoffs. In the intervening years, my work has been a touchpoint and a cornerstone of my life. I have since had many successes and made long-lasting friendships through my jobs, and this challenging time in my life has faded into being an interesting anecdote. It has also been a comforting story for young people I meet who have lost their jobs.

While I see now this as a measure of my strength and resolve, at the time, this was devastating. I was out in California on my own. My family had moved back to Eastern Canada when I was in college, so I had nowhere close by to go if I ran out of money. My parents helped as much as they could, but times were very lean and what they really needed was for me to take care of myself. I am one of 4.

This was not happening in a boom economy: I graduated into a recession. Having paid for most of my schooling, I had student loans, so in addition to not making much money, I was in debt. Money was very tight, so I needed whatever job I could find to pay bills. When one job ended, I had to get something else right away. There wasn’t much leeway to see which job was a good fit. By my late 20s, I switched to contract and freelance work, and this remains my preference to this day.

So why did I lose so many jobs?

I see this all very differently now with the benefit of hindsight. While I still prefer contracting, I have had exciting and meaningful experiences at long-term jobs as well. So the main reason for the multiple lay-offs is I didn’t select jobs based on fit. I don’t mean I didn’t “follow my bliss,” I mean I took whatever job I could talk my way into that enabled me to pay rent. I was constantly very low on money and in a position of picking which bill to pay.  I also graduated into a recession and companies regularly had to get rid of workers to stay afloat. Sometimes they did this respectfully and gave us notice. Sometimes they did this caustically and disrespectfully, with a dash of character assassination.

Surviving a layoff

In my earlier years, the number of times I’ve gotten laid off was a source of great shame. Now I find it’s a helpful tale to tell when people have setbacks. Your early challenges and (perceived) failures can eventually be a footnote in your life. These days, layoffs are common. For this reason, it’s wise to plan on getting laid off at some point. How do we do that?

Savings: Have at least 3 months of expenses in the bank. You can’t rely strictly on unemployment compensation, which caps at $450/week. If live in a high cost of living area, this will help slow the depletion of your savings, but won’t be enough to live on.

Keep skills up to date and diversified: Take classes, attend workshops, and learn a high-value skill outside of your normal skill set.

Volunteer: This is not only a good way to give back to the community, volunteering also gives you a chance to try out different skills and network with others in the community.

Update your LinkedIn profile and resume regularly: Don’t wait until the writing is on the wall to update your resume. Add new skills, professional organization memberships, and volunteer jobs.