It’s been a week or so since I got laid off. While many things have been changing and I’ve been getting used to my new reality, here are some steps I’ve taken to help me cope/better use my time right now. If you’re going through the same period of transition, I hope these tips will help you too!
✅ TIME OFF
Of course, if possible, this would be the perfect time to take some time off for yourself! Be it a couple of weeks, to a few months, map out how many can you afford to take a break. Especially for those who aren’t in debt/don’t have rent to pay, do you need some time completely off just to take care of your mental health/heal from burnout?
✅ SIDE INCOME
Would you be willing/able to do something part time for now that would help tide you over for the time being? From getting a retail job, to doing some freelance work, evaluate if you’d want to jump into the world of side hustles and part time jobs. For me personally, I’m lucky that I do fitness coaching on the side, so I’m not entirely out of a job.
✅ PLANNING
What’s been helping me has been really sitting down and planning out what the next month would look like. From scheduling dates with friends, to planning out that job application journey, set down a day or two to just figure out a general idea of what’s next. Trust me, figuring out the general idea/direction is harder than it sounds.
✅ REACHING OUT
Reach out to your network to see if there any opportunities available! Yes, this does mean reaching out to professional connections that you’ve not spoken to in a while. Generally I find that people are more than willing to help, especially if you’ve already got a role in mind that you wish to apply for. Most people will be willing to refer you in (some may even get a referral bonus out of it!) and lend a helping hand.
✅ UPSKILLING
During this “downtime”, would you want to upskill and take a course or two? Especially for those above 25, perhaps it’s time to use those skillsfuture credits!! For me, I’ve been eyeing a couple of courses from skillsfuture and Google! For NLB card holders, don’t forget that you can use your membership to access Udemy!
For those in transition or anticipating a layoff, I hope these tips are useful for the next part of your journey! And of course, I’m wishing everyone good luck and much love for the rest of the year. 🫶🏻
