Finding Support After Your Federal Job Layoff
- Amy Leighton
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
If you just got laid off from your federal job, you may be getting a mixed bag of support from your peers and contacts. While some may simply listen and support, others may provide a lot of unsolicited advice. If you’re in this tough period and feel that you’re getting overwhelmed by both being let go and how others are reacting, there are few steps you can take to support yourself. Here are a few ways to deal with how you’re feeling.
Acknowledge your true feelings. First and foremost, it’s perfectly normal to feel depressed or angry that you lost your job. You need to give yourself time to get over what’s happened and grieve the loss. It’s a lot to take in between facing your loved ones and dealing with the financial impact. If you’re being urged to move on quickly or ignore these feelings, kindly push back on this type of support and take a breather. It’s better to face your genuine feelings than to suppress them.
Reject negativity. When you lose a job, you are often met with a lot of noise in the form of well-meaning advice. And while people may think they are trying to help, there are times this advice is actually negative and backfires. If you find these people are not ultimately supportive, you are allowed to distance yourself from them at this time. However, you’re also not alone. Seek out contacts in your industry or a career counselor for practical advice for moving forward or even seek legal counsel if think you were wrongfully terminated.
Start making new plans. Deal with the feelings you have by setting goals and making plans. Reassess where you are in your career and what you want to do next. Take chances if you are offered new opportunities and implement a plan for finding your next job. Don’t forget about self-care either. Make your mental and physical health a priority during this time. Finally, reflect on what you’ve learned from this experience and how you can allow it to change you to be ready for a new experience.
Practically, make sure you file for unemployment so you have time to think about what you want to do before jumping into your next job. Maybe this is a good time to consider more training or a total job change. While it doesn’t feel like it, this is a chance for a new beginning. Look for ways to process your lay off in a healthy way and focus on the things you can control now. One job does not define you, so do what you can to stay on track for your new opportunity.
Too much noise, not enough support. Well meaning advice backfiring. Help job seekers understand their not alone overwhelmed by input.
Comments