by Lorna Callaghan

Created on: August 01, 2010

It is not always easy to stay positive in life and it may be even more difficult if you have been laid off or made redundant, however the first thing to do after being laid off is to pause and take some time for reflection, give yourself some head space. The current world economic climate is not good and many people are facing unemployment or the prospect of redundancy, so in the majority of cases being laid off is not your fault. There may be other employees in the same firm made redundant or in fact the whole operation may shut down, it is best not to dwell on the reason for the redundancy but to try and look to the future.

Being laid off can be a new beginning, it can bring new options and challenges and open up new career paths, it is the opportunity to reconsider and re-evaluate the future. Being laid-off can lead to new choices such as to return to education or retrain for a new career, perhaps it is the opportunity to follow a path that was considered previously but perhaps discounted due to the pressure to settle down or provide for a family. If there is a redundancy payout this may provide the opportunity to pay off debts or mortgages or even give the impetus to travel or relocate to a new area.

There are some organisations that help people to cope with being laid off, they may provide careers advice and help or help with retraining or cv updating. Accessing services is key to being organised when laid off, and it is very important to take advantage of any help that is on offer. It is also important to claim any social security benefits that there may be entitlement to, these will help to ease some of the financial burden and enable the person to avoid getting into debt.

If there are no employment opportunities, it would be a good time to return to education, there may be grants or bursaries available to mature students. It may also be an opportunity to take up voluntary or charity work, this would also look very good on a cv as it would show that the person is keen to active and make a contribution to society. There may also be opportunities to work overseas for charity or voluntary organisations. It may also be the right time to pursue a hobby or craft, this may even lead to new economic opportunities, perhaps through selling items or making items to order. Setting up in your own business doing something that you have always wanted but were too risk averse to try may also be a way forward.

Staying positive after being laid off may appear difficult but there are many new opportunities and challenges in the world that may need just a little persuasion to be pursued. However for the majority of people finding a new job or trade in order to support their family will be the priority and this may be difficult in the current climate. Taking part-time work may be an option, even two part-time jobs to make up a full time wage. It may even be possible to become a stay at home parent if there is another parent providing for the family, this may reduce childcare costs and so offset the loss of one wage.

The key to staying positive is to take some time, think clearly about where you want to be and make decisions to get there. Budgets can be tightened at home to allow some breathing space but getting a new job will be the priority for most so selling yourself as the ideal candidate is important. Showing that you have been positive and proactive in seeking employment will be a great attribute for an employer to consider, but remember it is not your fault that you have been laid off, it is your challenge to manage this positively.

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