Being laid off happens to most people at some point in their careers - sometimes, a person is laid off more than once. Know that being laid off seldom is a reflection on your work. It is more a matter of being in the "wrong" part of a company or the "wrong" job than being incompetent or a poor employee.
Like an actor or actress on a canceled TV show, the actors are seldom the reason the show is cancelled, but they lose their jobs anyway because the whole show does not do well or because some high-level management decision is made about making better use of the time available on the network.
Usually, companies begin layoffs to reduce expenses - and, hopefully, increase profits so they can survive. Sometimes it works, and the employer survives. Sometimes it doesn't work, and the employer shuts down any way.
Layoff Self-Defense
If your current employer has begun layoffs, pay attention. Don't assume that your job is "safe" even if you boss has assured you that it is. Your boss may be uninformed (or not), and your boss may be laid off, too.
If no one has been laid off yet but the atmosphere is getting tense, read the Signs of a Pending Layoff article for tips on how to predict that layoffs may begin where you work.
Layoff Preparations Where You Work and Layoff Preparations at Home articles plus Job-Hunt's free Layoff Self-Defense ebook so that you know some steps you can take to prepare for your next job search.
Stealth Job Search
Moving to another job with a different employer is often a good idea. But job hunting while you still have a job isn't easy. Employers often fire an employee who is discovered job hunting, and, with technology used today, discovering you are job hunting is easier than ever before.
Read "Stealth Job Search Tips" for ideas on how to keep your job search quiet but still effective.
Don't Quit First
Resist the feeling that you should just quit your existing job so you can focus on finding a new job, because being unemployed can put you at a disadvantage in the job market.
Bottom Line
Layoffs are survivable. YOU will survive, if you are laid off. Millions of people have moved on, even moved up, in their careers after being laid off. I've been laid off twice, and, looking back, those layoffs lead me to where I am today. I am doing what I'm doing now because I was laid off, and I love writing for and editing Job-Hunt.
© Copyright, 1998 - 2012, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved.
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About the author...
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff "graduate" who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on
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