Job Searching

Who? Me?

There are many thoughts that go through one’s head when a job ends unexpectedly. They run the gamut of emotions and judgments but seem weighted toward prideful expressions; “How could it happen to me?” “I’m better than (whoever) is.” “I’ve been there (however many) years.” “They’ll be sorry to have lost me.” “But, I’m the only one who knows (whatever).” “They’ll realize how good I am after a month or so and ask me back.” “I just need to wait until the market turns around and I’ll get a call.”

Most of the time, though, that projected corporate ‘regret’ never materializes. We are not called back. Friends and colleagues might miss us but the company doesn’t.

No Problem.

We shift into the next phase. Pride is still evident, as in; “I’ve been a solid performer for years. I’ll get something else easily.” “Just a little work on my resume.” “I’ve got plenty of (savings, severance, time, etc.)” “No problem.”

This phase lasts differing lengths of time depending upon how we’re built, where we’ve been and, mostly, whether this has happened to us before. We send out our resumes – maybe having spent an hour or so polishing them – let our network know we’re on the market and looking, and sit back and wait for the offers to come in. We aren’t naive enough to expect a ton of them but we know there will be at least a few. “I only need one, after all.”

Oddly, we seem to forget the way that just weeks before we were embarrassed to receive those same requests from others newly unemployed. Hoping we would not get the follow-up call to which we would have to respond personally; “Sorry. I just don’t have anything right now. I’ll keep my eyes open, though.”

The lack of response strikes us as strange and those butterflies of doubt start fluttering around us. We might or might not hear echoes of ourselves in friends’ and associates’ voices when we make the calls and get the answers we should know to expect.

Buckle Down. (Or, sometimes, Panic. Then, get it together and Buckle Down.)

Getting a job becomes our job. What can we say or do to get a job doing what we’ve been doing and getting paid what we’ve been getting paid? “I need to clean up my resume more.” “I need to use the outplacement assistance my company offered.” “I need to hit the job boards.” “I’ll pay for the special service to (write my resume, practice interviewing, get me access to special job postings, etc.)”

As time passes and these avenues lead to dead ends, our perspective changes. Our scope widens. The money that we wanted to get paid shrinks to the money that we need to get paid to survive. The jobs that we wanted to take evolve to those that we would be willing to accept – often digging deeper into our past experience to find something, anything for which someone might consider us qualified to receive pay to do. “I hated sales but was okay at it.”

Whew.

As we get closer to the “Can and will go anywhere and do anything for money!” finish of this line of reasoning, usually something comes through. Or, our spouses shoulder more of the burden for the finances of the home. Or, both. Or, neither and we go on the dole (maybe moving in with our parents – been there, done that) until something does work out.

Most of the time, this is the closure of this event in our lives. We’ve made it through. Sometimes losing our jobs will just be a quick bump in the road. Sometimes it will take years to find our way back to our former levels of recognition, performance, preferred occupation or, occasionally, self-respect. Sometimes our families are none the wiser for our change in venue. Sometimes our families are uprooted and need to start new lives (not quite like Witness Protection, but it certainly feels close).

Is this the way it should be?

Call me crazy but what I’ve described above doesn’t seem right, does it? I don’t mean the progression of steps but the overall feel of the thing. Even if we see the ‘handwriting on the wall’ and are ready for the dreadful words in an office, huddle or conference room; “We’re letting you go…” or something similar, there’s a lack of control. Even if we’ve already put out feelers, prepared our resumes, minimized expenses and created a project plan for finding a new position, if we’re leaving not of our own will but the company’s, there is always the picture in the back of our minds of a cartoon coyote realizing too late he’s standing only on air.