Hi there,
BLUF: I received word indirectly on Monday that I will be getting laid off within a month or two. I have 99% confidence in this information. What would be the most effective behaviors for 1. While I'm still employed, and 2. After the layoff comes?
I'm in Canada and would be eligible for 3 months severance based on my company's policies. if I find a job externally after the layoff, I can keep the severance, so obviously the best case situation is to start employment as soon as possible following my termination notice date.
I don't believe there is anything I can do to change this decision, and if I did, I would not be completely happy with the role that would remain, so this is somewhat good news to me. They may offer me a chance to relocate to Toronto or Montreal, since the issue is not my performance, but that there is no work in my location, however this is not an option for me at this time.
I am tempted to take somewhat of a "trip of a lifetime" (not necessarily something long and expensive, but something I would NOT normally do). Should I resist this urge? and how should one manage a job search during this time?
There is a layoff cast as I recall, so I will revisit that, but I don't recall if it spoke about having foreknowledge of a layoff. Does anyone have any suggestions? Would it be appropriate for me to post resumes on job boards and change my LinkedIn headline to something like "seeking new opportunities" now? Has anyone been in a similar position?
Thank you.
In your shoes last year
In my case, they were very open with the fact that I'd be laid off (the company was in bankruptcy) but the dates weren't certain so it was hard to plan too far ahead.
Listen to these podcasts, which give good advice about how to prepare in case of layoff (obviously it's more certain in your case).
http://www.manager-tools.com/2008/01/the-annual-layoff-immunization-part-1-of-2
http://www.manager-tools.com/2008/01/the-annual-layoff-immunization-part-2-of-2
I will say something, though -- I was at a company that went from over 90,000 employees to basically a few hundred in about 10 years, so I saw a lot of rounds of layoffs even before the bankruptcy. The list of people to be laid off is a very fluid thing, so although the information you have may be 99% or even 100% accurate as of today, by the time the layoffs actually happen things can change. So take this as a good opportunity to prepare, but don't do anything that would jeopardize your situation if you stay. If you don't want to stay, then you can always leave on your own after you make it through.
As for actual advice, the podcasts mention things like printing out contact lists, switch email and physical mail delivery, gather recruiter contact info, updating your resume, etc. I ran into another couple of issues that would have made the transition smoother if I'd addressed it before the layoff.
First, I didn't have a company phone, but they had given me access to the Exchange server. On my last day, they disconnected me from the network (no surprise) but also wiped my phone remotely. I had printed out my contacts (and actually had them soft copy) but it took several days to move them over to Gmail (my phone was Android) so that I could see my contacts on my phone again. Would have saved a lot of time to have moved that information well in advance.
Second, I spent several months beforehand switching email addresses for several online accounts (utilities, credit cards, news websites, even manager tools, etc.). It's easy to underestimate just how many websites you have accounts with, and obviously I didn't want to be locked out once I lost access to my work email address. Essentially, I just went through everything I could think of, and then watched my email inbox for a few months -- everything that came in that was personal, I immediately logged into the website and changed the address. By the end, I was confident I'd caught everything (and with my new job, I just left them on personal email accounts so I wouldn't have to do that again).
Third, it's pretty obvious advice to update your resume. But if you're listening to MT advice, you're doing that every quarter. I hadn't followed this advice very well. If you want to quantify your accomplishments, you almost have to do it while you're still employed. After you leave, you don't have access to the spreadsheets, emails, intranet sites, etc. that house much of the data. So put in the time updating your career management document with your data points. You can always rephrase something, or decide which accomplishments to include in a resume when applying for your next job, but you have to capture the data while you have access to it.
Fourth (maybe 1st), buy the interview series (if you haven't already) and follow the advice on how to prepare answers to questions about your accomplishments. This can take time and you never know how fast your first interview will pop up. And referring to my previous paragraph, you may find holes in your explanation that can be more easily filled while you're employed (access to project plans, spreadsheets, meeting notes, etc.).
Finally, focus on your work. Last thing you want to do is lose focus and let your performance slip. That leaves a poor last (and lasting) impression on the people you'll be relying on for networking and for references.
I won't give you definitive advice about your "trip of a lifetime," but how far in advance do you need to plan something like that? I'd consider it insanely reckless to book anything before you get official notice from your company. And how long will you be out of work? (Answer: you don't know.) Do you have the money to spare, should your unemployment last a year or more? (I don't need to know, but you should.) The fact that you're already thinking in those terms makes me wonder if this is just a way to escape the stress instead of deal with it productively. But I will agree that looking back on the few months I was out of work, my biggest regret is that I wasn't able to take advantage of the time off more effectively (spend more time with family, etc.). You're certainly not going to have a chance to do this a month into your new gig, so if you don't lose focus on your work, have plenty of money to live on, and can plan it on relatively short notice, this could be a good opportunity. Just don't do it as a salve for a stressful situation -- otherwise you'll really just compound the stress once you get back.
Whatever happens, good luck!
Thank you so much Buhlerar.
Thank you so much Buhlerar. that's exactly what I was wanting to hear. Yes I've listened to the podcasts you linked, and I purchased the interview series a few years or so ago. I think I'm prepared with your other points. I've been copying contact lists and my performance review data, so feel confident there.
As an update, we had our team meeting today where it was announced that peers of mine in Toronto and Halifax have been laid off both yesterday and today. Perhaps this might send some more work my way, but my job doesn't lend itself to working remotely from another city.