As I drove to work on Monday morning in June last year, a thought came into my eyes, seemingly out of nowhere: What if I lost my job today? An hour later, that's exactly what happened.
My boss told me I was missing the middle manager corporate work as part of a corporate restructuring, "downsizing" (RIF).
After nearly seven years in my position I was "RIF'd" in 59 years I wondered about the thought came to me only an hour earlier: Was it a premonition? O my subconscious had just collected evidence that my mind was deliberately ignored?
In the past seven months since the GIR, seven lessons I learned from my experience that could be useful, others in a similar situation:
1. First start. After the news, the HR staff I could return the next day to pack my things and go my security card, credit card, laptop and phone. So I went home with only one large envelope under the arms. Once home, I threw the envelope with my severance pay at the dining table and immediately got on everything that mattered to me on that day to work: a single voice message from my phone company to retrieve.
Although you could put a personal photo or e-mail from work there was no easy way to record a voice message. I got the last voicemail message my work was my mother. So I went online a program that allows me to find record the voice message. The process requires a cable so that Radio Shack, I'm gone. When I returned, cables in hand, I was able to save to say the last record of my mother, one after another, "I love you" first ..
2. Let your adult children behave like adults afraid my husband and two adult daughters of the message to deliver. Call for real. My husband was a caring and supportive - not surprising. But when I called my daughter and I shared the news, they have comforted me to some degree, I had expected.
You put things in perspective. I used to be the comforter; how nice it was to be on the receiving end of sympathy and support of my daughters.
3. Do you have a sense of loss. I am deeply saddened by the loss, even if I was ashamed to be so angry. Drawn to a book I read a year earlier to check life lessons from Elisabeth Kubler Ross and David Kessler, found his chapter on the loss of particular importance, even if I only lost a job, not a loved one.
A quote really is: "Nobody can predict response to mourn the loss is personal feelings may conflict, delay and overwhelmingly ..." So true.
4. Keep your faith. Of course, faith means different things to different people. For me, a verse from the Old Testament (Psalm 119: 105) has become my mantra. Every day I asked God, "a lamp to my feet" to be - mainly because I had no idea where it went!
This verse helped me get through the dark days - to trust that I find something better in my professional life.
5. Calculate the return to the big brown envelope with the dismissal :. I ignored the first day, but do not lie still for long. I have carefully examined all information and evaluate my options.
My husband served as a sounding board and advisor, and we advised our CPA. It was fun to look at the numbers, but I'm glad I took the time sensitive decision rather quickly.
6. The closure may occur unexpectedly. One of the hardest parts of being "RIF'd" was the sudden dismissal. On Thanksgiving approaches, I have decided to thank you notes to some people who stayed with my previous employer. I bought a small indoor Thanksgiving cards and wrote personal notes to people who have made a pleasant and rewarding to me.
Mail letters gave me a real sense of peace. I did not expect this feeling, but it was a wonderful product, so unexpected ,.
Biggest surprise came when some of the people who had sent letters responded with handwritten notes for themselves. It was very touching and helped me to finally close this chapter of my professional life.
7. Sitting on the fence at a price. By the end of December, I climbed a fence. On the one hand, the prospect of a full-time job, the other was the prospect of a full-time freelance. For six months, I kept difficulties with the choice on both sides of the fence.
The day the decision was on December 31, the last day of a full-time job that seemed to be an almost perfect fit is granted. Application to the freelancer temporarily continue for three months, until a final decision on the work full time. I do not know what has changed on that day, but I was ready, finally, in front of the fence. I did not have to make the request.
In retrospect, I see that my indecision had a cost: About 30 percent of my time was devoted to the application and interviews for full-time work; Another 30 percent is determined to choose project work as a freelance writer and the remaining concerned about the direction, devoted 40 percent.
Seven months after fade "RIF'd" to 59 begins the pain in my memory. For now, I am excited and optimistic pursuing work independently enough to keep the paid and added to the pension fund accounts.
And although I did not have premonitions of late, I have a feeling that many good opportunities to come, some of which require, perhaps to create for myself.
Christine Jensen, MBA, is a communications consultant and freelance writer in Des Moines, Iowa.
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