Survive and thrive after losing a job

Losing a job is a painful experience, but it’s also an inflection point in life presenting newbeginnings, writes Denise Cullen

BEING fired rates right up there among life’s most stressful experiences, ranking eighth on the Holmesand Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale after other traumatic events such as divorce, jail and thedeath of a close family member.

However, with hindsight, many people who have been given their marching orders claim the experience turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to them.

Paul Slezak, Sydney area manager for Aquent, a global firm that specialises in staffing solutions forthe creative, marketing and communications industries, says even seemingly negative events are “a sign”. “Things are meant to be, I really believe that if it happens, it was meant to happen,” he explains.

He acknowledges this philosophy is cold comfort for people wondering where their next mortgage repayment is coming from, but insists he’s speaking from experience.
In his current role he sees many retrenched workers looking for a fresh start, and in his previous role as general manager in an advertising agency, where the loss of a major client necessitated immediate staff cuts, he was the one wielding the axe.

“Without going into the art of retrenching, you must get people to focus not on the moment, because that’s the worst possible moment they could be in, but on the opportunities that lie ahead,” he explains. While retrenchment can still be devastating, it sometimes carries a welcome financial pay-out and it certainly no longer carries the stigma it once did.

“I’ve had people that I’ve made redundant who turned around and thanked me, and said, `I needed for this to happen’,” Slezak says.
For some people, no longer having a job to go to on Monday morning means they have the freedom to turn a hobby into a business. Others consider it the perfect time to take a break, travel overseas, or opt for a complete career change. “Sometimes we don’t know we’re unhappy, we’re so wrapped up in the routine and regime of what we’re doing, we don’t realise we want to do something else,” Slezak adds.

Brisbane-based Lorraine Nothling can relate to the trauma of losing a job. In 2004, when she learned her contract with a regional Queensland local government cultural body would not be renewed, she described herself as “perplexed yet relieved, as the operational structure had presented challenges from the beginning”.

After guiding the Ipswich Arts Foundation through its successful Centenary Celebrations Campaign in 2004, change meant the top-tier fundraiser with a 25-year track record was suddenly out of a job. But a two-month outplacement program with Career Advantage provided by her former employer allowed her to review her career history, formulate fresh goals and get back on track.

“As a result of working with an organisational psychologist I was able to start putting all the grief and the pain behind me, excavate my authentic self, and review my employment purpose and vision. “Up until then I’d been doubting myself and my abilities, I’d been looking at my skills set with a sense of panic and worry and thinking I needed to upskill in certain areas, because the organisation was looking for someone who specialised in cultural and social planning.

“But fundraising is what I do, it’s what I’m good at, and usually fundraising kicks in after all the planning is finalised. The turning point for me was when I was able to take the job loss not as a personal failure, but as acknowledgment that I did accomplish what I set out to do, and it was time to move on. It wasn’t the case that my skills were deficient — it had just become an inappropriate interface.”

Now Nothling is several months into a “wonderful” contract position with UniQuest, as fundraising development manager for the Centre for Companion Animal Health at the University of Queensland’s School of Veterinary Science, with a fundraising target of $200,000 this financial year.

Annissa O’Shea, an organisational psychologist with Brisbane-based Career Advantage, says it’s crucial to think positively about job loss, even if things seem disastrous initially. “Negative thoughts such as `I’m too old to get another job’, or `I’m not skilled enough’ or `I was made redundant therefore I failed’ make you feel bad, erode self-confidence and stop you job searching,” she explains. “The alternative is to be positive and think, `It wasn’t a good match’ or `the company is simply in a bad financial situation and I’m sure there’s another, better opportunity out there for me’. “Talking through the issues and getting practical advice at this stage can only be a bonus.”

Above all, take time to expand and explore your options. “Take a long-term focus on what is going on in your life and where you want to head, not just with work but with your personal life. This is the opportunity to find a new role that really fits in with how you want your life to be, so don’t just look for `another job’.”