*Note, I have never been laid off or let go in the 3 jobs I’ve had for 4 years. Probably because they couldn’t catch me. I do not know the trauma associated with this experience, so please, I would love to hear your story of how you overcame it.
My LinkedIn feed was covered in layoffs this week and I feel compelled to write about the topic. It sucks because layoffs happen around the holiday can be a double whammy when it comes to plummeting your moral. Not only small companies but even huge companies are cutting their workforce. Many sectors are also cutting such as the manufacturing and gaming industry.
This is a hard period in your life, but perhaps it is also a period of introspection. You can choose to panic and quickly find another job, or not find a job and lay there like a sack of potatoes. This is a prime period of time to rethink your priorities in life and really focus on what is important.
To get this out of the way, most layoffs are out of your control. Companies look at layoffs like cutting a piece of the pie, and most managers have to choose if they axe you or not. However, I’ve heard cases that some departments are considered axed, or if a company is acquired, then they can use the buyer’s services and cut you out. Perhaps some companies are switching manufacturing models and are copacking all of their things, totally omitting you from the process. Sometimes, these things are out of your control, and we’ll go into how to control things that you can’t control.
But First, You Have Time
File for unemployment. If that doesn’t work, then really, take some time to just think. Ask your parents for a part of next month’s rent, take a day or five to recollect and reflect on the situation.
Many things will go through your mind.
“Was it my fault?” “No, it’s their fault, they’re a terrible company!” “Why was I fired and not him?” There will be many questions that will pop up, and it’s good to release that type of frustration because it is important to take the pieces from it and talk about it.
You have time, and I suggest you take time to soak it in. Go and take a small vacation. Celebrate that you’re not in that job you might not like.
This is also the perfect time to potentially reinvent yourself. Probably the best example I can give is Katie Jones from the Food Heroes podcast, who just posted her origin story in podcast format. When she was let go from So Delicious, she bought an RV, and travel the world. She then started her own business and is killing it right now.
Perhaps the only time we can truly rest and just think in this world is when we don’t need to work.
Talk to friends who care about you
I’ve had a couple of friends say they were laid off. I talked it out with them, and tried my best to help. In most situations, people will help you the best they can.
I really suggest talking to industry friends because those are people who will give tangible advice and have access to a great network.
If you have no one to talk to, then this might help:
There have been many successful posts on LinkedIn where someone will link an article about a layoff and say they were one of them. The comments are super supportive and it can get a good amount of attention very fast. You have absolutely nothing to lose when you post that you were laid off or let go, as long as you treat your ex-company with respect.
I’m also opening up my email, podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com if you ever need someone to talk about your situation and I’ll see how I can help.
How to Be Indispensable
I recommend two books that might help you in your next job. You might have heard of them from my book list. These books serve two different purposes, but the common theme is that you really can control your career, if you put your heart into it. Reading these books gives you a strategy on how to be indespensible, how to be the best at what you do.
So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
One of my favorite books for people who can’t find themselves. I give this to a lot of tech people, or students trying to fit their goals. This book argues that finding your passion is not a smart decision as it can lead to you being a skill-less blob when you’re 40 or so. Instead, it talks about diligently practicing your craft in anything you do, finding joy in this, and then being so good at it, people can’t ignore you.
The tangible example of this is My Food Job Rocks. In the beginning, everyone ignored me. People just could not see the value of the podcast and saw me as just some person with an idea that would fizzle out for about 4 months. Big organizations poked holes into my platform and I was pretty beat up about it.
But after reading this book, I made podcasting a craft, and I would diligently practice this craft every single week by launching an hour-long audio file, and soon, writing every week. When you practice your craft diligently and consistently, for years…. Good things happen. People see you’re serious. More people will listen to you, and if you practice your craft, and keep on improving, it becomes good. As the title says, you become so good, they can’t ignore you.
Probably the biggest takeaway from this book is that you should focus on a skill where you are considered the best at. It does not have to be podcasting. It could be the ability to create great food safety templates that anyone can use, the ability to know almost everything about the FSMA, it can be having the passion and knowledge base of every plant-protein in the world. The best way to find something you’re passionate in is to try things.
According to Google, a linchpin is a person or thing vital to an enterprise or organization.
This book tells you how to be vital. In most aspects, it boils down to pretty much learning the whole process, and treating your work as art. This book, though useful for an entrepreneur, is very useful for being an employee. This book talks about the barista in the coffee shop, who always smiles, and will deliver exceptional service, or the crazy salesperson who doesn’t follow the rules but makes the most sales. The lynchpin is vital because they take time and emotional labor to make their craft as amazing as possible.
In this case, this reflects my time in both Leclerc and Isagenix. Both had roles that made me boxed in, but because I cared so much about my job and worked really hard, I got the opportunity to travel, lead, and become irreplaceable. In fact, rumor has it in both facilities, they could not find a replacement for me.
Both books talk the same message, how to be irreplaceable. And both books mention that it’s hard. It’s fine if you don’t want to go this path, but unless you show your stuff when it counts, companies will just treat you like a number.
