What do you think of when you hear the term-lay off? Most people think of a situation that is less than desirable. Loss of income, loss of security, and sometimes loss of identity are primary things that enter the mind of a person who has just heard the dreaded message of “you no longer will have a job here”.
How can you consider a lay-off to be a good thing? Believe it or not, there is good that can come out this seemingly scary situation. First of all, it causes, rather forces, a person to stop and think. Too often, we live life on auto pilot, doing the same things over and over again without taking the time to pause and just think about our life. We don’t look to see where we are headed and don’t pause to ponder about our future. We get stuck in a rut and the sad part is, sometimes we don’t even realize that we are stuck.
When I was laid off a job, I was scared at first but then I realized that this was the very thing I needed to get me back on track to reach my career goals. I had been content doing a job that was comfortable for me but was no longer a challenge. Being laid off was the wake-up call that I needed. I took action by applying for positions that would be a challenge for me and in line with the future that I had planned. To make a long story short, I ended up in a position that gave me the experience I needed to move forward in my career.
Amber Lee is another example of having something good result from a lay-off. She was working as an accountant at a large corporation and was suddenly laid off without warning. Amber had dreamed of owning her own business. Losing her corporate job was the impetus for her to realize her dream. She began pouring all of her energy into her new business and at the end of a year, she was able to work full time out of her home. She said that she looked back, the layoff was really a blessing in disguise as it gave her the push that she had been afraid to take.
Perhaps the best thing that can come from laid off is landing a better job that you had previously. This was the situation for Judy Anderson. When interviewed, Judy said that she had been laid off and was scared at first. She is now working out of her home remotely for a nonprofit company making more money than she made at her previous job.
Are you guaranteed to receive a better paying job after a lay-off? The answer is no; however, if the experience causes you to reflect on your situation, make new goals, or gets you back on track for the goals you already had, it is a blessing in disguise.
