Why Losing Your Job Is Not the End of the World

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Most of us strive to do our absolute best at work and believe our efforts will contribute to that next promotion or overdue recognition. For forty hours a week (and for some even more), we deliver results without ever considering we may one day be let go. We don’t give it consideration because, somehow, we believe we are immune to this circumstance because of the loyalty given to a company or the amount of work we have executed.

Then, it happens. You experience a shock that electrocutes every synapse in your body and paralyzes you right where you stand. Reality sets in, and you discover you are just as susceptible to being let go as the rest of the workforce.

Those feelings of dread and agony persist for all of . . . three days. Then it’s over, and you realize this dramatic event you thought would end your entire existence leaves nothing but opportunity in front of you.

This happened to me. And it was one of the most frightening yet formative events of my life. What I gained from this experience was an opportunity to start over, to breathe and re-evaluate how I would approach my career moving forward. Enduring an event such as this makes you more resilient, less entitled, and cognizant of your power to truly shape your career.

There are four lessons I learned that illustrate how YOU can take control of where your career goes next.

1. Take time to process.

It is counterintuitive to suggest taking time to process being let go or fired when your immediate source of income has been eliminated. Additionally, I recognize that not everyone reading this article has the financial means to absorb the impact experienced by the loss of a job, making it challenging to pause and reflect.

However, this step is crucial in discernment without emotion clouding your thinking. Once you take time to reflect on the experience, you can articulate these insights in future interviews that position the experience as positive and demonstrates qualities such as resilience and thoughtfulness. Furthermore, how you speak about the experience sheds light on how you handle adversity more than the outcomes of the actual event itself.

Surround yourself with good people and take the time to ponder how this experience—albeit painful—molded you into a more resilient human being.

2. Continue your skills development.

When we talk about the value someone brings, we are referring to how useful they are; how someone’s skills transforms information, people, and/or processes into a product, service, or idea worth something to the broader marketplace. The number of quality skills a person possesses will directly translate to their level of usefulness and attractiveness during the screening process.

Thus, the necessity for continuously learning and acquiring skills is imperative, particularly during times of transition. Employers are reviewing your experiences and skills searching for relevancy as they ask the question, “How can this individual contribute meaningfully to our organization?”

Do not wait till a transition time comes to begin focusing on upskilling—do it now! Work with a supervisor, mentor, or sponsor to research what skills are most desirable for your industry (or the industry you would like to be in), and create a development plan to obtain this skill.

Remember: if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

3. Lean on—and grow—your professional network.

A 2024 Forbes article notes how accessible—and effective—professional networking opportunities opened up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Face-to-face interaction is still the preferred method of network, despite technology breaking down geographic barriers. This article should encourage all professionals to invest heavily in their professional network in such a time where we are craving human connection.

The fact that professional networking is the number one method for obtaining a new role is redundant but worth repeating with a small addition: “especially in preparation for your next role or in times of transition.”

In my strong professional opinion, it is only when you are actively searching for a new role do you realize the effectiveness or inadequacy of your professional network. The real value is borrowed trust from another person, the speed at which warm introductions are provided for you, and, potentially, internal referrals to jobs you have applied for. While these advantages may seem miniscule, they can make the difference between moving forward with an interview and receiving that dreadful rejection email.

Do not stop networking. Ever.

4. Relinquish your sense of entitlement. 

I believe it is rare for individuals to accept what I will coin “career mortality.” It’s uncomfortable—and discouraging—to consider the idea we are all replaceable and, at any moment, we could be on the wrong side of a layoff or firing.

This is because we tend to think those who get fired or let go are “low performers” or “incapable of performing the work.” These misconceptions create an arrogance on our part to believe we are excused from a very natural occurrence happening to us. It’s simply not the case.

We may exhibit loyalty or deliver impressive work, but it does not mean we’ll automatically have a right to preferential treatment, a promotion, or the security of our job. We must earn it every day and at every level in our career.

Once you decide to take your career into your own hands, you take responsibility for your success and recognize that past successes have gotten you here but will not take you to your next destination.

Bonus: Learn from the mistakes of others.

A wise person learns from the mistakes of others. Please note: I do NOT wish anyone to be let go or fired from their job. But if the unfortunate circumstances arise, I want to equip all of you with some resemblance of a plan as a default to take action.

Not sure where to start? You can follow the exact steps I took during my transitionary period to obtain a new role:

• Determine what type of role you want to pursue and turn LinkedIn job alerts on.
• Immediately start reaching out to people in your network—preferably first connections on LinkedIn—communicating that you are searching for a new role and are interested in chatting about their company.
• Update your LinkedIn with the appropriate keywords, sections filled, and a good headline. 
• Optimize your résumé to perform the best in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Upload to LinkedIn, so you increase the speed at which you can apply to jobs immediately.
• Send direct messages to individuals whom you have connection with at a particular company with the intent to learn if you are a good fit.
• Reach out to talent recruiters via LinkedIn after you have applied with application ID and request a call to discuss potential fit.
• Prepare for interviews.

If you have recently been affected by a layoff, firing, or are in a transitionary period currently, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am happy to expand further on some of my own learnings and offer any additional help I can.

It takes a community to succeed, and there is no better place to turn than your fellow Latinos.

—