Bouncing Back After A Layoff
WHEN Ayesha lost her job as a software engineer, following a round of layoffs, she did not worry too much. After all, the industry was beginning to pick up and there would always be enough opportunities for a person with her qualifications and experience. She got down to job-hunting in right earnest.
A couple of months down the line, in spite of her best efforts and perseverance, Ayesha could not find the job she wanted. As months passed, she started feeling increasingly helpless, which lead to moments of anxiety, frustration, feelings of guilt and a sense of inadequacy. Her self-esteem and confidence took a beating and she almost gave up.
Many of us, at some point of time or the other, have faced similar situations or have seen someone else in such dire straits. It is but natural that the initial enthusiasm and confidence with which one begins the search gradually wanes when things don't go our way.
People who manage to keep faith in themselves and their wondrous capacity to survive against odds will ultimately emerge successful, just like Ayesha did. She landed a plum assignment, eight full months after she lost the job. `Those eight months were pure hell; but I managed to retain my focus and confidence,' she says.
Successful people too are affected by failures and setbacks just like everyone else, but they have the ability to rebound, are strong enough to withstand adversity and wise enough to learn from their mistakes. They persevere, re-focus on their goals, and get right back into action.
Here is how you can build on your confidence and stay focused, even when your job search is unexpectedly protracted and difficult.
Set goals: Set goals for yourself. Study after study has revealed that the ability to set goals and make plans for their accomplishment is the "master skill" of success. Goal setting is perhaps the single most important skill that can help you achieve your full potential.
Write down your goals. Then, focus on how you are going to achieve them. When you are busy focusing on things necessary to reach your goals, you are less likely to have the need or inclination to waste time and energy worrying about the future or the possibility of failure.
Be objective: People normally become emotional and subjective when things are not going well. Remember, you may have no control over events; but you certainly can control your emotions. Getting emotional only complicates the situation and makes the problems difficult to solve. Learn to keep your cool and think objectively.
Learn from mistakes: If you have made mistakes, accept responsibility and learn from them. It is human to internalise success and externalise failure; but blaming your luck or other people for your faults and mistakes will not make the situation any easier to handle. Instead, stick to objective thinking, analyse your actions and see if you can work things out with a different approach.
Join forces, if need be: Do not isolate yourself and brood. That would be the quickest way to lose confidence and wallow in self-doubt. Be proactive instead. Seek out people who can help you from your network of friends and contacts. Enlist in support groups. Take time out to do something you enjoy.
Refocus on goals: Remind yourself that your goals have not changed, although the timeline may have. Review goals periodically, set new deadlines and make new goals, if necessary. Setting a new goal does not imply that you have failed in your previous objective; it merely means you have changed priorities and refocused.
Be open to opportunities: I have come across many people who explain their inactivity by saying, `I am waiting for the right opportunity'. Remember, the longer you keep `waiting', the harder you will find it to kick-start yourself towards achieving your goals. Size up every opportunity that comes your way and give it due consideration, even if it does not exactly sound like your dream job.
Keep the faith: When you are in difficulties, it is really difficult to keep faith. It is really hard to keep doing things on hand. The only way one can survive is to keep faith and think positive. Be optimistic and remind yourself that this too, shall pass.
Persevere: Be Steadfast. Develop alternate action plans. If plan A is not working for you, then conceivably you need a plan B, a plan C and perhaps even a plan C or D. You need to give a definite shape and time frame to each of these plans. Put them down in writing for easy and quick reference.
Once you have the plans in place, take up your best plan and initiate action. Identify one small action you could take to get back into action. If that task still seems too big, break it down further into even smaller tasks. Keep at it, and surely, you will succeed.
BINDU SRIDHAR
faqs@cnkonline.com
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