1. You can be fired.
Unless it is your father that owns the company, always put at the back of your mind the moment you take a new job that those that can hire you can also fire you. You think you are so good that you aren’t indispensable? Think again. You can dazzle them a few months after taking the job. You might even want to impress them because you are new and you want to create a good impression of a hardworking resourceful individual. You know, the one who always takes initiative and is able to work under intense pressure.
Isn’t that what you wrote in your resume? Well, you would need to work up to expectation and beyond. And it is fine. But you really don’t need to be carried away with the applause and the promise of promotion “if you continue this way” because the truth is, you can’t continue this way. No one ever did. You would soon wear out if you continued that way. And again, it could be the next month after your appointment that a new guy (or gal) is recruited and all attention goes to this new person too. And the circus continues.
Also keep in mind; your employers reserve the right to fire you. As soon as they realize that you are placing so much dependence on the work, they knock you back to reality by firing you. Once you become lax and don’t run the machines and the operation as smoothly as before, they will dispose of you and replace you. The worlds of most people crumble when they are fired from a job. They cry because they took business personal and thought that their employer actually cared about them outside of work. Basically, they are starting all over again. Then, they ask themselves the question, “where would I start from?”. My answer to this is: “you can start with what you have in your brain, that is what got you the job in the first place, right?”
The worlds of most people crumble because they have placed their whole lives on that one job. That one job that never gave them an ironclad guarantee of permanent employment. They believed it could never come to an end. They have aspired for managerial positions in the organization like being a partner. As much as all these are
possible, you should also acknowledge the fact that the job can be gone in the blink of an eye. And if you don’t want your life to fall like a deck of cards, you need to face that reality.
2. You can be laid off.
There is definitely a huge difference between getting fired and being laid off. The truth, however, is that it all boils down to the same thing – You are out of job. And while you can be cajoled with the severance package that comes with being laid off which you most likely might not get if you were fired, it points to one fact that job security is a lie that would keep being told.
A lay off occurs due to a company cutting cost, a major downsizing or company restructuring. Getting fired can be more depressing and frustrating. At least, there is a solace when you are laid off; there is a voice somewhere in your head that says “well, this is not due to poor performance on my part but rather a general poor performance of the company.” But, tell me, does that change anything?
You have to face the fact that you have just been thrown into the unemployed class of people; whatever name they have chosen to call it is immaterial. This is a challenge that you must choose to solve by your self-will and determination. The chant of job security cannot save you from this horror called “laid off”.
If you have ever been laid off, especially in a well-paying job, you would be able to identify with what I’m saying. People freak out when they receive the news of an impending lay-off. Fear grips such people at the thought of being laid off. However, fear is false. You need not fear being laid off.
I do agree that the moment you realize that you would not be receiving that huge paycheck anymore, it could be very scary. Especially if you have depended on that steady paycheck your whole life. But as soon as the numbing effect of shock subsides, it is time to face the real world. A world that only understands one language irrespective of tribe, language or color – it is the language of survival. And to avoid hunger and deprivation at all costs, you have to do all it takes to stop suckling from the present predicament and find a way out.
Really, it is not as bad as you think. Your situation is not likely dire. Though it is like picking up the pieces of your life all over, you have to pick it up and forge on. It is not like you have been cast out from the corporate world and into the harsh reality that faces the unemployed.
I believe one of the realities that would trigger your Spidey senses when you are faced with a situation of this nature is that the feeling of predictable safety known as ‘job security’ is simply an illusion. There was never a time you were safe while at the job. You had just been feeding your fear.
It might be good if you are laid off. Why would I say something like that?! Well, because it would be time to re-strategize if you are laid off. Actually, in reality, there has not been a better time to be laid off than now. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the national unemployment rate is at 3.8%. It is the lowest unemployment rate in nearly 20 years. Why should you be concerned about the unemployment rate? The reason is not far-fetched. A lot of businesses need your services, so now that you have been laid off, you can easily serve as a free agent for more than one company at a time.
