For anyone who has been recently let go or fired from their jobs, I just want to say things do get better and you will be OK.
You are not defined by your job title.
All of us have had professional speed bumps along the way.
You will likely get fired at some point and you WILL recover. You might not think it will ever happen to you but it could.
You can emerge from these situations as a stronger, better version of your professional self and use them to propel you to work situations that are a better fit for you – just like I did.
Many of us define ourselves – and some of our personal self-worth – by our work. Much of our identities are tied up with our careers, I know mine used to be.
It took me a long time to train myself to break the habit of thinking of my identity solely by what I did for a living. But I am so much more than the job I have. I am so much more than my job title.
And so are you.
I recommend you stop caring about what others think about you right away.
This was one of the hardest things for me to do – I was embarrassed about being let go (there one day, gone the next) and therefore convinced that everyone at work was talking about me. Maybe they were, but only until they moved on to the next piece of office gossip.
The truth is that no one cares about you as much as you think they do. They are consumed with their own lives.
Also if you know someone who has been fired recently, this is the time to reach out to them, offer help and show them support. This is when they need it the most.
I will never forget the people who stood by me and helped me and also the people who did not.
Remember getting fired or let go is redirection.
It’s an opportunity to take control of your life. Reframe it and take the power back.
You will be just fine. I promise.