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Job loss isn’t easy, but it’s not the end of the world

On June 23, Debbie Knoebl’s position as supervisor of payroll operations for Alliant Energy was eliminated, along with about 200 other positions. “I was pretty upset, in spite of the fact I saw it coming,” she said. “Still, when it actually happens, it’s a bit of surprise. I was also a little angry, but mostly felt I wasn’t very important.”

She went home, did a 25-mile bike ride and thought.

“I realized it was a logical business decision on their part,” she said. “So I got Zen and decided to make the best of the situation since there wasn’t a whole lot I could do about it.”

Mary Atkinson’s job was cut from Renaissance Learning on March 10. Her reaction passed quickly from shock to panic.

“Driving home, it was sheer unadulterated panic,” she said. “How are we going to manage? Who’s going to want to hire me? What about medical insurance? What luxuries can we afford to get rid of?”

It’s normal for a person who’s lost a job to experience a wide range of emotions, said Kathleen Sletten, vice president with Career Momentum, a Madison outplacement and career management firm.
“Very often, people go through the same emotional transitions that someone who’s lost a loved one goes through - shock, anger, denial, grief and at some point acceptance,” she said.

They might also struggle with questions of self-worth. “We tend to define ourselves by the work we do and when we lose that connection with the workplace, it can affect confidence and self-esteem,” she said.

How quickly someone moves through the process of grieving is unique to each person and not always straightforward, said Sharon Jackson, vice president, general manager and director of professional services for the Wisconsin region of Lee Hecht Harrison, a global career management firm with offices in Madison. She compares it to being on an emotional roller coaster.

“As people begin to move ahead, they are still subject to those emotions,” she said. “It’s like taking two steps forward and one back.”

But time makes a difference, Jackson said. “The longer you are out there, putting it behind you, the better you feel,” she said.

She generally recommends getting started on the new job search right away - for the obvious financial reasons but also for emotional ones.

“The outplacement process is designed to get people focused on positive activity,” she said. “You’re able to grieve the loss more quickly and put it behind you.”

Certain aspects of the job search help boost morale, Jackson said, such as reviewing a list of accomplishments to develop a new resume. “And when you get a call for an interview, it’s reinforcement that somebody wants you,” she said.

Some professionals who lose jobs receive outplacement services as part of their severance package. Their previous employer contracts with a third party to provide support and coaching on the job search. Help with resume development, tips on how to network and practice interviews may be offered, as might one-on-one counseling to help assess career options.

How long it takes to land a new job depends on many variables, said John Richert, president of The Emerald Group, an outplacement firm and subsidiary of Wisconsin Executive Search Group, a Madison executive search firm. Factors include willingness to relocate, the job market targeted, and the amount of time and energy spent on the search.

“Keep on task and put in the time,” he said. “You have to make your job getting a job, and you need to pursue it very aggressively, very professionally and very disciplined.”

Richert provides motivation for moving forward with the search: “The longer you sit on the sidelines and reconstruct what happened, the longer it will take to find a job. When you come down to it, the only person who’s going to get you that next job is you.”

Knoebl started a new position as a senior consultant in the small business technology group of Wipfli only two months after being cut from Alliant. She credits part of her rapid success with staying focused on the positive.

“Instead of being a victim, I made it into a positive opportunity,” she said. “I ended up with the summer off with pay, and I got a job that’s going to have a lot more opportunity for me. Plus I got to spend some time with my kids.”

Job resources

The JobNet database contains listings of open jobs including professional positions at www.dwd.state.wi.us/jobnet/ mapwi.htm.

Visit www.wisconsin.gov and click on the link at the right for Employment in Wisconsin for job listings.

The Adult & Student Services office at UW-Madison offers one-on- one career counseling. The appointments are free, but there’s a fee for taking assessments. Visit www.dcs.wisc.edu/classes/ career.htm for a schedule of low- cost workshops. These services are open to all - not just students and alumni. Call 608-263-6960.

A support group for unemployed professionals meets from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays in Memorial Union. Call 608-263-6960.

The UW Alumni Association offers free career services to any UW- Madison alum (not just WAA members), including a job posting Web site and a networking database. Call 608-265-9074.

The Dane County Job Center offers free workshops, one-on-one counseling, access to computers and regular job fairs. Visit www.danejobs.com or call 608-242- 7400.

The Web site www.wisconsinjobcenter.org offers helpful information, including links to listings of open positions.

Inquire at your local job center about the Career Pathways program for displaced workers.

Surviving a job loss

Take some time to assess what you’d like to do next. Talk to a career counselor.

Stick to a daily routine. Get up at the same time every day, shower, get dressed and work on your job search.

Build a plan for your job search activities and stick to it. Set a tangible goal each day, such as sending out three resumes or making five networking calls.

Seek outside assistance with your job search if outplacement services aren’t part of your severance package.

Don’t withdraw. Stay connected to others and spend time with family and friends who can provide emotional support.

Take care of yourself. Exercise, eat healthy and get enough sleep to help replenish your energy.

Live life as normally as possible. But cut back on big expenditures.

Realize that getting laid off wasn’t your fault - it was a business decision. Although it may be hard to do, try not to take it personally.

Pat yourself on the back when you get positive feedback.

Pursue counseling with a therapist if you find yourself slipping into depression or prolonged anger.