I recently completed reading, “The Layoff Journey, from Dismissal to Discovery,” by Steve Jaffe. Jaffe has a 25-year career in advertising and marketing AND a bachelor’s in journalism and communication, so, needless to say, the book is well-written. What I didn’t expect was the depth of knowledge about grief, psychology, and personal growth! All of which is right up my alley, making the book a more enjoyable read than expected.
I started out considering this book review as a work chore to gain more insight and information to share with my clients who had been laid off or had to leave jobs where they had worked for more than 10 years. I’ve had a quite a few of these clients, and for these folks, navigating career change involves significant processing, identity shifting, making peace with the past, and revisiting passions they may have left by the wayside. I feel a lot of compassion for them and was interested in learning more helpful information. But it ended up having a lot of unexpected depth, and while maybe not a page-turner I’d stay up late to read, it was fun and engaging!
Chapters I enjoyed the most included, “Negotiation,” (Jaffe used Elizabeth Kubler Ross’ Stages of Grief as a structure to address what people go through after being laid off) because I have seen clients get stuck in this phase for longer than would be ideal. It’s about working through the tough feelings and regrets and getting to the place of acceptance around the loss of your status, security, relationships with your colleagues and employer, and all the hard work you contributed.
A lot of this stage can be irrational bargaining and railing against the unfairness of the situation. And the “brutality of the corporate world,” as Jaffe aptly describes it, when it comes to layoffs is most often not fair. Jaffe offers personal stories and other examples that bring the reality of these stages to life. He doesn’t judge and encourages honoring one’s feelings but also suggests, “…finding an equilibrium between…acknowledging the harsh logic without invalidating feelings and moving forward despite the dissonance.” He also offers practical guidance, like negotiating a separation and advocating for yourself.
Another favorite Chapter was, “Reconstruction.” As Jaffe says in the first paragraph, “Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, reconstruction is when we reassemble the pieces and emerge stronger from the experience…It shines a light on our priorities, career path, and purpose.” As a Career Counselor, he is speaking my language here, and MY purpose is largely to help my clients identify the pieces, as well as our priorities, and explore and decide on a purpose-driven career path going forward.
He talks about asking yourself the key questions around what is next (part of my work with clients always includes identifying key questions!) and coming home to ourselves, owning that we are still ourselves, at our core, and our knowledge, skills, and experience are intact and matter going forward. As one regains confidence and can reframe this time as an opportunity to and focus on a career that more fully aligns with one’s priorities and values, this makes all the difference in discovering new doorways and pivoting towards more exciting and fulfilling work vistas.
A final piece of guidance he emphasized in this chapter is to, “…find a circle of friends that will help you see the humor in this experience,” and “…turn tears into laughter,” fostering resilience. I would add that friends can provide networking contacts and be a sounding board and cheer squad when you most need it.
As a side note, Jaffe incorporated reflection exercises into the book, which helps readers connect the material to their own layoff and recovery journey. Highly valuable!
I highly recommend “The Layoff Journey” as a companion book and guidance-packed resource if you are going through the rocky road of a significant job layoff, or if you are coaching or counseling clients who are going through this experience. If you have tips or resources that helped you navigate a layoff, please share these in the comments!