Confessions of the Serially Laid-Off
True story: since 2001, I’ve been laid off six times.
No, wait … seven. Ish.
Fine … call it six-and-a half.
It’s one of those things in life that — like a pie-eating contest — doesn’t translate to “more is better.” The sixth-ish time isn’t any easier than the first. In fact, it’s far worse. It makes one feel like they need to add stronger mouthwash & body spray to one’s morning regimen. Maybe even level up to military-grade deodorant, as well.
Getting clipped has always felt personal, despite hollow, scripted reassurances from Human Resources [doubtless triple-vetted by the Legal department]:
“The layoff is due to organizational changes and not related to job performance,” et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseam, ad infinitum. “It’s not you, it’s us. But hey, take care and don’t let our quickly closing door bruise your butt on your way out.”
I’ve saved up the cardboard boxes that I’ve been given to cart my personal effects off employers’ premises. They make a nice sadness fort in the corner of my garage.
But hey, there’s an upside: unexpected survival skills emerge during such jarring times. Eventually, one tends to develop very keen predictive abilities regarding the fact that an axe has been unsheathed, it’s been sharpened and the likelihood one’s neck will get splintery on the chopping block.
Additionally — and most importantly — one develops a strong ability to pivot, adapt and evolve once said axe has fallen.
Point being, sometimes one actually can make lemonade out of lemons.
Follow: in this era of pandemic-driven joblessness, suddenly my past as being serially “job-jilted” is no longer a scarlet letter burned onto my resume [and into my psyche].
Now, that part of my professional past is a strength.
How can that be, you ask?
Because I survived.
Again and again. And will continue to do so.
I’ll tell you how.
I’ve always been a generalist. I put that down to a handful of contributing factors, not the least of which are: I bore easily and I have the attention span of the love child of a bumblebee & hummingbird that’s just sucked down a quad-espresso. Graft that onto another character trait — I find [almost] everything to be interesting. This can be a boon or a bust. It’s very effective if I can establish and maintain focus.
What was I saying? Ah, yes … the perks of being a generalist.
I’ve forged and honed my interests over the years, always, always [and, incidentally, always] looking for the interconnections between them. That practice and worldview extended from wielding my personal intellectual curiosity into my highly eccentric [but rarely boring] career arc.
Why does this matter? Simple: while specialization is obviously important in many cases [e.g. don’t let a non-specialist brain surgeon anywhere near your precious noggin], if you over-specialize and are laid off, you may have fewer options open to you and not many spaces into which you can maneuver.
This is especially true if your role is impacted by automation. Odds are, if you’re highly specialized and laid off due to automation, when you go door-to-door peddling your skills & wares, the other shops have also adopted the technology that displaced you — otherwise they can’t remain competitive.
Ah, but if you’re a generalist … you have places to pivot.
This is very important to consider and remember. It seems that coronavirus is packing a double-whammy: jobs are being lost due to coronavirus, and the adoption of automation [causing further impact to jobs] is accelerating as a result.
So, how do you prepare yourself to survive in these chaotic, pandemic, robotic times?
- Become an expert generalist
- Cultivate a non-traditional & personalized approach toward self-education
- Keep your network active
- Know the terrain [and adjust your stance & actions accordingly]
- Don’t be afraid to pivot & shift into new terrain. Stick & move.
I believe so strongly in these critical skills that I founded a company and curriculum five years ago that teaches people how to develop, use and hone them.
Coronavirus on its own has been a waking nightmare which in turn, is fueling additional nightmares. The changes coming to the world will require a new mindset & skillset. Best to get after developing them. Now.
Again, I survived … and so can you.
The entire FastFulcrum curriculum is now available at a deep discount right here. It’ll teach you the essential skills you need [that you don’t get at school] that will enable you to survive & thrive in the age of coronavirus and automation.
