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			Keep those ties Don't leave empty handed Laid off or resigning? Your boss and a reference Destroy the evidence Maintain a high profile Your CV Keep your discipline It's not the end of the world

Being laid off is a very daunting and even terrifying experience for anyone. Whether you’ve been at your company for days or even years, the feeling of rejection is horrible. You see the regular Big Issue seller at the train station and reminisce about when you too had a job to fulfil.

The good news is that it is not all bad news! Take a look at what Jobsite has put together and you’ll be back on the work train faster than you can say ‘P45’.

Keep those ties, tied

As part of getting laid off you are going to have to go through a number of internal channels before you actually leave the company. You will of course be speaking with your boss, people from within the HR department, and of course making sure that you keep in touch with some of your colleagues.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember at this stage is that you must maintain all the contacts that you have. "Don’t burn your bridges" is the phrase that you just can’t forget, because if you do then getting back on the employment ladder is going to be twice as hard.

All these people may well be able to help. What if a recruitment consultant or headhunter calls the week after your departure and you’ve left your old colleagues with a bitter taste in their mouths – it certainly won’t be your name that they put forward?

Remember that all the relationships that you have developed since joining the company will have to be maintained as you never know when, or from who you might need to call upon their help or advice in the future.

Don’t leave empty handed

Depending on how long you have been with your company, it would be very unlikely if they failed to offer you some sort of compensation – more commonly referred to as your ‘severance package’.

Your severance package is most likely to be a continuation of your current salary for a set or agreed amount of time. Most companies will have their own policies in place for redundancies, although this is also a perfect opportunity for you to test out your negotiation skills. But bear in mind that your integrity will have to be also put to the test, as the last thing you want to do at this stage is to cause a disturbance and put your ‘bridges’ under the threat of an arson attack.

So, you do have the chance to barter with your employers here. Bear in mind what benefits you do and don’t get. Are you on the company health scheme? Do you have a company car? Do you have a company mobile phone? Do you have stock options?

These are all things that you will need to bear in mind because anything that they don’t offer you in relation to the above benefits, you should ask about. Not to mention the HR department may have links with an outplacement consultancy that they feel they might be able to help you with.

Whatever they offer you as part of your severance deal, then it is always worth trying to get a little more while still appearing as professional as the day you first stepped in their doors. At this stage it is worth bearing in mind that the majority of companies will be feeling slightly uncomfortable that it has come down to having to lay you off, so there is a little leeway here for you to negotiate your leaving package.

Perhaps most important of all at this stage is to make sure that you don’t agree to anything in your package before you are not only happy with it but before you are totally clear on what is being offered.

Am I actually getting laid off, or am I actually resigning?

The most straightforward advice to give here is that you shouldn’t resign, but be sure to discuss this issue with the HR department. But if you feel extremely strongly about resigning then again talk it through with HR because you will struggle to be entitled to the ‘severance package’ that you might expect.

Speak to your boss and get a reference

If you are being laid off your company will want to try and make sure that your departure is as smooth as possible, this includes making sure that your route back into employment is facilitated.

Some companies have been known to not provide references but for those that do, make sure that you do get a reference that includes a comprehensive list of your roles/duties and confirmation of when you started at and left the company….as well as an unrivalled attempt at selling your skills and qualities!!

It is very important that you do this because chasing such a letter once you have left will be considerably harder.

Destroy the evidence

On a slightly less positive note, the company will have to give you some time to clear your desk before you leave. Once again it depends on your company’s policy, but you should get enough time to do the following:

Make sure that you take all your personal belongings, although the chances are that somebody may stand over you to ensure that you don’t help yourself to a brand new suite of office stationary.

You will of course be able to take with you your personal notes, contact lists and it may well be advisable to delete all personal emails and documents that you deem appropriate (it is easiest to just email them to your home computer’s personal email account).

Also remember that if you are asked to do things that you feel are inappropriate – for example proving that the pink highlighter is yours – then remain calm and don’t put your professionalism and integrity at risk! Remember – "I must not burn bridges!"

Maintain a high profile

At this stage it might be a good time to refer to our article "What to do if you think you’re facing redundancy." This will give you some valuable tips on networking and getting the word out that you are looking for another position.

It is sensible to ensure that as many friends, family, ex-colleagues are aware that you have been laid off – even if they cannot help you directly, they may have contacts they are willing to share with you or may even be aware of somebody who is currently looking to hire someone with your skills and experience.

As good a place as any to fulfil your job search is Jobsite, so the next logical step is to make sure that all of your personal information is up-to-date.

Your CV

Make sure that your CV is updated as soon as possible, as there is no point in wasting time. For more detailed advice on CVs, take a look at the following:

• Writing the Killer CV
• CV’s….all your questions answered
• CV cheating, is it wise to bend the truth
• Targeting your CV to different positions
• How to tailor your CV to different industry sectors
• Tailoring your CV for overseas job applications

Keep your discipline

Staring unemployment in the face is not going to be fun, but at the end of the day it’s down to you. This is not a holiday and neither should it be looked at as such. Sure, there’s no harm in taking a couple of days to soak up the rays in the back garden but sooner rather than later is when you should be making your next career move.

You should maybe consider how much time of each day you feel that you can dedicate to looking for a new job. Although here at Jobsite we can take a lot of the hard grind out of job searching through features like ‘jobs-by-email’, it is worth making a daily visit to the site.

If you maintain your discipline then your overall attitude will reflect how positive you are in finding a new position.

It’s not the end of the world
Getting made redundant is neither the end of the world, nor the most unusual occurrence in the world of employment, so don’t get too downhearted!

If you are letting it get to you then maybe a friend, ex-colleague or family member knows of someone that has been through it before – if so then try and get in touch and see how they coped with the pressure.

But the last thing that you want to do is let this setback affect your self-esteem – keep your chin up – and go for it!