I can still remember this moment so clearly. It was early 2016 – I was in my 2nd to last marketing agency job, at a company I had been working with for about a year and a half. It was a very typical marketing agency in terms of the culture – Pizza Fridays, regular happy hours, all those “cool perks” we often associate with these types of companies.

On a random Thursday, the CEO called a company-wide meeting across our five offices, and everyone funneled into the conference room (or dialed in on the conference phone – this was pre-Zoom I believe). The next few minutes were a blur, but I remember hearing – “Effective today, we are closing our doors. This is our last day in operation.” And just like that – we were all let go. A 100+ person company, just dismantled. I was in shock. This has never happened to me before – I had never been laid off or let go from a role before, let alone with this much suddenness and finality. Then… I got angry. I charged back to my desk and while the rest of my colleagues cracked beers from our office fridge (#agencylife), I sat down at my computer and started saving everything I had worked on, and emailing all my clients.

I learned SO much from this experience. And I wish I could say it was the last time I experienced an undesired end-of-work situation, but that’s not the case. Because the reality is, layoffs are surprisingly common; they are a natural part of professional life. In fact, according to statistics originally reported by Forbes, “over 40% of Americans have been laid off at least once in their career, and 23% of people lose their jobs three or more times.”

That doesn’t mean layoffs don’t TOTALLY suck when they happen. They do! And it can certainly be an emotionally-charged moment when you get this news. However, there are a few things you need to make sure you do in the aftermath of a layoff to make the most of your situation – and I’m sharing those steps below.

Step 1: First thing’s first – give yourself a minute

Whether the news of a layoff is a total surprise (like mine was) or somewhat expected, it still stings. We are human and rejection hurts, no matter what. So give yourself a minute to absorb and sit with your emotions – whatever they are. Excuse yourself to the restroom, logoff from your computer, or take a step outside if you need to – and just breathe. You are going to be okay. But – you’re also allowed to feel your feelings.

In some layoff situations, you may have minutes to gather your things. In others, you may get a week or two to transition away. So if time is of the essence, still give yourself this crucial 5-10 minute processing period, and then get back to your computer to get to work.

Step 2: Save work that you are proud of OR that you think may be helpful to you down the road

Now that you’re back at your computer, go through your files and save/send the following to your personal email address:

• Reports or templates you created that you are proud of
• Projects, documents, presentations you created that you are proud of
• Compliments, positive feedback, or “glory” notes for future reference
• Notable emails (for content)
• Anything you think could be helpful to you down the road (either for showing off accomplishments, OR for repurposing for future jobs)
• Numbers or metrics that you can use for updating your resume (this is a big one! I can’t tell you how many people I work with on resume writing that don’t have these numbers – do yourself a favor a look for them NOW)

One note about this section – you’ll need to be careful about saving (and re-sharing) anything that might be considered company or client property. Use your best judgement. When in doubt, save it/send it to yourself, and then discern when you have more time to evaluate.

Step 3: Save contact information and/or share your personal email for future correspondence

No doubt you’ve made some incredible connections (internally and/or externally) in this role, so one thing you will want to do as part of your transition plan is make sure you can maintain those connections. There are a few ways you can do this:

• Send a mass email to all clients/contacts letting them know you are transitioning away from the company, and would love to stay in touch, including your personal contact information in the email
• Send individual emails to “high priority” contacts letting them know about the transition (with as much detail as you’d like), and sharing your personal contact information
• Focus your energy on compiling and saving all noteworthy email addresses/contact information you’d like to preserve, and send that list to your personal email so you can engage later. If you are in a real time crunch (e.g. if you’ve been told you need to “collect your things and go” – UGH), this may be your best option

Step 4: Gather EVERYTHING digitally you think you may want or need

If there’s anything that hasn’t been covered in the above sections, but you feel like you may want to save it for future use or reference, GO FOR IT. This is your time to be as proactive as possible about helping future you.

Step 5: Leave things on good terms with colleagues and coworkers

Take this section with a grain of salt, depending on the circumstances of your layoff, but in general: isn’t it better to try to leave things in a positive place than a negative one? Yes, you may be angry, sad, or embarrassed at the moment (as you have every RIGHT to be), but don’t let a temporary emotion ruin a good relationship. I can’t tell you how many connections I stayed in touch with from that company I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, and how much work I ended up getting from those contacts. So – be courteous. Reach out to people who know you want to stay in touch with internally, give them a way to reach you (LinkedIn is also great for this – see below), and keep it professional.

Step 6: Leverage LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great tool, period, but can especially be of use in a layoff or unexpected job transition. Here are some actions to take on LinkedIn if you get laid off from a job:

• Connect! Connect with as many people from your current role as possible, especially others who may also have been affected by the layoff. You will thank yourself for this later.
• Ask for Recommendations. “Recommendations” are an underutilized tool on LinkedIn, usually because people are hesitant to reach out and ask their colleagues for this sort of a testimonial on their work and value. BUT a layoff or job transition provides the perfect platform to make these sorts of asks – people will be more than happy to support you and do what they can to help, knowing your current situation. Take advantage of this.

Step 7: Get clarity on your financial transition plan

One of the biggest things you will want to do if you’ve recently been laid off is get crystal clear on your compensation transition plan. Here are some basic questions to ask to make sure you get the information you need:

• When is your last day of work?
• When will you receive your final paycheck?
• What will be included in that paycheck? (Ask about unused PTO and/or sick days)
• Do you have a Roth/IRA account you need to stop contributions to?
• When will your benefits (healthcare, insurance, etc) end?
• What is the company offering in terms of severance?

That is the biggest piece of advice I want you to take away from this article – take ownership of your situation in this tenuous time and ASK for what you need. The company is putting YOU in an uncomfortable and unfortunate situation, so you are more than entitled to ASK for what you think may be helpful for you. Do you want to work for longer/push back your last day of work? Ask to do so. Do you want a severance package? ASK for it. The worst that can happen is that the company says “no.” You owe it to yourself to ask for everything you think could be helpful to you in this situation.

A note on asking for severance after getting laid off for a job

A severance package is an additional chunk of compensation given to an employee when their employment is terminated through no fault of their own (although employees who are fired or who are retiring may also receive severance packages). Not all companies offer severance packages – and you may not know if yours will unless you ask. Bring this up to your HR rep (or the person who is informing you of your termination) as soon as you can. Ask about severance pay. You DESERVE it.

How much should you ask for? According to Kiplinger, “severance pay is usually based on the number of years you’ve worked at your employer. Generally, you’ll get one week to four weeks of pay per year of service, but it is common for employers to pay out two weeks of pay for each year at the company.”

But – don’t let that be the end-all-be all. Think about what you need (how long you’re going to be out of a job, expenses you have, how long it might take you to find another job, etc), and make a case for yourself. And if you need help doing this, you can always reach out to me, and I’m happy to help you.

So if you’ve been laid off, I hope this will be a helpful guide in taking the steps that will serve “future you” and set you up for success after this job. And let me just say again – I know this sucks (I’ve been there, too), but you are going to be okay. Believe that this transition is just going to lead to something better for you – because I promise you, it will.