Losing your job

But guess what . just as much as landing a job is a possibility, so is getting laid-off. In our day and age, of high investment and risk industries, companies closing down or being acquired for all the wrong reasons happens a lot more commonly than in our parent’s time. I personally have been affected by a layoff and know countless other engineers who went through the harrowing experience.

Firstly, be aware that layoffs are no longer exclusively an American phenomenon, although it’s more common there. Nowadays, it’s a global feature that many, even well respected companies, resort to when faced with financial or strategic issues. So it’s worth the effort to prepare for the possible layoff even before planning for retirement.

Imagine that you’ve just been invited to a meeting with your manager, and in the presence of your HR manager as a witness, you’ve been served notice. On having your very best efforts negated and on-job ambitions mutilated, the strongest emotion stirring within you is not of disappointment, or shock, but rather anger. At this point, while punching your manager in the face could make you feel a lot better, don’t do it! The world is too small a place, and misbehavior will only come back to haunt you. More often than not in the forced job hunt that follows, your manager will be referred to regarding your performance. So always wear your best manners while lodging protest and retaliating.

Tackling a layoff is made a lot less difficult when you don’t have too many liabilities hanging over your head. Therefore, make sure you build a financial cushion and recover your costs borne during your studies before thinking of buying that car or house you always wanted. Also, if you are on a probationary contract, I would suggest starting to apply for another job as early as possible. Not only are you diversifying your job risk by doing this, but engaging in conversations with other companies or departments within the same company is a great way of expanding your professional network. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a good, widely spread professional network when it comes to seeking out a vacancy.

Even with a busted morale, it’s very important not to compromise on your market value while desperately looking for another job. While this can be helped by sufficient and thorough planning, it also requires you to draw heavily on your personal courage and self-confidence. Almost everyone I know has made use of the layoff as an opportunity to push themselves to the next level, or make a lateral shift in their careers.

Know that the layoff can either be a deflating experience or an empowering one, and that this depends on your preparedness to tackle it. Remember, it’s your primary responsibility to look after your professional ambitions while still being ethical to your employer!”

Ramesh Chidambaram is from India. He is a recent MSc micro-electronics graduate of TU Delft and currently works for NXP Semiconductors in Nijmegen.

“You probably never want to think about losing your job. After all, a job is something many of us strive hard to find, especially after leaving university. But guess what . just as much as landing a job is a possibility, so is getting laid-off. In our day and age, of high investment and risk industries, companies closing down or being acquired for all the wrong reasons happens a lot more commonly than in our parent’s time. I personally have been affected by a layoff and know countless other engineers who went through the harrowing experience.

Firstly, be aware that layoffs are no longer exclusively an American phenomenon, although it’s more common there. Nowadays, it’s a global feature that many, even well respected companies, resort to when faced with financial or strategic issues. So it’s worth the effort to prepare for the possible layoff even before planning for retirement.

Imagine that you’ve just been invited to a meeting with your manager, and in the presence of your HR manager as a witness, you’ve been served notice. On having your very best efforts negated and on-job ambitions mutilated, the strongest emotion stirring within you is not of disappointment, or shock, but rather anger. At this point, while punching your manager in the face could make you feel a lot better, don’t do it! The world is too small a place, and misbehavior will only come back to haunt you. More often than not in the forced job hunt that follows, your manager will be referred to regarding your performance. So always wear your best manners while lodging protest and retaliating.

Tackling a layoff is made a lot less difficult when you don’t have too many liabilities hanging over your head. Therefore, make sure you build a financial cushion and recover your costs borne during your studies before thinking of buying that car or house you always wanted. Also, if you are on a probationary contract, I would suggest starting to apply for another job as early as possible. Not only are you diversifying your job risk by doing this, but engaging in conversations with other companies or departments within the same company is a great way of expanding your professional network. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a good, widely spread professional network when it comes to seeking out a vacancy.

Even with a busted morale, it’s very important not to compromise on your market value while desperately looking for another job. While this can be helped by sufficient and thorough planning, it also requires you to draw heavily on your personal courage and self-confidence. Almost everyone I know has made use of the layoff as an opportunity to push themselves to the next level, or make a lateral shift in their careers.

Know that the layoff can either be a deflating experience or an empowering one, and that this depends on your preparedness to tackle it. Remember, it’s your primary responsibility to look after your professional ambitions while still being ethical to your employer!”

Ramesh Chidambaram is from India. He is a recent MSc micro-electronics graduate of TU Delft and currently works for NXP Semiconductors in Nijmegen.