Not every job can be forever, and sometimes you’ll find you’re leaving at a time not of your choosing. There are many reasons you might find yourself forced to leave a job, from a new executive wanting to make an impression with some restructuring, to the knock on effect of a mentor retiring, to simple hard times meaning people need to be let go.
It’s a difficult situation to be in, so we’ve produced a short guide to leaving with your dignity intact, and the best possible resources for the future.
Acceptance
Firstly, it’s important to accept the situation. By the time you have been told you are being let go, a lot of decisions have been taken by people at senior levels. However attractive an idea it is, you’re not likely to be able to change their minds, and you will waste precious time and energy you could be investing in securing your future after this job.
Talk through the situation with your manager: whatever you may think about why you are being let go, you also need to understand the official story. Vicky Maxwell Davies recommends that you “Rationalise the situation and practice explaining it, without emotion”. You’re going to be doing a lot of this with recruitment agents and possible employers, so begin early to make sure you have a fluent account of the situation ready. Getting into your theories about the personalities behind the choice is unlikely to be good for your employment prospects.
Now is also a good time to talk to recruitment agents. Finding an experienced organisation to speak to, like Savannah Recruitment can give you some insights into the job market and give you an update on how much you are worth.
Negotiation
Make sure you speak to a lawyer: there are lots of different kinds of termination and redundancy and you may need an expert to help you understand exactly what you are entitled to.
This should form the basis of your negotiations. If you have some evidence that quantifies how much you are worth to the business, including money you have brought in, or money saved through improved processes and risk avoided, now is the time to deploy it.
If you follow these tips, you should find yourself leaving confident in your ability to find your next job, and with a firm foundation to support you while you search.