Losing your job isn’t an easy thing to recover from especially if you are a skilled developer. You have worked hard to hone your craft but things didn’t quite go as planned. So your mind runs and you start to worry if you will ever code again. Take a deep breath, you will code again. You can overcome this impasse and you will be a better person for it… you do need to work through a few things first though. Let us help you, we know just what to do when you lose your job.
Before You Pack up Your Desk
Your last few hours with your colleagues may be the most telling for them. Keep everything above board, smile and be kind. Regardless of the circumstances, leaving gracefully is of utmost importance, especially if you are going to use anyone as a reference in the future. Take a moment to walk through your office and wish your colleagues well in their future endeavours. Now is also a good time to get a written reference before you close that chapter of your life.
Before You Shut Down Your Computer
Remember that any sensitive information you take with you can land you in hot water. Never take any information with you which may give away trade secrets or potentially leak confidential company information. What you do want to take with you is an accurate account of what you have achieved in your time there. What type of projects did you work on, what did you learn and how your experience has readied you for your next opportunity. It’s definitely easier to recall your past achievements while you are sending out final emails and deleting old documents.
When You Get Home
Sometimes developers have to answer to people who aren’t as technically minded as they are and the consequences may be less than ideal. That said it is important to be honest with yourself. Where humans are concerned everything is grey and there’s always room for improvement. Be it in our interactions or our work; you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Don’t expect to get the answers immediately but the sooner you start, the better.
Ask yourself:
• Could you have been a better team player?
• Could you have had a better attitude to your work and those around you?
• Could you have put in more effort, did you just show up?
• Do you have the right qualifications or do you need to upskill yourself?
• Were you able to cope with the challenges of the job effectively?
• What could you have done better?
• Do you need to reassess your career path and maybe take a different approach?
Before You Sit Down on the Couch
Don’t get comfortable. It is essential that while you are reflecting on the most recent events, you have to keep plugging away. Maintain your routine! Finding a job is your new job and now is the time to plough all your efforts into refreshing your CV, tending to your LinkedIn profile and networking. Call recruiters who specialise in your field and most importantly do not get discouraged. Follow up every interview with a thank-you email and even a phone call if you get no response.
Reignite Your Passion
In between applying for new jobs, chatting to recruiters and recalibrating your career goals, keep busy. For a developer, this means work on the project that you’ve been toying with for over a year. You didn’t have the time or inclination to work on that cool idea before, but now you do. This is the best way to grow your knowledge and find inspiration is to finally indulge in your passion project. Ticking things off your to-do list and keeping your brain busy is your best defence against the blues and its great for your CV too.
Tackle the Beast From Another Angle
The longer you are out of the office the more important it will become to find another source of income so that you don’t burn through your savings. Open yourself up to freelance opportunities and part-time work, you might even find you prefer it to the constraints of an ordinary full-time office job. Freelancing is also an awesome way for you to network and to ‘try before you buy’. Some freelance jobs turn into great full-time opportunities if you manage to cement a good working relationship with a client.
It’s easy to become disillusioned and despondent when you feel like nothing is working out but what you will learn from pushing through this difficult time is absolutely invaluable. Building tenacity and strength of character will only stand you in good stead for whatever the future may hold. We seem to surprise ourselves when we are in a spot of bother. Give us a call today, let us create options for you, we know what to do when you lose your job.
