Just Slip Out the Back, Jack

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free ~ Paul Simon

If you have ever lost a job, you may recall that day, that moment, that hour with great clarity. My termination happened on a pretty, warm sunny morning in July...a lot of days and years ago. I remember the day so well. I remember the shoes I was wearing. I remember the outfit I had worn to work that day. I was driving an old red VW bug at the time ~ the guy who fired me called it a "hippie car" or sometimes, he would refer to my vehicle as a "dinky."

Upon my employment demise with him, he instructed me to get in my "dinky" and get out of his office. (I got fired for a pretty lame reason, now that I look back. I worked for the president of a company....most days he told me I was the best executive assistant he'd ever employed in 50 years...and then, there was the day, I "crossed the line." He gave me a nickle per hour raise...it upset me. I went to the "Personnel" Manager (currently known as HR) and said I would like a dime instead of a nickel. The next morning, I knew I was done and toast and over and history when I heard the buzzer. I just knew it. When my boss wanted me to come into his office, he would push a buzzer that would sound at my desk. Hey, I had studied psychology and I was very aware of Pavlov and the dog tricks!) And that July morning so many years ago, I heard the buzzer for one last time.

There are many ways to find out you no longer have employment and that your "services are no longer needed." These are a few of the ways that my clients (or prospects) have told me they have lost their job ~ times have changed, indeed:

* My Regional Manager texted me and said that my position was being eliminated...

* My boss emailed me while I was on vacation....the subject line read "Urgent Message"...

* My supervisor left me a voice message indicating changes were being made...

* My manager sent me an overnight express letter announcing my release from the organization...

* My boss let me go the day he took me out for lunch to discuss my annual performance review...

There is no good time to lose your job. There is no perfect way to be told this information. All I know is that I am pretty sure and certain I would not be sitting here at this laptop writing you this blog post had I not been fired those many years ago. There is life after job loss; I started over...you can, too...you just keep telling yourself that, until...

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." ~ George Eliot

cross-posted at billiesucherblog

Comments

[Norine Dagliano]

Great post Billie (as always.) I agree that there is life after job loss. When I lost my last job it was very liberating (once I got past the first three months of crying!) I can't begin to count the number of times I have heard clients say "loosing that job was probably the best thing to happen to me." Most people avoid change like the plague and will hold on to something, even if it the "something" is not working. Sometimes the Universe will step in and change happens. My motto now is this: Change is good as long as long as I am the one to decide when and how it will happen.

[billiesucher]

Norine, appreciate your comment...I like your motto! :)
~Billie

[Anna]

Thank you for sharing. I lost my first job in an extremly unpleasant way which I'm shamed to recall. The fact is: when you were let go, no matter how nice or brutal the message was delivered, the fact remain the same: you have to go.

[billiesucher]

Thank you for your post, Anna. I would offer that you look into buying a book called "Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes" by Dr. William Bridges...doesn't matter how recent, or long ago your "exit" was...many of my clients have found this work helpful. Perhaps you will, too. Billie