The Dead Company Club

“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”       – Walt Disney

When I lived in Boulder, Colorado in the ’80s everyone else wanted to live there too. PhDs were washing dishes to make it possible. Flash forward. Today’s corporate failures are making PhDs compete to wash dishes. The best and brightest can’t find jobs and are running out of savings, can’t pay their debts, and don’t know what to do.

My experience in Boulder – I made omelets – and later after my company failed (I sold stuff on eBay and painted until I got a real job) taught me a few things that might help you feel, well, less tortured. Here are the five things to keep in mind while you’re getting over the shock of being laid off.

1. You are still brilliant. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to doubt yourself. Keep exercising your mind. Go to university forum discussions. Read everything you can. Short attention span? Hit the magazine rack at the library. Like your solitude? Read Thoreau. It’s not action-packed Hollywood, but his soaring intellect will give your brain a workout. Plus his example of thrift – he pondered sleeping in a coffin-like box as an alternative to a house because it gave him a roof over his head without frivolous extras – may help put your own lifestyle in perspective.

2. Talk your ego down out of that tree. You’re not a bad person if you lose your job, and having to take a lesser job doesn’t change who you are. Ego has a way of keeping you stuck in the self-pity swirly. Shake it off and remember that this will make a good story some day.

3. Being broke is fixable. Look for a temporary job. Consider it a “research opportunity.” Look on craigslist and Elance for short-term and permanent postings. Post your own skills for hire. Hint: set aside your pride and tailor your resume for the job. Summa Cum Laude may backfire when you’re applying to edit kids’ books.

4. This won’t last. This is life, and life will change. Shit happens. You will get over it and new opportunities will come along. It might not happen on your schedule, but it will happen. You can’t keep great talent down.

5. Don’t wait. The longer you brood, the worse your mood. Get out there and do something. Look for humor to get you feeling upbeat.

What has losing your job and company done to your self-esteem? What has helped you?

Laurie Phillips was a ski bum and worked as a lowly chef long before she found her true calling. She is a freelance business copywriter but her heart is still in the mountains.

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