When you're forced to find a new job
So many people are hurting right now - the DMV (where I live) is the epicenter of that pain - but this applies across the country. To all my federal friends who have been fired, forced to retire, put on administrative leave, or have to stay and deal with the chaos - I am so sorry. Sorry for you, for the vital role you and your agencies play(ed), and for our country. And the same goes for all of those who have lost federal money, whose industries are reeling because of cuts, or who are looking for jobs in this “new economy”.
Many of you are being forced to pivot, perhaps at a time when your career was stable, at its peak, or just beginning. Forced pivots are a shock to the system. I can offer a few suggestions based on my years of coaching people in transition, and helping see people through to the other side (yes, you’ll get there too). I hope some of this helps.
Allow yourself to grieve. This is so important, which is why I put it first. You are going through a very hard and very sad thing. Allow yourself to grieve for your job, your teammates, your agency and the good work it did for people in need of its services. Let yourself cry and be angry and whatever else you are feeling. It’s absolutely an appropriate reaction.
Shore up your finances. I am no expert here, but I always find Michelle Singletary, the Washington Post’s Finance columnist, comforting, even when she’s pointing out things I haven’t done. This is a column she wrote for federal workers at the beginning of this madness to give you a framework for how to think about expenses and bills right now. And, talking to a financial planner about if, when and how to tap into accounts like your TSP might be a good idea.
Take a beat to breathe, if you can. I know that there are 1,000 applicants for every job right now, but if you can take a moment to breathe, please consider doing so. You’ve just gone through major stress; let your body unwind some of it before you dive into the job hunt - if you have the means to do so. Even if you need to start looking right away, consider a regular mindfulness practice, whether that’s a daily walk without listening to podcasts, or regular meditation, or even mindful stretching before bed; something to help the stress leave your system so that you can go into your job search feeling more balanced.
Tiered outreach. One thing I suggest to those I coach who are looking for new careers is to create a spreadsheet to keep track of your outreach. List the contacts you want to talk with about your search, and then arrange those contacts into three tiers.
Tier One are people you know will help you and give you actionable job leads or others to talk with. Think of former co-workers, professors, and friends; people who will be your champions. This tier might not include very many names - that’s okay.
Tier Two are people you know a little less well and also those who were recommended by your Tier One list. This list will be longer, and where you should spend the most time in terms of meetings and coffees.
Tier Three are mostly people you don’t know, but they have interesting jobs or work for companies you are curious about. This tier is the one to prioritize last.
Within each tier, keep track of who you meet with (including the date), what you discussed, any follow up items, and the date that you want to follow up with this person. Conversations will start to blur together after a while and it pays to keep a record and to know when a reasonable time is to follow up.
When you can, allow yourself to dream. Is there a job you’ve always wished for? Have you had a dream to try something? What did you want to be when you were a kid? Now is the time to think broadly about possibilities. What would it take to turn your dream into reality? I know plenty of master gardeners, writers, beekeepers, vintage store owners, and coaches who used to work for the government.
Lean on your communities. Community and social connection is what gets us through hard times. Lean on all your communities - go running with your running friends, play games with your game night crew, have coffee with the people you miss from work. Connect not to get a new job (although that’s nice and let everyone know you’re looking), but to laugh, sweat, reminisce, plan the future. You need it more than you know.
Try to take one action a day. Job searches can be overwhelming and extremely humbling, especially when you haven’t done one in a long time, or maybe never had to search because you went from opportunity to opportunity. When you feel overwhelmed, breathe, take a break, move your body, and do one thing that’s on your job search to-do list. Just one. If you take one action every day, you’ll make faster progress than if you save up everything to do at once (which is very overwhelming!). Maybe one day you’re listing your Tier One people, or writing a LinkedIn post, updating one part of your resume, or reaching out to one contact. Do one thing. See how you feel. If you’re on a roll, do more. But this way you know you’ve done something that day instead of avoiding the scary list.
Get help. Remember that what you are going through is unprecedented in our lifetime. You don’t need to do it alone. Talk to a therapist. Get help from a coach (you might know one). Book a session with a financial planner. There are a lot of us helpers willing to step in for low or no cost. Reach out to organizations like The Public Service Alliance, Partnership for Public Service, your state or city (here are resources for Maryland and DC), and/or your union, if you were in a union position.
Most of all, know this - you are a good person who served your country well and millions of us are grateful to you.