Don’t burn your bridges

If you lose your job, the last thing you feel towards your boss is respect or gratitude. You’re more likely to feel betrayed and angry that all your hard work and loyalty counts for nothing in the end. But while it’s tempting to tell your boss just what you think, this is the one occasion when it’s most important to rein in your feelings – however justifiable they are.

Look out for number one
It’s highly unlikely that you can reverse the decision for redundancy. No amount of pleading, anger, or appeal to higher emotions is going to change minds.

So you need to focus on your next move. Unless you’re being fired, your ex-boss is probably in a good position to help you, either through giving you a decent reference, or negotiating a better redundancy package. Don’t jeopardise this by being difficult to deal with.

Give them a reason to be grateful
Few managers can lay someone off gracefully. It’s not easy to tell someone they no longer have a position at the company, and many managers dread the conversation. Make it easier on the person giving the bad news, and they’re more likely to feel a sense of relief that it didn’t go as badly as it could have done.

This is the time to ask for assistance: a redundancy package, letter of reference, outplacement counselling, extra time to pay back any company loan, and so on.

It’s a small world
Make sure you’re remembered as someone with professionalism and dignity. If you leave a positive final impression, your ex-manager will find it easier to write a good reference or speak about you in glowing terms to potential employers. Leave a negative impression, and he / she will have to find a way of getting past this memory to say something positive.

When people talk about you to others in the industry, you want to be sure that they remember your achievements and attributes, rather than a few final days of bitterness or anger.

Keep lines of communication open
You never know when your paths might cross again. It’s not uncommon for ex-employees to be taken on for projects on a freelance or consultancy basis. If you’re on good terms with your boss or former colleagues, referrals for other work might also come your way.

Make it clear in your final conversation with your manager that you are open to future collaboration, and that your knowledge of the company and its processes makes you a good choice to do this work.

Further reading
BNET recently published a good article on the etiquette of being laid off. Read their seven rules for a graceful exit.

Photo credit: Edward Vielmetti