How are you supposed to "get back out there" and search for a new job when you feel like an abject failure?
23 replies (most recent on top)
Never ever judge yourself using someone else's opinion. Ever.
We are limited. All of us.
Judge yourself using yourself. Be better than yesterday. That simple.
There are people on earth who were better than you and I, and people still looked down on them. You will never be good enough to other people, just look at yourself, and do better day by day.
Just be like George Costanza. Keep a piece of paper in your hand or a note book and walk around
A supervisor (that’s what we used to call LL6s) told me to do exactly this back when I was just starting out. He said, always have a paper or notebook or car part in your hand, even if you’re going to someone else’s desk to ask a question.
How many people giving advice here have been fired without cause (“your skills and experience are not what the company needs going forward”)?
Just be like George Costanza. Keep a piece of paper in your hand or a note book and walk around Ford. Everyone will think you are working. Do your exercise walks in the tunnels. You will stay off the layoff list.
if you define yourself by your job or your employer.. then you need to change that. also secret to a happy life is how your outlook in life is about. if you try to be the smartest, or strongest, or fastest or whatever -est... well eventually someone will be smarter, stronger, faster.... -er than you. it's not about being est or er.. it's about being more resilient that you will find happiness and survive and thrive.
@OP. Why do you feel like an abject failure? Was it your fault? Do you believe that your work is low quality?
Here is the answer. The first thing you are going to do is vent out your frustration (verbally, chat, with friends or strangers, just stay away from social media/public forums where your name comes up, since you may regret what you typed/said in a bad moment). At the same time, take a few days of vacation (do something else than thinking about Ford). Then come back, find closure and learning.
Closure means understanding that you are not in control of most things in life, including your job. Learning means to recognize the signs (bad management, layoffs, toxic place) and think what would you do different if you were again in the same position.
While some people rack their brains trying to figure out how to avoid a layoff, or what they could have changed to stay, it is more productive to think how to move forward. A friend of mine was laid off years ago from another company, and what he was upset about, was all the free OT he provided to the company, just to end in the streets. So analyze your behavior, what could you do better, what bothers you the most, and what to avoid.
I hope that took maybe a week, but no more. After closure, then it is time to close the chapter and move on. Check the job offers. Do you have all the skills that these openings request? No? Try to get them, if you have the time/money for it. Sometimes a couple of weeks well spent in hardwork does wonders for the mind. If you have the skills, polish your resume. Work on creating several versions, depending on what skills or positions are requested. Be positive. Contact your network.
If you have a cash flow issue, get a "gig" job in the meantime and cut expenses. Start applying for the jobs that you qualify, even if the pay is below what you were making before. Every failed opportunity, analyze what went wrong and correct it. Sooner or later, you'll get "lucky".
Then comes the most difficult part: live below your means. Save money, invest, repeat... forever. The more money you have, the more options you'll have in life, the more freedom you'll have, and the less concerned about layoffs you'll be.
Good Luck!
Snowflakes
“ You got a pilot and a co-pilot. The pilot is the authority figure. They don’t do this in airplanes, but they’ve done it in simulators. They have the pilot do something where the co-pilot who’s been trained in simulators a long time. He knows he’s not to allow the plane to crash. They have the pilot to do something where an id--t co-pilot would know the plane was gonna crash, but the pilot’s doing it, and the co-pilot is sitting there, and the pilot is the authority figure. 25% of the time, the plane crashes. This is a very powerful psychological tendency.”
- Charles munger
@as+1jv82cjay this isn’t a Milgrim experiment. You should have spoken up and questioned it if you didn’t think it was the right thing to do.
There were many people let go from Ford 2002-2008. Many I know had much better careers than those that stayed at Ford.
are there any law suit possible, the decision maker who raked millions over years , an openly accepted that it is they who decide to change direction now are protected by targetting hard working engineers who simply followed the direction
Ignore all these naysayers buddy. This is not personal. I know this is not easy, but go for a long walk, try to relax and prepare and give interviews and you will find the right job soon enough. Trust me, when you look back 10 years from now, you won't think this event as a bad thing after all.
Getting laid off is not your fault. Don’t spend any time thinking about Ford. Spend your time putting together your resume’ and LinkedIn profile. Then start looking for a new position.
Don’t feel like a failure. You did nothing wrong and it was not performance related. It happened to me in 2019 and all I can tell you is LIfe if SOOOOOO Much better after no longer working at Ford. I am glad I did not waste my career there. It was a true blessing to find new opportunities with a better company, better organization, and actual leaders in place. Good luck and enjoy the journey.
This guy sounds like a total failure. Low confidence little fellow with no guts. No wonder he was fired!
And what happens if they do a performance review that isn’t truthful? Such as a falsified report. Let’s say you communicate and point out the lies? What then?
The company has an obligation to tell you during a performance review if they are not happy with your work.
To fire people for no reason at all, especially if they could fill an opening in another activity, is unethical.
Stop listening to these people. It is not personal. It is 98% not performance related. It is strategic moves of upper management moving departments out of country, cutting costs in the short run head count, and removing pension age people from the company. That cost savings will eventually add more cost to the company. YOU are not a failure. You can do well after this. Take whatever you were given in your SP and use it to your advantage. If you can, take 2-3 weeks to breathe and decide where you want to go next that will make you happy/satisfied not just surviving. You may then learn the key to not worry about current job but look for the next.
You were "let go" (euphemism for fired) because you have nothing to contribute to the company.
If you were worth anything you would still be employed.
All you can do is hope that some small startup that pays half your previous wage will take a risk on you after you've been tossed in the bin.
I would not hire you. Maybe you can join the government?
Take the rest of the week off. Hopefully you have at least some cash on hand to coast a little. While you are working at your next job, continue to interview for other positions no matter how good you think things are going. Always be looking. Your employer doesn't care about you, your family, or your bills.
Just realize no company thinks your family. Its a gut punch when your bust your a-s and still get the hook. Bill Ford is a liar when he says his employees are family. There’s a better job out there.
I was laid off from another company last year and was almost laid off today and ngl it su-ks; a lot! You would doubt yourself and take it personally, I understand but take it from me, it's not you; it's absolutely, 100% not you (it's the stupid generation of managers ruining our lives). I'd say take a couple days to chill, do whatever you want and then start looking for a better opportunity. I wish you the best of luck!
If you figure it out, let me know.