Bounce back after a lay-off—tried and true tips for attorneys
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
What is the difference between a recession and a depression? A recession is when your neighbor gets laid-off. A depression is when you get laid-off. Even if you've contemplated quitting your job, when your employer makes that decision for you, it feels awful.
Based on discussions that I’ve had with attorneys who have been laid-off, distress around a lay-off is often triggered by the loss of agency, not the loss of a paycheck. When you have graduated from an elite law school and are working in an elite law firm, it's easy to believe that you're in control of your destiny. Getting laid-off turns that belief upside down. Suddenly, you may be gripped by doubt, anger, or confusion. “Why me?" "How many vacations have I had to cancel, and this is the thanks that I get?" "Will I be able to get another job before I use up my savings?" "Do I have enough saved?" "What if I don't?" "Should I defer paying off my student loans?" "How much credit card debt do I have?" “Should I use my 401K to pay my bills?”
Don't Panic
For most people, a six-month emergency fund is just a concept. Even if you have an emergency fund, you've probably never expected that you'd ever actually need to use it. Before you panic, take a breath, or two, or ten, or twenty. Panic does not beget good decisions. Gather information. See what type of severance package is available from your employer. Before you make any decisions, talk with people you trust. Information will keep you from acting rashly.
Reality Check:
You are the same person you were before you were laid-off.
You are still smart, educated, and employable.
No one is immune to market conditions.
No matter how many headhunter calls you were getting before lay-offs started happening, you need to understand that when we call you, it's because your background appears to meet our clients' needs. The next step is making sure that you and our client are a cultural fit. When our clients have fewer needs, you get fewer calls. If the market is hot, it's easy to believe that you're special. If the market is tight, it's easy to believe that there is something wrong with you. Don't believe everything that you think.
Managed Expectations:
You need to know the answers to these questions before you start your job search:
Is there anything that you could or should have done differently?
Were you getting consistently good performance reviews?
How would others describe you?
What will your references say about you?
Let's assume that you're done everything right. You're been a team player, you've worked really hard. Despite your best efforts, work dried up. After a few days of grieving/processing, speak with your former partners about your job search. Ask them how you should explain why you were laid-off. Confirm that they will give you good references before you provide them as references.
If you had less than stellar reviews, you need to take responsibility. Ask your former employer how you can do better in your next job. Make your mess your message. Learn from your mistakes, but don't base your value–or your self-worth–on your job performance. Tomorrow is a new day. As my grandmother would have said, “this too shall pass.”
Consider smaller/regional firms, and possibly smaller markets
If you're working in a practice or geographic area that is being adversely impacted by the economy, you may have to consider other markets, or smaller/regional firms. It is more difficult competing for BigLaw jobs when you've been laid-off. That's the reality. Does it mean that you are out of the running? Not necessarily. However, you need to keep an open mind. If you go to a quality firm and get great experience, you can always revisit BigLaw in the future. Once you start exploring the market, you might discover firms where you have more agency, and that are a better long term fit for your interests and your goals. No matter what the circumstances are surrounding your job search, you will be okay.
