Your consulting company hasn’t had a new contract in months and you’ve been without a client (on the bench) for three months. This company is generous, you’ve been there for seven years, but everything has to come to an end. As other consultant’s contracts are ending they are leaving the company, either willing or encouraged, you can’t be sure. Now you’ve received a meeting invite with one of the partners and your manager for tomorrow with no other information than a subject that says ‘Connect’. If this isn’t the end, it is the beginning of an end soon to come.
So what will you do with today? The day before you’re fired. First, center yourself, stay calm. It feels like a threat to your existence and if not that, a real gut punch because in your 20 year career you’ve never been fired or asked to leave. You have to stay calm for yourself and your family. Keep up your positive routines. Make a nice dinner, wake up and run, meditate on what this means, and take stock on who you are and where you are in your career from an outside perspective.
Now that you’ve caught your breath, it’s time to get tactical. Brush off your resume. Do you want to still be a consultant? Do you want to take your skills as a Project Manager, Change Manager, Business Analyst, and Business Development to a company full time? Or do you want to try something new like Account Management. You might need to write more than one resume, but definitely have at least one that articulates the value you brought to your former employers and thus the value you stand to bring to your next employer.
Reach out to your network and set up coffees, lunches, happy hours. It seems a long shot but they might know a guy who knows a gal who needs someone like you. It can be a little weird getting a job this way, so like dating, I recommend using the power of the internet in order to cast a broader, less connected net.
Never let a good crisis go to waste. Mindset is key right now. You need to keep your confidence. Write the most positive story in your head for why it is you are parting ways with your employer of seven years. Know that you provide value, and consider it an opportunity to move up on the pay scale. Look for jobs that pay more than you currently make. Set your sights higher and you may get there or worse case you land back at the level you’re at. For better or worse, and right now it feels real bleak, the moves you make right now are the most meaningful you’ve made in years. What a time to be alive!
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