A few years ago, Tom, my brother-in-law in the United States, was laid off from work. He was an engineer for Motorola, a reputable electronic gadgets (mobile phone) manufacturer. He was summarily terminated from employment after his many years of productive and loyal service to the company. He was principally responsible for over a hundred patents where his technical competence was put to good use by the product development team of Motorola. Already in his 50s when he was let go, Tom had to move out of state, from Florida to Texas, so he can be gainfully employed.
Only after a few years with Dell, another reputable electronics company, Tom was again laid off. With debts to pay, as well as the responsibility to financially shoulder his children’s college education, Tom persevered and never wavered. He is now employed, though in a company not as big as Motorola or Dell.
Albert, another brother-in-law was recently laid off from work after 21 years! Although there were several circumstances in the past, which made him consider leaving the company, Albert opted to stay out of sheer loyalty to the company. Since most if not all employment contracts in the United States are at-will contracts where employees can be terminated anytime, with or without cause, Albert is now exploring his employment options, hopefully within the Bay Area as well. Knowing that Albert is firmly grounded in his faith, he is hopeful that such event will only make his faith stronger. In the Bible, Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
I truly admire how my brothers-in-law, in their 50s, handled these unpredictable events.
For some people, being laid off at the age of 50 can be considered “game over.” It is difficult to start over again, especially in this digital age where the younger millennial generation appears to have the advantage over the experienced yet not as tech-savvy middle-aged people like Tom and Albert.
A few months before I turned 50, I too was practically laid off from my government employment. Though my faith then was not as strong as Tom’s and Albert’s, I managed to overcome that sense of paralysis and the feeling of shying away from the public eye. I knew I had to find another job.
I have seen a few colleagues from Philippine Airlines whose spirits were crushed when they were involuntarily separated from employment. The Filipino culture seemingly attaches a social stigma of incompetence or integrity issues whenever employment relations are severed. From a practical point of view, being laid off should lead us to take action, but only after taking some time to regroup. In my case, after two months of reflection and weighing my options, I updated my resume and started sharing to everyone the fact that I was looking for work. Some people solicit professional assistance to improve their resume. Some people engage the services of a headhunter or a placement firm. Some attend networking groups or join professional organizations to get more exposure and build contacts. Some people spend more “me-time”, either exercising or doing recreational activities, which they could not do while employed. One of the simple things I did when I was laid off was to insure that I wake up at the same time I rose from bed when I was employed, which was around 6 a.m. or earlier.
What I failed to do, however, which I think my brothers-in-law did when they were laid off, was to pray. I recently learned that the best way to pray is to consistently go to a quiet place at a designated time, preferably in the morning. Such a quiet place can be anywhere from your balcony with a view or within the confines of your toilet where everything is serenely calm. With all the worries and concerns that accompany the experience of being laid off, there is a greater need to focus on Jesus for guidance and direction. I am sure that Tom did it then, as I am sure that Albert is doing it now.
Being laid off should never be “game over.” At first glance, it seems to be a very unfortunate event. But for those who believe, like Tom and Albert, they found solace and confidence in Romans 8:28 that says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We simply have to remain steadfast and, like an arcade game where you put in more tokens to continue playing the game, we just have to put in more spiritual food, through prayer and reading His word, to keep our systems going.
For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.