More than half of those who recently lost their jobs found a new job within a month, according to data from ZipRecruiteran online recruitment and job search company.
Typically, the time between a layoff and starting a new job lasts several weeks or months. For Josh Lumley’s experience, this gap is almost nonexistent.
The 43-year-old employer from Georgia was fired from Amazon in mid-January.
Before that, the man quietly started looking for a new job in December last year, after hearing rumors that the company was about to cut jobs. Josh was hired by a smaller company shortly before receiving the layoff notice. Just a few days later, he started working at the new company.
“At a time when I knew my position would no longer be available, I was delighted to be leaving. I felt like I fit into the new place,” Josh recounts.
“Golden handcuffs” to lock labor’s feet
Career consultant Rana Rosen says the job crisis can help people take on new risks or changes they may never have considered.
That happened to Casey Clement (47) from Charlotte (North Carolina), who was laid off by GameStop last July. Former product management executive who built a long career at companies like Lowe’s, Sprint, and Cellular One. For many years, Casey worked continuously, non-stop.
| Juliana Redden on a solo vacation after losing her job. Image: Bloomberg. |
He also never thought about joining a consulting firm. But that’s what the man did, after a LinkedIn post about his dismissal went viral.
After that, dozens of career conversations and 7 job offers reached him.
“The layoff forced me to look at different angles and look at different opportunities,” Casey said.
Management consultant Michael Wenderoth says that sometimes job stability – the “golden shackles” of retirement plans, stock options and high salaries – can easily deter people from taking risks.
“The layoff could push them into uncharted territory and offer more benefits than in their previous careers,” he said.
Juliana Redden was initially devastated when she was fired by a major tech company last November. To relieve herself, she booked a one-way ticket to Guatemala.
The 29-year-old joins a program that offers free accommodation in exchange for a job as a receptionist at a motel. In other words, she took the opportunity to travel alone, which she had never done before.
Redden spends his days exploring Mayan caves and ruins, while meeting new people from around the world. The trip gave her a new spirit, giving her more confidence in life.
Returning to New York, Redden soon found a new job. “I experienced a sense of loss, disappointment, but at the same time I enjoyed a lot of freedom afterwards.”