However, a 27-year-old woman living in Canada has shared how being laid off eventually forced her to rethink her career, identity and the kind of life she wanted to build. Losing a job can bring financial uncertainty, stress and questions about what comes next.
(Also read: Mumbai techie gets laid off on birthday as company shrinks India tech team dependency: ‘Really surprising’ ) “Let’s talk about the perks of getting laid off. Okay, hear me out before you come for me,” she began. Kulathilake recalled that her first reaction was far from positive. Kulathilake explained that while working a nine-to-five job, much of her energy had gone towards targets, responsibilities and her team. However, she added that something she once feared would derail her life may have pushed her towards building the life she had wanted for years.
Yes, I said perks. “When I first got laid off, I was terrified, I was confused, and I started questioning my whole life,” she said, adding that her immediate concern was, “How the hell am I going to survive? She said she was living in one of Canada’s most expensive cities, had bills and responsibilities, and was preparing to get married when her regular income disappeared overnight. “For the first time in years, I actually had the time to ask myself, ‘What do I want to do in life, and what do I want my life to look like?’” she said. The layoff, she said, pushed her out of the professional “box” she had created for herself. Since losing her job, Kulathilake said she has had time to get married, travel to Sri Lanka and India, meet her in-laws and spend time with family. Clarifying that she was not romanticising unemployment, she said, “I would never have chosen it, trust me.
