A Laid-Off Person Asks Cord Jefferson for Advice, And Cord Jefferson Responds

His advice is great. He is great. Here’s how he opens it:

Man, I’m very sorry to hear that. That is terrible, and I wish you the best.

There are about a million different ways to answer this question, depending on one’s circumstances, but here’s what I did immediately after getting fired last year:

1. Called my mom and told her not to freak out and that I was going to be fine — Because my mom is a worrier, I waited about 45 minutes after hanging up with her the first time and called her again to reassure her I was going to be OK. She said, “I’m so glad you called again. I was trying to lie down for a nap but I’m just so on edge now.”

2. Deposited my severance check — Hopefully you got a severance check. If not, to hell with that company.

3. Got a haircut — Try this. It feels good. I turned off my phone, sat down in the barber’s chair, and closed my eyes. When the lady asked how my day was going, I said, “It’s really great,” and I 90 percent meant it.

Read his whole response here. (Also: Last year we talked a bit about his Career Journey.)

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