Adaptability – Survival Test For The Unemployed
Written by: Gilbert Goh
One of the key factor for one to successfully cope with unemployment is having strong adaptability quotient.
H G Wells described this well in his famous quote: “Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative”. I agreed with him.
The recently retrenched has to suddenly adapt to life without work, income, prestige and even self worth. How successfully he can adjust himself to his unemployment state will be crucial for his rehiring process.
Many I know sank into depression and inertia as they fail to overcome the emotional trauma of living life without a job. Our culture of having a strong work ethic does not help this situation much as the unemployed are often look at with disdain. Their self confidence nose dived and some need a very strong push before they could recover. Young eager-eaged graduates spent many of their growing years studying and when they face prolonged period of unemployment, they felt crushed and discouraged. Their self worth is also at a historical low.
Being Asian and conscious of saving face, we try all ways to hide our unemployment state creating much more emotional hiccup in the process. Much of our emotional problem could be solved if we dare to face up to our jobless state bravely. We need to care lesser of how people think of us than necessary. Much of the pre conceived idea that others will look down on us when we are retrenched is unmerited. In fact, I find that many people empathsize with those who are laid off and many will offer a helping hand whenever possible.
Adaptabilty Brakdown
Dr Phil McGrawin his book “Real Life” wrote: “Your ability to cope in this world is called your adaptability. It has to do with your mental and physical ability to handle all aspects of your life, and when you are doing this well, you’re efficient and productive. You’re confident of who adn what you are.”
Dr Phil also talked about people facing an adaptability breakdown – when they could not adjust to life changing events and became rigid in their perceptions of who they are. They resist changes and fail to adjust to an ever facing world. I have seen many matured PMETs (professional, managers, executives and technicians) who have fallen into this state. They have failed to lower their expectations and want the same kind of job and position as before. As they waited for the right job, their unemployment became prolonged impacting on their emotional and physical well being. I say this with humility as I also suffered from this short-sighted mentality when I was jobless during the Sars period. It was difficult to adapt to a much lower pay scale as I was used to spending lavishly.
Man has, however, throughout history try very hard to successfully cope with life’s adversity. Many in the two world wars have suffered much especially the Jews and they have tired their best to cope despite much persecution. They have succeeded and earned a place in history when Israel was birthed as a nation six decades ago. Their eagerness to strive despite much opposition have given us an exeplenary template for living with a cause.
Redefining Life’s Meaning
The famous Jewish psychotherapist Dr Victor Frankl in his book “Man’s search for meaning” has 
taught us how to live life meaningfully despite all the odds. He developed the theory of logotherapy – a revolutionary form of psychotherapy based on the belief that humanity’s primary motivational force is the search for meaning. His theory was later personally tested out when he and his wife were sent to the infamous torture camps in Auschwitz. Dr Frankl managed to stay alive but his wife perished in the holocaust. After liberaton, he turned his attention to his work on developing the logotherapy leaving a legacy for the psychotherapy field.
I have also spoken to many unemployed people and found that one key element of their surviveability has being their adaptability.
They adjusted their lifestyle, some downgraded their homes whereas others go without their annual holiday.
Living simply though should be the hallmark of the newly retrenched is a tough call for many Singaporeans who are used to lavish expenditure.
When I was unemployed, it was difficult eating out at a hawker centre as we were so used to having food in the food court or restaurant. It took a shift in paradigm that may not come easily for many who have lost their job.
From having a maid at beck’s call to going on annual long holidays, we have to adapt ourselves to living frugally without all of life’s golden trappings and that was not an easy task.
More importantly, my fear is that retrenched executives may have to adjust to their future vocation that may be less prestigious and carry a lower payscale.
A friend told me how he knew of someone who left the church as he took on a menial job after being retrenched. He could no longer face up to people who knew him in church with his new humble position. The thought of being look down by others outweight the long years of friendship that he has built while attending the church. It was a sad case of failing to adjust to other people ‘ expectation.
Maybe we have attach too much significance of our status on our job. We define ourselves by the position that we are appointed so much so that many banks I know appoint the title of Assistant Directos for all their mangerial staff as this make the staff feels important. Our selfworth also increases according to the level of salary that we could command. If we take on a lesser salary job we feel that it is a setback and our self worth takes a stab. It is time now to redefine the kind of work that we want to do that could bring meaning not only to our lives but others. Many I know have taken on meaningful work after being unceremoniously laid off. They went for retraining and became a nurse or physotherapist as they could reconcile with having a career that brings meaning to their daily work.
Lets face it. Change is inevitable. From the time that we are born to the day that we step out to work we have to adjust ourselves with changes. Our boss changes, new staff comes on board and even our work duties will shift in the midst of an ever chaging world.
A friend of mine has to quickly adjust his expectation when he was posted to China for a work assignment. It was difficult as he was married with two young children. This family has much to adapt to but they make it and now after a year, the family reunited together as his wife decided to resign from her job and move over to China to be with her husband. To me, they have succeeded in adjusting to a very difficult situation and their adaptability quotient has raised up a few notches after that incident.
Conclusion
In his job search book “What colour is my parachute?” Richard Nelson Bolles wrote: “Throughout the interview, keep in mind: employers don’t really care about your past; they only ask about it, in order to try to predict your future (behaviour)”. During interviews, employers need to ask about your past to determine whether you are an asset to them in the future. The past is gone for them but they want to know from your reply how it will affect the future when you are working for them.
So, learn to adjust yourself to life without work and it may be one of the most important phase of your life. Redefine what is important for yourself in your future career. Singaporeans need to look deeper into deriving satisfaction and meaning from their career besides chasing after the 5 Cs. Many simply get a job after graduation and begin the steep climb up the corporate ladder. Will we want to do this for ourselves after being laid off when we are in our 40s and some 50s?
Motivational quote: “What is to give light must endure burning” – Victor Frankl
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High quality info here! Keep up the great work. I love the feelings being expressed.