I lost my job a few times early on in my design career. In the process of getting back up after a job loss, it has made me a better designer not only in terms of hard skills but the soft skills required to be more resilient and empathetic, which is important to me for my career in UX/UI Design.

在设计生涯的初期，我几次失业。 在失业之后恢复工作的过程中，这不仅使我成为一名更好的设计师，不仅在硬技能方面，而且在韧性和同情心方面需要的软技能，这对我在UX / UI中的职业至关重要设计。

I find that not many my age, 1–2 years out of university, went through this kind of traumatic experience. Those who do go through it never want to talk about it. As much as we publicise success and achievements, I think it’s equally important to write about overcoming setbacks as success always comes with obstacles. I believe this is relevant especially during this time of economical uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and plenty of people losing their jobs.

我发现，我大学毕业的1至2岁年龄段经历过这种创伤经历的人并不多。 那些经历过它的人永远不想谈论它。 在宣传成功和成就的过程中，我认为撰写克服挫折同样重要，因为成功总是伴随着障碍。 我认为这是特别重要的，因为COVID-19大流行和许多人失业导致经济不确定。

Depending on your circumstances, losing your job and stability can be scary. My intention of this article is to show the positive sides on the situation and turning a setback into an opportunity.

根据您的情况，失去工作和稳定可能会令人恐惧。 我的这篇文章的目的是向形势表明积极的一面，并将挫折变成机会。

Disclaimer: I am writing this article from my perspective and experience. I define “losing your job” as getting dismissed by a company regardless of your work performance and ability.

免责声明：我是从我的观点和经验写这篇文章的。 我将“失去工作”定义为被公司解雇的原因，无论您的工作表现和能力如何。

了解企业就是企业 (Learning that business is business)

It’s easy to be angry or upset at the company for their decision to let you go especially if you’ve made a massive contribution to the company. However, the hard reality is that a company is a business and their purpose is to generate revenue to keep them running at the end of the day.

他们决定让您离开公司很容易生气或不高兴，特别是如果您对公司做出了巨大的贡献。 但是，现实是公司是一家企业，其目的是产生收入以使它们在一天结束时保持运转。

Friedman concludes that “there is one and only one social responsibility of business — to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.

弗里德曼总结说：“ 企业只有一种社会责任 ，即利用企业的资源并从事旨在增加其利润的活动。

If the company is facing financial issues, they would have to revaluate and action on things to keep the business afloat. Unfortunately, one of the options for the business to take it to cut people from the payroll.

如果公司面临财务问题，他们将不得不重新评估并采取行动以保持业务的持续发展。 不幸的是，企业选择它来削减薪水的人之一。

Consider a different perspective. In truth, redundancy effects existing employees as well. There will be a decrease in team morale and they will fear if they’re next in line to be made redundant. In addition, if the decision-makers were genuine about investing in their employees before the redundancy occurred, making a decision would be a hard process for them too.

考虑不同的观点。 实际上，裁员也会影响现有员工。 团队士气会下降，他们会担心自己是否排在下一个被裁员的位置。 此外，如果决策者在裁员之前真的对员工进行投资，那么对他们而言，做出决定也是一个艰难的过程。

The consideration of a different perspective is definitely easier said than done. When my redundancy occurred, it took a hit to my self-esteem and I find myself questing my worth in what I do. However, redundancy doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re bad at your job or that you're not good enough. Depending on the situation, it is often about the business. Unfortunately, there are factors that are occasionally out of your control. Best to get up and move on. Trust me, from my experience, it is not healthy for you to hold on to any ill feelings or thought that arises from the redundancy.

说一个不同的观点绝对说起来容易做起来难。 当我裁员时，我的自尊心受到打击，我发现自己在做自己的事情时追求自己的价值。 但是，冗余并不一定意味着您在工作上很糟糕或不够出色。 根据情况，通常与业务有关。 不幸的是，有些因素有时会失控。 最好起床并继续前进。 相信我，根据我的经验，您会因冗余而保持任何不良感觉或思想，这是不健康的。

In the case where you redundancy was poorly handled due to poor communication, dodgy tactics or not given enough time to leave, see it as a blessing in disguise that you dodged a bullet for working at an unethical company and saved from a future headache.

如果您由于沟通不畅，策略不明智或没有足够的时间离开而无法很好地处理冗余，则可以将您视为躲避在不道德的公司工作的一颗子弹并免于日后头疼的掩饰，这是一种祝福。

重定向到我真正热爱的工作 (A redirection to do work I’m actually passionate about)

According to research run by Deloitte Insights, 64% of the workforce are not passionate nor engaged in their work. Statistically, this could be you. I saw redundancy as a kick in the butt and a way to redirect myself to go towards something I truly want which my previous job couldn’t give me. From my experience, this could be an opportunity for you to also go on to do something you’ve always wanted to try or a new field of design to go into. This could also be an opportunity to start “future-proofing” your design skills and see where the industry is heading towards.

根据Deloitte Insights进行的研究 ，64％的员工不热衷，也不从事工作。 从统计上讲，这可能是您。 我认为冗余是踢屁股的一种方式，并且是使自己重定向到我真正想要的东西的一种方法，而以前的工作无法给我带来帮助。 根据我的经验，这可能会为您提供一个机会，让您继续做自己一直想尝试的事情或进入新的设计领域。 这也可能是一个机会，可以使您的设计技能“面向未来”并了解行业的发展方向。

Some positive quotes to provide a new perspective:

一些积极的报价提供了新的视角：

• Redundancy is like a new lease of life.
  冗余就像新生的生命。
• Redundancy is a lifeline from the universe to go do something you actually like.
  冗余是从宇宙中去做您真正喜欢的事情的生命线。
• Old ways don’t open new doors.
  旧的方法不会打开新的大门。

对我放置身份的评估 (An evaluation of where I place my identity)

Being young and new to the workforce, my career takes first priority because I believe that it will form a strong foundation for my career progression. Because of that, I would prioritise work and place my identity in the quality of design work I produce, believing that there will be a reward at the end of the tunnel. But what happens after giving your all in a job that chooses to let you go? A huge disappointment and a sense of displacement.

我的职业生涯年轻而又年轻，因为我相信这将为我的职业发展奠定坚实的基础，因此我的职业是当务之急。 因此，我会优先考虑工作，并将自己的身份放在我制作的设计工作的质量中，因为我相信在隧道尽头会有回报。 但是在全力以赴地选择让您离开之后，会发生什么呢？ 巨大的失望和流离失所的感觉。

Over the years, I learned not to place my identity and sense of worth in my 9 to 5 job, but rather in my life mission and purpose.

多年以来，我学会了不要将自己的身份和价值观念放在9到5份工作中，而要放在我的人生使命和目标中。

In Mark Mason’s book of ‘Everything is F*cked’, he mentioned that the more you place values on things, the more you’re afraid of losing them and thus being unhappy and anxious most of the time. However, attach yourself to your character and own life because that will always be yours no matter what.

在马克·梅森(Mark Mason)的著作《一切都糟透了》中，他提到，对事物的重视程度越高，就越害怕失去价值，从而在大多数时候不快乐和焦虑。 但是，请始终坚持自己的性格和生活，因为无论如何，这永远都是你的。

相信美好的事情发生在您的舒适区之外 (Believing that good things happen outside your comfort zone)

Being unemployed is outside everyone’s comfort zone, but why is being outside your comfort zone a good thing? It can force you to think out of the box for new and innovative solutions rather than using conventional ones.

失业在每个人的舒适区之外，但是为什么不在舒适区是件好事呢？ 它可能会迫使您跳出框框思考新的创新解决方案，而不是使用传统的解决方案。

This could be beneficial especially for creatives to think outside the box and coming up with new ways to solve the problem, adapt or develop yourself. If you don’t take risks and challenge yourself, you’ll find yourself playing it safe most of the time and not reach your full potential.

这可能对创意者特别有益，他们可以跳出思路，提出解决问题，适应或发展自己的新方法。 如果您不冒险并挑战自己，那么您会发现自己在大多数时间都在安全地玩游戏，而无法充分发挥自己的潜力。

Design is also a powerful tool to evoke emotions, solve a problem and communicate a message, often drawn from personal experiences. Being outside of your comfort zone might help you emphasise with your audience better and help push you to experiment with new ways of design.

设计还是一种激发情感，解决问题和传达信息的强大工具，通常是根据个人经验得出的。 在舒适区之外可能会帮助您更好地向听众强调，并帮助您尝试新的设计方式。

“Sometimes it is good to be in uncomfortable situations because it is in finding our way out of such difficulties that we learn valuable lessons.” Idowu Koyenikan

“有时候处于不舒服的状况是件好事，因为这是在摆脱困境的过程中我们学到了宝贵的经验。” 伊多乌·科耶尼坎

采取可行的步骤 (Actionable steps to take)

If you’re experiencing a job loss, here are some ideas on actionable steps to get back up again.

如果您正在失业，这里有一些可行的步骤可帮助您重新恢复工作的想法。

1.安排时间表 (1. Keeping a schedule)

I forced myself to continue my days as if I was still working full time — waking up in the morning and relaxing in the evening. I worked on job applications or attended interviews during the day and take the rest of the evening off binging shows and doing things to relax. I do this so that I feel I still have my life in order, reducing my level of stress so that I can stop worrying about my next job. It is so tempting to wake up late but one plus point of waking up early is you’ll feel happier too! According to Healthline, exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused.

我强迫自己继续工作，仿佛我仍在全职工作-早上醒来，晚上放松。 白天，我从事求职工作或参加面试，而其余时间则不参加必应表演和做些放松的事情。 我这样做是为了让我感到自己的生活仍然井井有条，减轻了压力，使我不再为下一份工作担心。 这么晚醒来很诱人，但是早起的一个多点是，您也会感到更加幸福！ 根据Healthline的说法，暴露在阳光下会增加大脑释放的一种称为5-羟色胺的激素。 5-羟色胺与改善情绪，帮助人感到镇定和专注有关。

2.有机会探索您真正想做的事 (2. A chance to explore what you really want to do)

Free time is a luxury when you are a working adult and a break don’t come often. With the free time you have, you can take the time to explore things you never had time to do while you were working. Who knows? You might find something you’re passionate about from taking a different path than your previous job.

在工作的成年人中，空闲时间是一种奢侈，而休息时间很少出现。 有了空闲时间，您就可以花时间探索工作中从未有过的事情。 谁知道？ 您可能会从与以前的工作不同的途径中找到自己感兴趣的东西。

Some ideas to explore:

一些想法探索：

• Take up a short online course to complement your existing skills like Coursera and EdX.

  参加简短的在线课程以补充您现有的技能，例如Coursera和EdX 。

• Start on that personal design project you’ve always wanted to do or explore!
  从您一直想做或探索的个人设计项目开始！

• Learn a new skill from Youtube. (eg. crafts, lettering, coding, a different area of design etc.)

  从Youtube学习一项新技能。 (例如Craft.io品，刻字，编码，不同的设计领域等)

• Read books that you’ve always wanted to read.
  阅读您一直想阅读的书。
• Try a new workout routine or exercise.
  尝试新的锻炼程序或锻炼。

Be open and you’ll never know where these random skills might take you in the future! During my redundancy period, I dabbled in 3D modelling and ended up doing a commission for my dream client. This is the time to try, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain if it succeeds!

开放，您永远不会知道这些随机技能将来会带您到哪里去！ 在冗余期间，我涉足3D建模并最终为梦想中的客户做委托。 现在是时候尝试了，如果成功了，您将不会失去任何东西，也将收获一切！

Turning my negative experience into an opportunity, I designed a series of quotes that helped me change my outlook on the situation.

将负面的经历转化为机会，我设计了一系列引文，帮助我改变了对形势的看法。

It is okay if you don’t feel like being productive or doing anything at all, take this time to rest from a challenging experience. Look forward to a bright future ahead rather than a bleak past.

如果您不想要生产力或做任何事情，也可以，请花点时间从充满挑战的经历中休息。 期待着光明的未来，而不是黯淡的过去。

3.不要害怕变得脆弱 (3. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable)

I was embarrassed to tell people I lost my job because of my pride. Especially coming from an Asian culture, being unemployed or having no job security is frowned upon. Slowly, I realised that redundancy is something pretty common but people don’t talk about it often enough. Thus, when others go through it, they don’t know where to get support from. It’ll be good to lean on your support group to go through this challenging time.

我很尴尬地告诉人们我因为骄傲而失业。 尤其是来自亚洲文化，失业或没有工作保障的人对此感到厌倦。 慢慢地，我意识到冗余是很普遍的事情，但是人们对此的讨论并不多。 因此，当其他人经历时，他们不知道从哪里获得支持。 依靠您的支持小组来度过这个充满挑战的时光是很好的。

Vulnerability is not about winning or losing. It’s having the courage to show up even when you can’t control the outcome.Brené Brown

脆弱性不是赢或输。 即使您无法控制结果，它也有勇气出现。 布兰妮·布朗(BrenéBrown)

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 situation, many people have lost their jobs but some found the courage to post on social media platforms, such as Linkedin, asking for help. In the end, due to their plea, most of them managed secured a job despite the tough environment. We often dislike talking about our weaknesses but it could be very relatable to a majority of people and, for the majority of the time, people are always willing to help others when they are at their lowest.

不幸的是，由于COVID-19的情况，许多人失去了工作，但有些人发现有勇气在Linkedin等社交媒体平台上发帖寻求帮助。 最后，尽管环境艰难，但由于他们的请求，他们中的大多数人还是设法找到了工作。 我们经常不喜欢谈论自己的弱点，但这可能与大多数人非常相关，而且在大多数情况下，人们总是愿意在处于最低点时帮助他人。

4.积极主动，不被动 (4. Be proactive, not reactive)

This was inspired by the book, ‘7 Habits of Highly Efficient People’ by Stephan R. Covey. In the first habit, he talked about proactive people being able to recognise their ability to choose their response and not blame circumstances for their behaviours. Reactive people, on the other hand, are affected by their physical environment and build their emotions based on the behaviours of others. I think the quote below sums up why we need to be proactive instead of reactive:

这是受到斯蒂芬·R·科维(Stephan R. Covey)的著作《高效率人士的七个习惯》的启发。 在第一个习惯中，他谈到了积极进取的人能够认识到自己选择React的能力，而不是为自己的行为而怪罪环境。 另一方面，React灵敏的人会受到其周围环境的影响，并会根据他人的行为来建立自己的情感。 我认为以下引言总结了为什么我们需要主动而不是被动：

It’s not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us. Most of our difficult experiences become the crucibles that forge our character and develop the internal powers, the freedom to handle difficult circumstances in the future and to inspired others to do so as well.Stephan R. Covey

这不是我们发生的事情，而是我们对我们发生的事情的React伤害了我们。 我们大多数艰难的经历变成了塑造我们的性格和发展内在力量的坩埚，这些自由是将来处理困难情况的自由，也可以激励他人也这样做。 斯蒂芬·科维

现在会发生什么？ (What happens now?)

I can’t promise you that life will be sunshine and rainbows after going through a challenging experience but the next time it happens (if it does), you are equipped with the knowledge and resilience to overcome it as you did before. There will always be setbacks in life but hey, life is learning how to dance in the rain.

我无法保证您在经历了具有挑战性的经历后，生活将是阳光和彩虹，但是在下一次发生时(如果确实如此)，您将具备与以前一样克服挑战的知识和韧性。 生活中总会有挫折，但是嘿，生活正在学习如何在雨中跳舞。

放眼大局 (Looking at the big picture)

This will be a little setback in your long and rich story. This is where the importance of resilience comes in, to be able to pick yourself up and have the willpower to continue. Resilience could help you in other aspects of life too such as starting a business, accepting failure, saving a relationship or having the courage to do what makes you happy.

在您漫长而丰富的故事中，这将是一个小小的挫折。 这就是恢复能力的重要性所在，它可以使自己振作起来并有继续前进的意志力。 韧性还可以在生活的其他方面为您提供帮助，例如开办企业，接受失败，保存一段关系或有勇气去做使自己快乐的事情。

From a terrible experience like losing your job, it can go both ways:

从失去工作之类的糟糕经历中，它有两种可能：

1. Give up on your career goals, settle on what you can get and play it safe.
   放弃自己的职业目标，选择可以得到的东西，安全地工作。
2. Learn from this experience and equip yourself for tougher situations to come to achieve your goals.
   从这种经验中学习，并为遇到困难的情况做好准备，以实现自己的目标。

Sometimes you need experiences like these to prepare you to be who you want to be in the future. Here is a video that inspired me to look at the big picture:

有时，您需要像这样的经历，以使自己成为将来想要成为的人。 这是一个启发我看大图的视频：

“Oprah got fired at 23 years old, imagine firing Oprah!”

“奥普拉(Oprah)在23岁时被解雇，想象一下解雇奥普拉(Oprah)！”

“Yeah but that was a mistake.”

“是的，但这是一个错误。”

“No, it wasn’t, because she was not Oprah. She was a 23-year-old punk who needed to get fired to become Oprah.”

“不，不是，因为她不是奥普拉。 她是一个23岁的朋克，需要被解雇才能成为奥普拉。”

All the best and take care!

祝一切顺利，保重！

Hi, I’m Sarah Tan and I am a Visual Designer based in Sydney, I mainly do product design, graphic design, illustration and AR experiments. Check out more about my work or connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you would like to support me, buy me a coffee!

嗨，我是Sarah Tan，我是悉尼的视觉设计师，主要从事产品设计，图形设计，插图和AR实验。 进一步了解我的工作，或通过LinkedIn和Instagram与我联系。 如果您想支持我，请给我买杯咖啡 ！