How do I mentor someone who has just lost their job?
Somebody who lost their job last week is not short of advice. They are short of a plan and someone who does not flinch.
- Read time
- 4 minutes
- Module
- Harder conversations
- Session length
- 30 minutes
What good looks like.
Acknowledge it once, briefly and without pity, then ask what would make the next month easier.
Redundancy is a decision about a role, not a verdict on a person. Say it plainly; many people have not heard it said.
Work on the near term: the explanation they will give in interviews, the first ten targets, and the routine for the week.
A sequence you can follow.
- 01
Acknowledge and move
One sentence, then back to what they want from the half hour.
- 02
Draft the explanation
Two sentences they can say calmly in any interview.
- 03
Set the search shape
Targets, hours a day, and what counts as a good week.
- 04
Name one action
Something finishable in the next two days.
What to avoid.
Dwelling on the circumstances of the exit
Suggesting they apply for everything
Offering legal or financial advice you are not qualified to give
Extra tips
Small things that make the half hour better.
Acknowledge once, briefly
Then ask what would make the next month easier.
Draft the two-sentence explanation
So they can say it calmly in any interview.
Shape the week
Hours a day and what counts as a good week.
No legal or financial advice
Point at a union or an advice service instead.
Take this guide with you.
Download a printable version of this guide: the short answer, the steps, the extra tips, the mistakes to avoid and the questions mentors ask, to read before your next session.
The things people ask first.
What if they want legal advice?
Do not give it. Point them at a union, a legal advice service or a local support body.
Next: When the session goes off track.
Notice at minute ten, not minute twenty-eight.