With the economy the way it is these days, many people have been laid off, or know a close friend or family member who has been laid off from their job after working for a company for a long time. For many, it was the first job they had after high school or after four years of college. It was a career, something they gladly pursued and maybe even the way they defined themselves. Losing a job is like losing a family member.

When a job ends unexpectedly, there is anger, followed by a period of grief: should’a, could’a, would’as emerge as the person deals with the loss and considers their future. There are many mechanisms and programs to cope with the loss of a job and resources that can steer job seekers in the right direction.

When someone loses a job, they don’t stop working. Losing a job does not mark the end of a person’s career or even their world. It’s like the cliché goes; When one door closes, another door opens.

In fact, many people who were later laid off admit that losing their job was perhaps the best thing for them. They were in a rut; not feeling appreciated or motivated. Plus, the new job is less expensive and has better benefits!

Like the loss of a job, divorce is another life-changing experience for people, whether started by them or by their spouse. And, like a job, many spouses defined themselves by their marriage and, for them; Losing a marriage is like losing a part of yourself.

In many ways, losing a job and being part of a failed marriage are very similar experiences. Being fired marks the formal end of a job: it is the mechanism employers use to separate themselves from their employees. Divorce is the same action for a marriage, it is a formal mechanism that marks the end of the union, but not for the people who participated in the union.

Resources are available to help guide divorced people through this new part of their life through the community, religious organizations, or even clubs. Just as the “unemployed” label is temporary, people involved in a divorce should not accept any label or stigma that others may want to put on them.

Divorce is a mechanism, it is not a label and it does not mark the end of being a person. There is life after divorce. Consider it an opportunity to start over. Sit back, grab a newspaper, and see the world through your renewed pair of eyes. Now, let’s take a look at those job postings.