Losing your job might seem like the end of the world, but with the right attitude it could be the best opportunity of your life, writes Christopher DeWolf

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Cling cling cling. That’s the sound of your boss sharpening the axe that will soon separate you from your job. For many, the prospect of being laid off is a nightmare of financial instability and job-hunting stress. But there’s no reason why it has to be a bad thing. Just ask Victor, a US-educated Hong Kong native who was working long hours as an investment banker until his company restructured and he was given the boot.

“I was still a little surprised because we were told Asia wouldn’t be affected as much as other places,” he says. “[But] I was pretty calm when they told me. I was working from nine to nine every day and, to be honest, I didn’t really like work.”

Now Victor is spending his newfound free time with his wife and two kids, and he’s thinking of ways to change his career by going back to school or starting a new business.

“You have to recognise this is an opportunity to be creative and think about your future. It’s not the end of the world,” he says. “Maybe I say this because I’ve worked a while and am more mature than before. I noticed my 20-something colleagues who were let go were freaking out. For me, this is a great excuse to reinvent myself.”

And that’s exactly it. In these unstable economic times, losing your job is not a liability – it’s an opportunity to take control of your life and do what you’ve always wanted to do. Here are a few ways to help you get started.

Rebrand yourself
Reinventing yourself starts with figuring out who you are. That might sound like a throwaway line from a cheesy self-help book, but it’s an important step in making the transition from your old job to your new life.

“You need to gain awareness about where you are and where you want to be,” says image consultant Sonia Samtani (3/F, Kowloon Centre, 29-39 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2992 0828; www.soniasamtani.com). “It’s different for each individual, like understanding why they got laid off, and what they want to step into and why. The main thing is that their image needs to be consistent and congruent with who they are, their environment, their corporate culture, their goals and aspirations. That’s what most people are lacking.”

To start, Samtani suggests coming up with a brand for yourself – “This is usually based on three words, like ‘professional,’ ‘reliable,’ ‘feminine,’” she says – and working on creating an image that fits that brand. For people looking to make an impact in the corporate world, for instance, Samtani recommends wearing dark colours, like charcoal, navy or black, whereas people in creative fields can do with a bit more flourish.

But image isn’t just about playing dress-up. Samtani, who is a certified hypnotherapist with a degree in communications, says that believing in your own abilities is just as important as looking good. Low self-confidence is invariably reflected in body language and attitude, she says.

“It’s all part of your image, even outlook and perception. You have to be the brand on the inside as well as the outside. You need to look to see if you have any roadblocks, like feeling that you’re not going to get another job because you’re not good enough. If you feel that, if you have that victim attitude, you’re not going to go further even if you’re in a power suit.”

Sharpen your skills
“It’s not a painkiller,” says Lawrence Chan, administrative director of marketing for the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s MBA program. “I would not recommend that people pursue an MBA just because they’re worried about the economy.” But for white-collar workers committed to the corporate world, the global recession could very well be a perfect opportunity to brush up on those all-important management skills.

Indeed, the number of MBA applications to CUHK has surged over the past year, and the university has adapted its program to the world’s new economic reality.

“We’re introducing a concentration in entrepreneurship that helps students start their own business and think about things from new angles,” says Chan. “We believe that in the Greater China region there’s a lot more room for entrepreneurs, especially compared to other countries that are even more strongly hit by the economic turmoil. We’re catering to students who find it’s just too hard to find jobs in large, traditional companies, who think that might not be the best solution for them.”

Like most MBA programs, CUHK’s requires at least three years of working experience, and it is geared towards managers who are already well into their careers. But more and more, says Chan, “quite a number of them will look for a shift in their role or career path and use that as a starting point for an MBA.” Being axed from your job might well be the perfect opportunity to get the training you need to re-enter the job market at a higher rung on the ladder.

Of course, an MBA isn’t for everyone, which is where the Employee Retraining Board comes in. This government program was originally intended for blue-collar workers whose jobs left Hong Kong, but in 2007, it was expanded to include anyone over the age of 15 who has less than a full university degree. English and Cantonese courses in dozens of fields are offered, including some that are surprisingly esoteric – want to be a fitness instructor or a master of Indian cuisine? The ERB’s got you covered.

Follow your passion
Sometimes, even the most stimulating of office jobs can be a chore. That’s what Billie Ng discovered while she was working as the creative director at a major Hong Kong advertising firm. So, last year, after a decade of handling big brands like Rejoice and Cathay Pacific, she quit and opened La Belle Époque, a tiny craft boutique and studio on a backstreet in Tai Hung.

“When I resigned I hadn’t thought of anything I wanted to work on, I just truly knew that I didn’t want to work on advertising anymore,” she says. “So I took a break. I kept working on little handcraft things. I started to sell them in some stores and sales were quite good. Then I thought of having my own brand, so I came across a shop that was empty near where I live. That was it – I rented it.”

Since it opened seven months ago, La Belle Époque has become a hub of sorts for the growing community of handcrafting enthusiasts in Hong Kong. Despite its out-of-the-way location and tiny size, word spread quickly about the shop, helped in part by its sheer novelty (Ng says that she has already been interviewed by 10 local magazines) and Ng’s blog, which she used to promote the store.

Opening her own shop wasn’t the most lucrative path for Ng, who says her current income is just one-quarter of what it was when she worked at the ad agency. The shop doesn’t earn much money, so she writes freelance on the side to help pay the bills. But what’s most important, she says, is that she’s doing something she loves.

“I’m much happier now because I’m my own boss,” she says. “I don’t even make any custom-made things because that means you’re working for somebody. I don’t want clients. I’ll make something and if you like it, you’ll buy it, and if you don’t like it, that’s fine.”

Ng has no regrets about acting out on her passion, she says, and she has some advice to others who are given the chance to take their lives and careers in a more oddball direction. “Don’t waste your time worrying about another paycheque,” she says firmly. “Just stay home and think about what you want to do” – and then do it.

Read our other features:
Get a Job
Keep Your Job
Reinvent yourself