Priya Badshah

It happened more than once, when someone looking for a job, approached me. All it took me is a pause of few seconds before mentally going through my professional and personal contact list. A few clicks and I connected them with the ones who may have possibilities to offer. Honestly, my doing was more on lines of an "automated response". Until they buzzed to thank me for the same.

The intensity of their expression of gratitude is what shook me. Both the times, it was heavy with a masked layer of sheer vulnerability, sincere hope and relief. And that made me pause, beyond seconds. It takes a lot of courage to approach someone for a job. You expose your susceptibilities. You put your self-esteem on hold. You walk the tight rope of hearing a long and much awaited YES or a deafening NO which you feared.

What brought this on?

A recent HuffPost India article by YourDOST stating that employees who lose their jobs never recover to their earlier level of mental health, self-esteem and satisfaction.

 “For most people, the work they do, and where they work is usually their primary identity. Being laid-off or fired leads to that identity disappearing. In addition to losing income and your primary identity, it leads to another unexpected challenge, the erosion of purpose. Work serves a deep sociological purpose, related to the role we play in society. It assigns us a social value, without which we are not seen as contributing individuals to society (we may even be referred to as losers and slackers after period of prolonged unemployment). Finally, there's the deeply crushing loneliness that is a direct result of social isolation…”

What stayed with me?

A Reminder. To Respond. To show Empathy. To Pitch in.

It’s the least we, who can, can do.