By Dr. Lindsey Plewa, Deputy Director of the Graduate Career Management Center at Zicklin School of Business The start of 2024 brought layoffs from companies across all industries including Nike, Ford, Microsoft, and Deutsche Bank, among many others ( Intellizence ). Layoff announcements this past February hit the highest for the month since 2009 ( CNBC ). If you haven’t been personally affected by a layoff, chances are you know someone who has. Getting laid off can be overwhelming and scary. If you’ve been laid off, here are 4 ways to take control of your career. 1. Get Your Ducks in a Row Talk to your employer to understand severance pay. For example, is your severance pay a lump sum or a continuation of your salary over a period of time? In addition you’ll want to understand health insurance coverage and if it ends on your last day, now may be a good time to book any needed doctors appointments. Note: federal law requires employers with 100 or more workers to give 60 days’ notice of