What Don Draper should have done after losing his job but, probably didn’t

Photo courtesy of Mad Men wiki

Photo courtesy of Mad Men wiki

The seventh and final season of AMC’s hit show and one of my personal favorites, Mad Men, is upon us. Season six closed with Don Draper (Jon Hamm) being told by the partners at the ad agency, Sterling Cooper and Partners (SC&P), that he needs some time off.

Most people would probably be fairly upset by the news and would more than likely begin the search for their next opportunity sooner as opposed to later. But, this is Don Draper we’re talking about. Instead he takes his kids to his childhood home (if you can call it that) in Pennsylvania.

So with season seven nearly here that got me thinking about good ol’ Don, who if you’re not familiar with lives in a moral gray area, and what he should’ve been doing with his time off but, probably wasn’t. What follows is some of the best advice I was able to dig up from the interwebs.

  1. Talk to human resources
    According to this article in Business Insider your first stop should be Human Resources (HR). In the article Wendi Lazar, an employment lawyer, says you shouldn’t go there to talk, you should go there to listen. She says, “If they are telling you that you’re being fired for a reduction in force and there are 300 other people being fired, it’s very different than if it’s an individual for either performance reasons, or, even worse than that, if you’re fired for cause. The ramifications are very different.”

    What would Don do?
    I remember Don taking a long, somewhat drawn out walk to the elevator. Did he eventually go talk to HR? Sure, it’s possible. But, in my mind I see Don heading to the closest watering hole and ordering an old-fashioned or one of these other mouthwatering adult beverages from Mad Men’s cocktail guide.

  2. Update your résumé
    Lianne Martha Laroya with Lifehack.org says you should dedicate a day to develop a winning résumé. She suggests adding the achievements from your previous employer. She also says you should decide which industry you would like to work in and create a résumé tailored to that business sector.

    What would Don do?
    Don has been living a lie for a long time. I can’t believe that his résumé would be exactly “accurate.” My guess is that Don would probably spend the day napping as he so often does on one of the many stylish period piece sofas that graced his New York condo.

  3. Don’t leave on a trip
    In an article for Forbes Deborah L. Jacobs says, “Escaping to the sunny south might look tempting right now. Putting your toes in the sand could feel pretty good, but may be equivalent to sticking your head into it.”

    What would Don do?
    Well if the trailer for season seven is any indication Don would definitely take a trip. The trailer is literally 15 seconds of Don exiting a plane in slow motion. So either he’s arriving at a new destination or he’s finally home after a trip. You can check out the slow motion teaser below.

  4. Don’t take it personally
    In an article that appeared in the New York Daily News Tonya Tiggett of Speak of Our Language, an Ohio based language training company, says, “Even good people are casualties of downsizing. Companies are constantly changing operations to be more efficient and have to make tough decisions at times to let good people go.”

    What would Don do?
    He would take it personally. It takes maturity to let something like being fired go. While I was researching this article I found at least one clip from the show where Don is called “childish.” Not only has he been accused of being immature but you can point to several instances where he earned that title. Remember what happened when the agency lost the Lucky Strike cigarette account? Don took out a full page ad in the New York Times titled, “Why I’m quitting tobacco.” I’m not saying what he wrote wasn’t true about cigarettes. But it was hypocritical considering Don continues to suck down about a pack an episode.

  5. Network
    According to Wise Bread in an article for U.S. News and World Report start reaching out to people in your professional network. The article reads, “Let them know you are searching for a new job, and see if they have any leads. By keeping people informed as to what you are up to and what you are looking for, you never know what doors may open.”

    What would Don do?
    I’m really glad phones like Polycom’s VVX500 weren’t around back then. I can imagine Don trying to network via telephone, not getting the response he wants and throwing the phone against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. Networking would not go well for everyone’s favorite sociopath.

Of course the above information is only one man’s opinion and I’m sure as you know there’s more than one way to do just about everything in life. Feel free to connect us and let us know what you think. You can leave a comment below or reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter.

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