Lessons From ''The Company Men''

Bobby Walker is at the top of his game. He’s got an MBA and makes $160,000 a year. He drives a silver Porsche and has a sprawling McMansion with two garages in a leafy upper-class suburb outside Boston. He plays a round of golf before work every morning. As a top-flight sales executive, he has worked at GTX, a shipping and manufacturing conglomerate with more than 60,000 employees, for over 12 years. His star is now on the rise. Or so he thinks. In a collapsing economy, GTX is compelled to consolidate, shutter divisions and lay off hundreds of employees in order to maintain profit margins. Bobby is in the transportation sector, the lowest-performing asset in GTX’s portfolio. Along with most of his division, Bobby unexpectedly loses his job in the corporate restructuring.

In “The Company Men,” a new film set for wide release in January 2011, Ben Affleck is Bobby. Tommy Lee Jones is Gene McClary, GTX’s No. 2 Man and the company’s co-founder, alongside the current CEO, James Salinger (Craig T. Nelson). When Gene voices his dissatisfaction with the direction that Salinger is taking the company, he too becomes a target in another round of firings. Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper), another senior executive, retains his job after Affleck is made redundant. Phil mistakenly hopes that although he perhaps may be demoted his future at GTX is secure. A gray-haired Vietnam vet who started out welding ship parts on the company’s assembly line, he cannot envision working anywhere else.

Last year “Up in the Air” became a touchstone movie that mirrored some of the hardship experienced by the men and women facing job loss. This year, “The Company Men” not only taps into that zeitgeist, providing commentary on corporate downsizing and its aftermath, but also offers important lessons on the steps one should take and on how to regroup, both practically and emotionally, after losing a job.

Don’t assume you can do this alone

As part of his severance package from GTX, Bobby and his fired co-workers are offered career-search assistance at an external job placement center. Cocky and overly self-assured, he is convinced it will take him only a few days to find a new job. At the motivational training seminars, he is reluctant to participate in the group activities, choosing to remain cynical. He believes that he can find a new position on his own terms. The importance of bonding with and supporting others in the same boat — even if it’s just an impromptu game of touch football at lunch with other job seekers at the center — is something he learns to appreciate. For more on using your friends and network to find a job, read:
Staying Healthy Through Troubled Times
Job Hunting and Networking for Introverted Job Seekers

Be honest with yourself

Bobby is initially in a daze of denial about the reality of ongoing car payments, the mortgage, daily expenses and credit card bills. He continues to play golf at his country club and clings to a lifestyle he can no longer afford. “I need to look successful,” he tells his wife (Rosemarie DeWitt). “I can’t just look like another a–hole with a resume!” To which she replies: “You are another a–hole with a resume!” Don’t pretend nothing has changed for you when the world around you has. The realities of your job predicament and its financial consequences need to be faced and, while they may be scary, it is better to confront them head-on — and earlier rather than when it’s too late. For more on the mental health affects of unemployment, read:
Stop Job Loss from Stealing Your Confidence and Your Identity
Job Search Anxiety: Warning Signs
Emotional Stages of a Job Loss

Be honest with family and friends

Ashamed, Bobby instructs his wife not to tell family or friends that he is out of work and looking for a new position. “I don’t want to tell anybody until I get another job,” he says. The wife of Chris Cooper’s character, Phil, makes him leave the house in a suit with a briefcase every morning to convince the neighbors nothing is amiss. Networking is one of the most successful ways to find a new job. Friends, family and neighbors know your background and skills and should be among the first people you approach for job leads. Bobby also avoids telling his children what has happened. As a result, his young son’s confusion grows and leaves him with the misperception that his parents’ marriage is failing. Children old enough to understand the consequences of job loss should be told so they can process the changes in their lifestyle that may follow. For more on family life during the job search, read:
Should You Tell the Kids You Lost Your Job?
Holding Hands Through Layoff Season
Two Layoffs, One Family: When a Household Is Out of Work

Don’t mistake pride and arrogance for confidence

Bobby has a very positive job interview for a Northeast regional sales manager position and is devastated when he calls back to find that the position has been filled. His last paycheck arrives. The Porsche is repossessed and he moves his family in with his wife’s parents. But he continues to refuse help from his brother-in-law (Kevin Costner) who offers him part-time work at his small construction business. In order to make ends meet, Bobby eventually swallows his pride and accepts the carpentry job. Taking on menial labor or temporary work that pays the bills while you continue to search for a job that meets your skill set has become a reality for many job seekers. For Bobby, it boosts his morale and is a way for him to reconnect with family while also allowing him to reassess his desire to work in sales. For others, an interim job can help expand your network of contacts and improve your skills. For more on making ends meet, read:
A Move Down the Job Ladder Might Give You a Leg Up

Never burn bridges

Shortly after losing his job, Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) “calls in markers” for Bobby. They meet for lunch but, angry that his former boss couldn’t save his job, Bobby snatches away the list of contacts — and storms out of the restaurant. Later, Bobby is kept waiting for a job interview, and when he is offered less than half his former salary, he explodes at the HR manager, effectively ending any future cooperation. The temptation to vent your frustration may often seem overwhelming but the temporary satisfaction gained from telling off someone can never outweigh the fact that the person sitting opposite you may be able to help you sometime in the future. It’s better to build your network and remain gracious and grateful for someone’s time than burn any bridges. For more on the protecting your reputation and your network, read:
How to Leave Your Job with Grace
How to Write an Effective Resignation Letter

Rediscover and reinvent yourself

Phil (Cooper) also ends up at the job placement center with Bobby. He takes the advice of the job counselor to remove references to his military service in Vietnam from his resume as they belie his age. Upon her recommendation, he also spruces up his image and tries to make himself appear more youthful. But Phil remains isolated from the others. He locks himself away in his private office at the center and eventually stops trying to look for work. He cannot see a way forward to reinvent himself or his career. Gene loses his job too. Around the same age as Phil, Gene is, by contrast, able to reconnect with what motivated him to enter the shipping business in the first place and rediscover his passion for entrepreneurship. Unemployment sometimes presents the gift of freedom, allowing you the time to reassess your priorities and to find a new career path and direction in life. For more on reinventing yourself and changing careers, read:
Bridge Over Troubled Industries