After years of glowing reviews, you suddenly get a bad review. What does this mean to your plans of career growth? When you first get a bad review, be careful to isolate the causes of the review. It can be a big warning sign that your company is getting ready to lay you off. Don’t ever ignore a bad review, instead, be proactive about your career.

Make sure you have your career research done to know where you can go to look for another job. Have your resume, cover letters, and references ready in the event of a forced move. Above all, do not burn your bridges with those people who will be your references. They may be the people throwing you a lifesaver should your job become jeopardized. Don’t take things like this personally. Often, businesses look to remove employees and leave them with no grounds for a law suit by giving them a bad review before they are lead out the door.