Moving Forward After A Layoff
My heart breaks at the news of so many layoffs, it seems each day I see a flood of new people “open to work” on LinkedIn. Announcing they are searching for their next opportunity, far sooner than they ever imagined.
With so many people searching for new positions, it can naturally lead those impacted to worry about jobs supply/demand. If some practical tips can help, perhaps the below might be of value?
1. If you’ve been given a severance or have the means to, consider a short break. Take a little time to breathe, regroup, and grieve. Losing your job is a hard and scary thing; grieving loss is natural. Therapy is a truly brave and remarkable resource. Invest in your healing, and get to know yourself.
2. Think about: who are you as a professional? What are you known for / what do you want to be known for? Your next opportunity is a chance to re-establish or build your personal brand anew. And knowing who you are, and what your strengths are can help target your job search. Know your must-haves, and your negotiables when considering your next move.
3. Be focused in your search. It may be tempting to take the first available possibility, but if you can, do your homework on the companies you’re considering applying for. Maybe you were laid off from a place with really great culture - true or not, you don’t want to land somewhere detrimental to your well-being.
4. Hire a professional to review / help you update your resume. You can find professional resume writers online and on LinkedIn. Don’t use a blanket resume for all the jobs. Modify your resume for each application to highlight the important skills and job requirements you meet. Recruiters usually spend very little time on resumes, so make it easy for them to see you have what they’re looking for.
5. Update your LinkedIn profile. Update your skills, about, certifications, and education. Include descriptions under all of your jobs, and assign applicable skills to each job. Not only does this make the info available to possible searching recruiters, but it also gives you a quick summary for each role to copy from when submitting applications.
6. Search other recruiting sites and don’t only rely on LinkedIn. LI is a great resource, but recognize it’s possible not all companies post jobs there. Check out some friend’s profiles to see where they work. Look up their company’s website and see what options are listed on their careers page that you’re a potential candidate for. And remember, do your own homework on the company before applying.
There are still many employers hiring. And lots of employers of people in my LinkedIn network are hiring.
Breathe. You’ve got this.
I believe in you. I hope you do, too. 💜
Amy
