How to Build a Support Network After a Layoff

If I were laid off today, this is what I would do: 1) NETWORK: Join every relevant networking group on social media I could. Then find in-person opportunities through those groups. Employees and employers post in these groups and it gets you a direct contact within the company. 2) SHARE: Use your personal platforms to let friends and family know you are looking. I was laid off in 2020 and this was one very vulnerable, yet helpful step I took to widen my net. I shared my resume and portfolio across all of my personal social channels. I had so many people reach out, even ones I never engage with. It was humbling and beautiful to see old connections rekindled and new connections come of it. 3) FOLLOW UP: I would never just apply to a job and then hope for the best. I would follow up as if it was the only job I wanted. Find a decision maker within the company someone in HR or the department you applied to and send a quick note on LinkedIn or email saying you applied and would love to share how you could be a great fit in the role. 4) REACH OUT: I would contact as many recruiters and head-hunters in my field as I could. Get on their radar because they are working directly with hiring managers and decison makers. Don't put all your eggs in one basket in this market. Leverage every possible avenue. June was a tough month for so many. Having been in your shoes, I know first hand it feels scary and uncertain. The next role will come your way, it just takes a bit of perseverance, grit and determination... and maybe even a shift into something new. I'm rooting for you! Looking forward to hearing about everyone's success stories and where you end up. #jobsearch #tips

✨Recently laid off? Check out this inspiring story from my client. Job seekers navigating career transitions should consider two key strategies: Recommendations and Networking (I know, there is much more to the story; read on!). 🔻 First, update your LinkedIn profile, including exchanging recommendations with colleagues, managers, and external partners like vendors or customers. This effort yields significant benefits: • Recruiters value social proof from recommendations showcasing your leadership and communication skills. • It offers a prime networking opportunity—if approached strategically. H͟e͟r͟e͟’s͟ ͟a͟ ͟c͟a͟s͟e͟ ͟i͟n͟ ͟p͟o͟i͟n͟t͟:͟ I just finished a call with a client who had been preparing for a career change for about a year. Unexpectedly, she was laid off as part of a broader company downsizing. Fortunately, she was well-prepared and remained calm. She resumed an earlier task of requesting Zoom meetings and testimonials from her network. To her contacts’ surprise, they learned of her recent layoff. Now, she’s exploring several opportunities. Remarkably, one conversation revealed 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 (unwritten and unposted) job roles tailored to her expertise at an exciting company overseas. C͟o͟n͟s͟i͟d͟e͟r͟ ͟t͟h͟i͟s͟:͟ 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁—𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱—𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲. My client's proactive discussions have already positioned her for five potential jobs, some of which are still being defined. Next steps? We’re preparing to utilize my “write and pitch your own job description” technique when these companies express interest in crafting a role that leverages her skills to meet their needs. Isn’t that amazing? ✨ For more ideas about what to do to prepare for a layoff, here is a link to the Forbes Coaches Council article: 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲: 𝟭𝟮 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: https://lnkd.in/gpGf8jXs #jobs #careers #management

I just signed a job offer! I’m excited to share details soon, but for now I want to pass on some lessons learned: 😢 It’s Tough. It’s still a challenging tech job market. I have an amazing network, but it still took me months to get an offer. Early on, it felt like a cruel game of musical chairs, where laid-off employees were chasing a shrinking set of job opportunities. 🫂 Never Search Alone & Find Your Community. #1 tip: check out phyl terry's “Never Search Alone” (link in comments). I wish I had discovered this earlier in my job search process! In addition to my amazing Job Search Council, I’m also blessed to have a community of laid off ex-Google PMs, set up by Rob Leathern, which has been a great source of both camaraderie and practical help. 🎯 Find Your Candidate-Market Fit. Nikhyl Singhal & Shreyas Doshi recommend managing your career like you manage a product…phyl terry brilliantly extends “Product-Market Fit” to “Candidate-Market Fit”, which is the intersection of your skills/experience/wants/needs & what the market wants/needs. ⛙ Pick A Lane. PMs used to be hired as “generalists”…but now most companies/hiring managers want specialists. Even if you “can” do everything, target your search: 1) it helps you tell a concise, compelling story / “elevator pitch” 2) it helps recruiters & hiring managers “pattern match” what they need versus what you offer and 3) it helps your network help you. 🤝 Warm Introductions Beat Cold Referrals. It used to be enough to get into the “referral system”…now, in many cases, you need someone who is willing to advocate on your behalf with the hiring manager. ✋ Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out. If you know someone, they probably want to hear from you. If they’re busy or senior, make it easy for them to help you, but don’t be afraid to reach out. 🎢 Prepare for a Rollercoaster. I’ve imagined myself at dozens of companies, only to be rejected. It’s easy to take rejection personally, but realize that all of these processes are flawed, so dust yourself off & get back out there. 🏆 Wins Are Preceded by Close Losses. Some of the hardest rejections to process are the ones where you just barely missed it—you were the #2 candidate, etc. This advice helped me get through some of the toughest times. ❤️ Help Others. I love how Lenny Rachitsky ends each podcast asking “how can we be helpful to you?”. Not only does this make the world a better place, but I believe in karma. Even if you’re a junior person, you might have some insight or experience that might help out your peers or even those more senior to you. I hope you find this helpful & good luck to everyone searching!

People who have gone through a job loss deal with a wide range of emotions.  There is anger, frustration, stress and a loss of identity. We see the jobs report every month.  "X jobs added" and everyone thinks "the economy is great!"  Has anyone noticed the amount of "Open to Work" banners here on LinkedIn?  There are a TON of people looking (and that doesn't include the people who choose NOT to use the banner!!) When you're in between roles, NO ONE puts as much pressure on you than yourself.  You might be thinking: • 𝙄 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙭 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮.  𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬? • 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠...𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨? • 𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨- 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙜𝙤? People are doing their absolute best in these trying times.  There are less roles and more competition.  This gives companies the luxury of being ultra-selective. We need to have more empathy towards those who are actively searching.  How are ways in which we can do this? • 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲.  𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.  𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁.    • 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿: 𝗔𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀.  𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲.       • 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲, 𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.  If you REALLY want to help those looking, please stop asking "How's the search going?"  This puts people on the defensive because you're asking them to summarize their efforts for you (which has already been exhausting).  Asking "how are you?" is more open ended and allows them to discuss what they feel comfortable sharing.  From my perspective, "how's the search going" is similar to asking "are you dating anyone??" There is a perception that unemployment is some type of illness and the only cure is finding another job.  We need to normalize job transitions and offer support for those going through it.

On one Friday in 2008, my father walked into the same electrical contractor company he'd been working at for 30+ years in Austin, Texas, only to be told that this would be his last day on the job. No preparation given. No severance offered. Just a cold, sterile, thankless layoff. You think I'm ever going to forget that? You think I'm ever going to forget what it did to him as a man, father, and professional? Here we are nearly 16 years later and he's still working in a new industry (real estate) that he doesn't really enjoy and wasn't what he spent the better part of his adult life building towards. What can you and I learn from my father? Everything looks great...right up until the point that it doesn't: 🤯 Tesla disbands Supercharger team: https://lnkd.in/gSyh7GsQ 🤯 Walmart to close its 51 health centers and virtual care service: https://lnkd.in/gpiyvSrE If you don't think layoffs, firing, company mergers, company bankruptcy, "realignment", or comp restructuring can't happen to you -- you're wrong, bucko. In those moments, you're gonna want the biggest, deepest, strongest, realest, network possible to help you put out the flames and get you back in the game. But, in times like these, when you need a network like this the most -- it's too late to start building one. Which is why, for so many other reasons including this one, it is so wise, strategic, insightful of you to be investing in growing your network NOW, today and every day -- before something like this side swipes your life and career. To build strong networks like this requires the giving of yourself, your talent, your passion, your ideas, and whatever value you can muster to invest in others. But that's the whole point. People invest in each other, learn to trust each other, and when the moment is right, call on each other for aid. This is not a bug in the code, this is the very design itself. For your good, for my good, and for the good of your industry, Go forth and network today. 💪 #LayOffs #GettingFired #Transitions #Network #Support #Value #SterileProcessing #BeyondClean #WeFightDirty

If you were to wake up tomorrow without your job- what would be your next move? This a question no one wants to think about but I challenge you to ask yourself: 1️⃣ Who are you beyond your job title/company? 2️⃣ Do you have a strong network outside your office walls? 3️⃣ Can you summarize your major accomplishments? Now we've all been there - your job gets busy, your days are overwhelming, and there's so much on your plate. But if there's one thing I've learned after experiencing two layoffs in my career... ✨ Taking time to prioritize who you are outside of your "9-5" job is a necessity. Over the past seven years, this is something I've leaned into - focusing on 4 key fundamentals. ➡ Network as a Habit: Focus on building genuine connections, not just networking when you need something. ➡ Build Your Personal Brand: Take the time to go beyond your current job title and company and start building your brand. (Want more insights? 👋 Drop a comment below) ➡ Keep Track of Your Wins: Don’t wait till you’re job hunting to remember all the great things you've done. (I recommend at least once a quarter.) ➡ Authentically Be There for Others: Offer genuine support and advice, help out, make introductions, and take the time. It's about showing up without expecting anything back. Embracing these principles has not just prepared me for the unexpected, but also made a big impact on my professional and personal life. What about you? What practices have made a significant difference in your career? I'd love to add to the list!

If you’ve ever been laid off, you’ve probably felt like it was impossible to figure out what steps to take first. In my experience (personally and in my work with clients) one of the best first steps to take may feel like the opposite of what you want to do. That step? Take a few minutes to reconnect with 5 people in your community and professional networks. *How* you reconnect may look different for everyone based on your preferences. It could look like a coffee chat, a phone call, a 15-30 min virtual meeting, or messaging someone in a professional network you’re part of. The goal is to create a sense of community for yourself during a time where you likely feel isolated and maybe even lonely. I shared more of my advice with Apartment Therapy Media, including a template for outreach and a hack for finding roles that may not be posted on LinkedIn’s job board. Link in comments. 

𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐒. You never think it will happen to you, but look around and see how many people fall into that category. It's jarring and humbling to receive the news that you're being impacted by a RIF (reduction in force). I didn't feel prepared when my layoff happened earlier this year. 𝑩𝒂𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔: You can't control when a RIF happens and if you'll be impacted. 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔: You can control the following items in advance to be a little more prepared in case you're impacted by a layoff: 💲 Get your finances in order and have at least a few months of living expenses on hand. Yes, you'll qualify for unemployment, but in many states it's a relatively nominal amount for a short period of time. Bonus: have an income stream outside of your full time job. 💢 Build and maintain your network. Networking is about building authentic relationships. You'll have a much easier time navigating a job search if you have a strong network that is actively engaged. ☑ Have an updated resume and LinkedIn profile so you're ready to hit the ground running. These two pieces are critical to navigating a search. 🔷 Keep work samples, metrics and KPIs, quotes and testimonials from colleagues. Keep information on hand that will help you to update a resume, create a portfolio, or share during an interview. You likely won't have access to your files and work computer after a layoff, so keep the information you want in a place where you can access it. I wish someone would have shared this advice with me PRIOR to my layoff. What else would you add to the list? #learninganddevelopment #talentmanagement #careerdevelopment #layoffs #jobsearchjourney #jobsearchhelp

Here are 5 tips that helped me rebound after layoff 2 years ago: 1) I posted about my layoff on LinkedIn, but I was very precise about what I was good at, what I was looking for, and where (location) I was open to working ("I'm a senior-level technical and non-technical recruiter, specializing in full-cycle candidate engagement and closing, who ... blah blah blah... located close to Seattle, open to remote, hybrid or onsite within 30 miles of Seattle metro!"). Not "hey everyone, I am looking for something new, if you see anything, let me know!"... that is way too general, so nobody will let you know 😂 everyone is too busy looking out for themselves. 2) I applied for roles "below" my experience level. I got a bunch of action by applying for contract, less-senior, non-senior, etc just to get conversations started and my foot in the door. In fact, originally the role I interviewed with for Reddit was contract, and they ended up being impressed with my interviews and created an FTE, senior role that mapped exactly to what I was looking for. So glad I took that first call and just kept the conversation going. You never know... 3) I applied for jobs in very high volume, and I knew my conversion rates (read on for what this means!). Since most of apps seem to go in a black hole, I looked at my conversion rates of applications to phone screens/interviews/offers and adjusted my application rate up. If it takes 500 applications to get 3 phone interviews, and 3 phone interviews to get 2 final interviews, and 2 final interviews to get to 1 offer, then in order to get 3 offers, 2 of which might be really 💩 , I need to apply to 1500 jobs. 4) I reached out to former colleagues, I reached out to my friends, I let my family know about my search (and had my resume attached to my messages). I asked for referrals to roles I found at their companies. I also tried to ask how they are doing, and what I could do for them, too... and then I (nicely!) followed up with them if I didn't hear back, or if they said they would refer me and forgot. A nice follow-up is appreciated... people get busy! 5) I worked at my job search full-time. There seem to be diminishing returns on efforts after a certain point in a search for many folks? So I made my job search my 8am-5pm full-time job, just like when I was in the office. I did take breaks, but TBH I worked to the point of near-burnout in my job search. But the effort paid off with multiple offers. *I know that the market is even tougher now, and I was lucky to be laid off before the tech market slid as much as it has. I will say, the folks who employ tactic #s 2, 3 & 5 especially seem to rebound quickly, from my experience with coaching job seekers pretty consistently since March of 2020 (for free, and no I am not selling services, sorry!).