How to Stay Productive After a Layoff

I had coffee with someone who wondered how I could be so productive and positive after such an exhausting experience. They’ve been out of work two months before me; I understood the weariness in her typically youthful face and the sadness of her voice. I explained this is the second time in 27 years being part of a management misalignment, re-org/layoff. I remember so vividly the shock and paralysis in 2008. No one says it’s normal to feel like you’re in a haze, you’re angry, you’re hurt. It’s grief and that is normal. I gave her 4 steps that I took to recover and these 4 steps became muscle memory everytime I transitioned from one place to another thereafter. The same 4 steps will save you emotional pain when you know your compass, aka your core values, are being tested or misaligned. - first, start with your why. Why do you work? Why did you want to work there? Why this job? Why this career? - second, what. What did you bring to the team? What did they give you/or what did you learn? What would you do again? What would you do without? What are your non-negotiables? - third, assess. Spend one week assessing if you are up to speed with the market, latest trends in industry, familiar with the newest tools. Go toe to toe with the job descriptions and evaluate yourself. Then get acquainted with the stuff that is missing. Webinars, free conferences, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera + certifications. As you are applying + interviewing, keep learning and apply what you are learning to the conversations. Building your own plane and flying it at the same time; businesses do it all the time! - fourth, create your compass. What motivates you to get up and work? And what do you need to see/feel/hear to be excited about aligning your personal brand with theirs? How will you know if what they say rings true for you? What kind of environment do you need to thrive in? Then use these answers to sort through the jobs, use these answers to reframe your resume, use these answers to refine your networking skills and use these answers to interview opportunities for your career prospects. Use these answers to dissuade your negative thoughts and the people around you who might not understand your compass.

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!).

Something that I knew would happen when I got laid off is that I'd start to feel unproductive. Without an inbox and recruiter phone screens to dictate my day, I knew I'd easily fall into the trap of essentially getting "nothing" done, day after day. I also knew that if I did "nothing" for long enough, it'd seep into how I felt about job searching, how I felt about my qualifications, and ultimately how I felt about myself. ✨ So I started a sticky note wall! ✨ Every day I list out 3 things I want to get done that day. Sometimes it's job search related things, sometimes it's Etsy shop things, and sometimes it's just household things. It's an act of prioritization, but it's also an act of self-love; because no matter what happens that day, if I can accomplish just those 3 things, I go to sleep feeling accomplished, proud of myself, and optimistic about tomorrow. And yes, life happens so there's plenty of times where I took breaks from my sticky note wall, but being able to come back to it and see all of the days where I accomplished what I set out to do reminds me that I'm capable, driven, and deserving. Besides, there's psychology that supports crossing things off lists releases dopamine so who wouldn't want that? :) What are some other productivity hacks you really like?? #productivityhacks #jobsearchjourney

🚀 **Embracing Change and Thriving in the Salesforce Ecosystem** 🚀 Today, I want to share a personal journey that has reshaped my perspective on work, career, and personal growth. In the recent wave of a reduction in force, I found myself at a crossroads as a Salesforce administrator. The initial shock turned into an unexpected opportunity for introspection and intentional career planning. **Financial Planning Mirrors Project Work:** One silver lining of this experience has been realizing how my meticulous financial planning, akin to managing a Salesforce CPQ project, played a pivotal role in navigating this period. Utilizing automated flows for credit card rewards, I strategically leveraged perks to cover essential expenses like rent, utilities, groceries, and even job search expenses. This intentional approach not only eased financial stress but highlighted the importance of planning, bundling, account security, and automation in all aspects of life. **Focus and Diving Deeper into Salesforce:** The vast Salesforce ecosystem presented a unique challenge - where to dive deeper? The answer became clear during my time off. CPQ, flow automation, and AI emerged as the trifecta shaping my Salesforce career path. The layoff period became an opportunity to delve into these areas, acquiring new skills, and staying abreast of the latest industry trends. **Professional Sabbatical and Growth:** The unexpected layoff served as a professional sabbatical. While running a household, managing stress, and adapting to my first layoff, I embraced the chance to further my network, engage in online learning, and pursue studying for four certification exams. This time away from the daily grind provided a unique chance for growth that would have been impossible while juggling the demands of a full-time job. **Thriving in the Quarter of Transformation:** Now, as we navigate through a new quarter, I find myself in the best professional shape of my career. The solutions I've created transcend beyond project work, contributing to a thriving ecosystem for everyone who wishes to leverage Salesforce. This period of self-discovery has reinforced the importance of taking intentional breaks, fostering personal growth, and ensuring that one's career aligns with passion and purpose. My unexpected journey has transformed into an empowering chapter of growth, self-discovery, and professional triumph. I am grateful for the challenges that have shaped me into the Salesforce professional I am today. Let's connect, collaborate, and continue making the Salesforce ecosystem work for all. #Salesforce #CPQ #FlowAutomation #AI #CareerTransformation #ProfessionalGrowth #TrailblazerCommunity #RemoteWork #LinkedInPost

There are a lot of people who are going through #layoffs right now and find themselves in an unexpected transition. Take it from someone who went through a mass layoff last year. Who was laid off on Zoom, with very little severance, and who had to get a new job (for personal reasons) ASAP. You need to remember that it is NOT your fault. You need to keep your head up. The stress and uncertainty of this unexpected transition might affect your health if you do not take care of yourself. Here are my tips from someone surviving a layoff. ✔️Structure your day similar to what you did when you were working: allocate time to network and do #jobsearch, #interview, and time to learn. ✔️Take care of yourself and get to go outside. Take a walk, clear your head, and give yourself time to process it away from the screens. ✔️Eat well. Nourish your body so that it will nourish your mind. A cookie or two is okay, but stay away from eating a whole box. Do not stress eat. ✔️Get rest. Get a good amount of sleep. Do not stay up binging on TV. Go to bed at a regular time. ✔️Enjoy things you love: reading, watching a movie, going to a museum, and getting together with your family and friends. This is a phase of your life. It will pass. Taking care of yourself, your health, and your mental health during this period of your life is crucial to sustaining your fire, your motivation, and your focus. I am opening up my DMs if you need me to review your resume or if you need to share a story. If we worked in the past, I would be happy to write a recommendation or do an introduction. So you can find your new home and start your new and amazing chapter. Like I did. 💖 #layoffs2023 #mentalhealth