Tips for Managing Career Anxiety 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.

Many folks in the tech community are going through something I’ve experienced many times in my career: a layoff. I've faced the unexpected storm of layoffs four times❗️in my 26-year career. And yet, I've managed to keep my time unemployed to mere weeks (about six weeks, I think). Before I get into my tips on what to do when you find yourself suddenly looking, please know that none were easy. Each layoff was unique and had differing levels of difficulty. I struggled with these tips, too. First and foremost, give yourself grace! I found the following to be extremely helpful: 💪🏼 Embrace Reality: Treat the situation as a neutral event. It can be hard to do, and you are always allowed to feel the emotions. Recognize it’s now time to move your career forward. 🎯 Reflect and Define: Write down your strengths and be clear about what you possess. What's your ideal next role? Clarity here is probably the biggest strength you’ll have going forward. 🧑💻 Bridge the Learning Gap: Identify skills you may need to polish or acquire. Online courses, webinars, mentorship – choose your learning focus. ✍️ Tailor Your Resume: Customize it for the role you’re eyeing. Generic resumes don’t perform as well, for obvious reasons. 📣 Be Open About Your Job Search: There's no shame in being open about your job search. Use LinkedIn and other social platforms to your advantage (Network, network, network). 📋 Organize Your Opportunities: Keep track of job leads and interviews. I used spreadsheets to weigh factors like mission and personal alignment, salary and benefits, and when to follow up. 🏓 Practice Makes Perfect: Are your interview skills rusty? Taking time to sharpen them pays dividends. 💭 Remember, You’re Not Alone: Open conversations can be a game changer. There's immense power in community support. I’m cheering for you!!! 🙌🏼 👉 Your Turn: Have you experienced a layoff and bounced back? How did you navigate through them? Let's share experiences and tips in the comments below – your story might be the beacon someone needs today! #CareerResilience #JobSearchStrategies #LayoffLessons #LinkedInCommunity

As someone who has personally experienced a layoff due to a company re-org, I am no stranger to the emotional rollercoaster of feelings that can range from shock and frustration to anger and embarrassment. Navigating the intricacies of a job search after a layoff can be a daunting challenge, but with the right tools anyone can succeed. Just as a skilled tailor crafts a garment with precision, here are some tips you can use to tailor your career approach for success, even in the face of unexpected change. 🔍 Assess Your Professional Wardrobe: Just as a tailor carefully measures and hones their craft, take stock of your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Craft a compelling resume and LinkedIn profile that impeccably showcase your unique value proposition. Highlight the fabric of your professional journey, emphasizing key skills and achievements that make you stand out. 📏 Measure Twice, Cut Once: Before diving into applications, take the time to define your career goals and aspirations. What are your non-negotiables in a role? What skills and experiences do you want to acquire? Tailoring your job search strategy requires a clear vision, helping you avoid unnecessary detours and focus on opportunities aligned with your long-term objectives. 🧵 Stitching a Network: Just like a tailor relies on a network of threads to create a seamless garment, building and nurturing your professional network is essential. Leverage LinkedIn to connect with professionals in your industry, attend virtual networking events, and seek informational interviews. Networking is the fine art of relationship-building – a crucial aspect of any successful career. ✨ Personal Branding – Your Signature Stitch: What sets you apart in a sea of candidates? Your personal brand! Just as a tailor’s signature stitch distinguishes their work, your unique skills, values, and personality should shine through in your professional brand. Consider what makes you memorable and weave that into your narrative. 🪡 Tailor Your Approach for Each Opportunity: While mass-producing may work for garments, it's not the case for job applications. Tailor your resume and cover letter for each role, emphasizing the skills and experiences most relevant to the specific position. This personalized touch demonstrates a genuine interest in the opportunity and increases your chances of standing out. Remember, the process of tailoring your career path requires patience, precision, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Your journey is uniquely yours, and every stitch contributes to the masterpiece of your professional narrative. If you have any questions or insights to share, let's connect! Wishing you all a tailored path to success. 🌟👔 #CareerCoaching #JobSearchStrategy #ProfessionalDevelopment #TailorYourCareer

There's a lot of layoffs in the news this week. News about layoffs makes us anxious! I'm anxious and I'm not even employed by anyone. So I'm sharing my interview (one of my faves) with Bonnie Hayden Cheng, Associate Professor of Management and Strategy and MBA Program Director at the HKU Business School, University of Hong Kong. Cheng studies how anxiety can be useful for us at work. That’s right: anxiety has something to offer! If you’re more anxious about layoffs with each new headline, take heart: You can use your anxiety to do great work. Research shows when you get adept at learning how to manage and use your emotions, you can use your anxiety to create forward looking, strategic plans. Another key part of anxiety is that it makes you more alert. When you're in a situation that requires deep attention to detail, that requires that concentration and that focused energy – and you can channel your hypervigilance into productive work. Cheng's research shows you can apply anticipatory anxiety to your work. “Job insecurity is a situation characterized by high uncertainty," she says. "This can actually intensify motivated action. A salient example of this is the tenure system at academic institutions. Job insecurity is a driver of high performance for pre-tenure faculty.” There is a knife’s edge between helpful anxiety and harmful anxiety. How much do you dwell on possible future disasters? When you catastrophize and formulate worst case scenarios, you slide into harmful anxiety. My personal advice, after years of battling this myself: Try to stay in the present, and stay busy. And: don’t reach for old habits! Our reactions to anxiety become habits, a default system of managing anxiety. Sometimes these habits are adaptive and helpful (see above). But sometimes our habits aren’t great. We may avoid things that make us anxious, or turn to food, shopping and substances. Bonnie Hayden Cheng explains these “ineffective strategies that have developed over time as a result of a pattern of reactions and habits that have either demotivated or caused an individual to disengage.” If you’re feeling layoff anxiety, notice when you’re tempted to dive into that old habit that seems to make your anxiety go away temporarily, even if it makes you feel 100% worse in the morning. If you’re regressing to old habits or behaviors, start by noticing it. Then give yourself some compassion. Hang in there! Listen to my interview with Bonnie Hayden Cheng: https://lnkd.in/eJ9U7-Jc #layoffs #anxietyrelief #mentalhealthatwork

Betty Wong Ortiz felt the disorientation and pain of layoffs ... five times. She writes in Business Insider the first time hit hard. She didn't believe it would happen again. Then it did, over and over. But now she doesn't fear layoffs. Ortiz says being let go helped her separate work from her identity. Layoffs taught her how to pivot. They also showed her the value of a quality network when it is time to find a gig. She even realized layoffs aren't personal. Ortiz hopes her stories, and those of others, help people in a similar situation cope better. She says it's OK to be upset but try to cast aside guilt or shame. 👉 How have you rebounded from career setbacks? Share below. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e3-CJZAE Summary ✍: Todd Dybas