Laid Off. Now What?

Due to the title of this episode, I assume that in case you’re listening to IT, IT’s since you’ve been just lately laid off, otherwise you’re frightened that IT is likely to be occurring to you quickly. I wish to begin by saying that I’m sorry that is occurring to you. Being made redundant is deeply private, even when IT’s enterprise. Whether or not you noticed IT coming, or if IT hit you out of nowhere,

dropping a job can shake your confidence, can shake your sense of id and monetary safety will get successful as nicely. IT’s regular to really feel disoriented and even ashamed, particularly in case you’re in your 40s, 50s and 60s. And you could be questioning tips on how to bounce again, whether or not IT’s too late to modify careers or how lengthy is that this transition going to take?

And also you’re in all probability additionally getting a flood of recommendation, a few of IT useful, a few of IT possibly not so useful. On this episode, I wish to information you thru these subsequent steps, clearly, calmly, and along with your future in thoughts. So let’s start.

Earlier than we start, I wish to take a second to acknowledge a bunch of execs who’re prime of thoughts for me proper now. Over the previous couple of months, I’ve had the respect of working carefully with the HR professionals from the United Nations system who’re serving to professionals within the United Nations, United Nations businesses, and the World Health Group who have been made redundant final month.

the quantity is shut to twenty,000 professionals. And these are purpose-driven professionals who’ve devoted their careers to defending the rights and dignity of individuals world wide, usually in essentially the most advanced and difficult circumstances.

Sadly, many of those professionals at the moment are dealing with sudden redundancy resulting from funding cuts and restructuring. IT’s a deeply tough time, not simply due to the job loss, however due to the emotional weight of abandoning work that issues a lot. The magnitude of the sector disruption resulting from funding cuts means many won’t be able to remain and stay within the career that they selected they usually should change careers.

This episode is devoted to them and to anybody who’s navigating a profession transition proper now. You aren’t alone and there’s a manner ahead.

If you wish to be taught extra about what occurred within the United Nations and wish to assist them, there will likely be a hyperlink within the present notes and I will likely be explaining how one can assist on the finish of the episode as nicely. So keep tuned. In case you are dealing with redundancy, attain out to me. Or in case you are an HR skilled or chief coping with the tough job of supporting your workers who’re leaving your group, attain out to me as nicely. Perhaps I may help you.

and most significantly, possibly I may help them. There are hyperlinks within the present notes to succeed in out to me or you possibly can go to my web site renatabernarde.com and see the programs and providers that I supply. Okay, are you prepared? Let’s start.

Let’s contemplate this half one, the processing of shedding. First issues first, this can be a very large second for you. IT’s a really large second for everybody to be sincere, however I would like you to take a breath. Layoffs are actually emotional they usually hit laborious. Whether or not IT was anticipated or got here out of the blue, IT is de facto regular to really feel shocked, to really feel indignant, to really feel anxious and to be grieving the job loss.

So give your self the area to really feel these emotions and really feel these issues. You don’t have to bounce again instantly, however you additionally don’t want to remain caught. If you end up prepared, you possibly can start to shift from reacting to responding. So IT’s necessary to take IT one step at a time.

Then half two is the monetary check-in. Earlier than diving into job boards, let’s get sensible. Do you perceive your severance package deal? Are you eligible for unemployment advantages or any transitional assist? Now’s the time to overview your funds. Make a short-term finances for the time you’re in transition. Establish what’s important and what might be minimize off instantly.

The objective isn’t to scare you. That’s not my objective, I promise. However IT’s to offer you a way of readability of what must be carried out throughout this time. Readability creates confidence. So earlier than leaping into job boards or updating your LinkedIn profile, it is advisable to give your self some area to stabilize your scenario. Consider this because the triage section. Financially, IT’s necessary to get a transparent view of your monetary runway.

What’s your redundancy payout? What are your bills? How lengthy are you able to realistically go with out an revenue? If wanted, converse to a monetary advisor. I’m not a monetary advisor, however I’ve been made redundant and that’s the place my expertise comes from. Particularly in case you’re in a scenario the place your family revenue is now considerably impacted, you wish to transfer ahead from a spot of readability and never a spot of panic.

Emotionally, that is the time to handle your nervous system. Profession change at this degree is ⁓ far more psychological than IT is sensible. So journaling, remedy, walks, quiet time, no matter helps you course of the job loss. If you can also make time for IT, IT will repay in spades if you get to the job search section. You don’t should be advantageous proper now.

however you do should be grounded.

Now, half one and half two can take a while. IT can take per week, IT can take a month. Everyone seems to be totally different. Everyone reacts otherwise. So I would like you to not evaluate your self with others, however to consider IT from a perspective of, have to undergo this and be as excessive performing as a job seeker as I can. So I have to undergo these phases of grief, of anger, of problem, of setting myself.

financially, emotionally earlier than I’m going to the job market. As a result of in case you go to the job market with out doing that homework, they may discover that, proper? There will likely be far more nervousness in your tone of voice, in the way in which that you just current your self. And ideally you wish to construct your construction, your resiliency earlier than you go to market. Okay, now let’s go to half three. Let’s mirror in your profession targets. That is

a vital second for you. IT’s a reset second. One of the widespread errors I see is speeding into job functions with out stopping to mirror. In the event you don’t cease to reassess your path, you could find yourself proper again within the sort of setting that burnt you out within the first place or that won’t even need somebody such as you in IT anymore. Use this time to ask, what do I would like?

in my subsequent function? What am I not keen to tolerate in my subsequent job? What sort of employer or sector fits the place I’m in in my life proper now, not the place I used to be 5, ten years in the past? That is notably necessary in case you’re over 40 and don’t wish to job hunt once more in one other yr or two.

Taking this time to evaluate the place you’re going will likely be actually necessary to seek out your self the most effective place to land. Do you wish to return into an identical function? Would you like one thing totally different, extra purposeful, extra versatile, extra secure? Write down what’s labored in your profession and what hasn’t labored, what energized you and what drained you. That is your alternative to realign. Don’t waste IT. IT’s necessary.

Then the subsequent section, half 4, replace your profession instruments. Humorous that often individuals begin right here with out doing the homework that I’m asking you to do, which makes your profession instruments not likely sturdy, crisp and sturdy as they need to be. So let’s discuss your resume and your LinkedIn, as a result of when you’ve carried out the homework from components one, two and three,

Now’s the time to refresh IT. Ensure that the LinkedIn profile, the resume, that they inform a narrative of who you might be proper now, not who you have been 10, 5 years in the past. Deal with accomplishments, use numbers the place you possibly can, hold IT concise, sincere, and aligned to the roles that you really want subsequent. Replace your resume to mirror your achievements, not simply your duties.

That is actually necessary as a result of that’s what individuals wish to see. Optimize your LinkedIn profile, particularly your headline and your about part. As a result of lately LinkedIn helps individuals discover you even earlier than you discover the Jobs that they’re promoting. So the optimization of that profile isn’t just carried out for the human eye, IT’s additionally carried out to enhance searchability in order that recruiters and employers

can rapidly discover you by doing a search. Put together your interview solutions to mirror right now’s job market. You shouldn’t wait till you’ve gotten an interview lined as much as put together your solutions. We all know the essential questions that will likely be requested in an interview, so getting ready your solutions upfront will make it easier to get higher and higher at answering them with confidence, with pizzazz, with…

vitality to showcase your experience. In any other case, you is likely to be too careworn or nervous throughout an interview in case you haven’t spoken these solutions out loud earlier than. In the event you’re focusing on a distinct sector, this would possibly imply that it is advisable to reposition a few of your expertise. In the event you’re sticking to what you’ve at all times carried out, you continue to want to indicate that you just’re updated, that you just’re related, and that you just’re able to go.

So there’s at all times homework to do in case you’re staying in your sector or leaving, in case you’re staying in your business or leaving. There’s at all times homework to be carried out to indicate that recency or to indicate the transition. So right here’s a tip, get somebody exterior your typical circle to overview your resume. Ideally, a coach like me, I can do this. You may simply guide a session with me.

Generally recruiters can do IT, however frankly recruiters don’t be just right for you. Recruiters work for employers and they’re very busy. They’re overwhelmed. There are lots of of resumes and people such as you on the lookout for work. So recruiters are usually not as accessible as they was once prior to now. However possibly there’s any individual who’s just lately landed a task that , any individual that received a job possibly a yr in the past, a number of months in the past.

These are actually good connections and you must attain out to them and ask them for recommendation and assist.

Okay, so I’ve a name to motion for you. In the event you’re able to take proactive steps in your job search, contemplate enrolling in my brief course, Reset Your Profession. IT’s very reasonably priced and IT’s designed that can assist you create a standout LinkedIn profile and resume step-by-step. And proper now, if you are going to buy IT earlier than the tip of June 2025, I’m providing a bonus for you. IT’s a free

30 minute one-on-one chat with me. You’ll undergo the course, do the work, after which we are going to meet to advantageous tune all the pieces you’ve carried out collectively, you and I. Simply go to renatabernade.com ahead slash reset. There’s additionally a hyperlink to IT in my present notes. IT’s solely till June, 2025 that you could get a 30 minute chat with me. I hope to see you quickly.

Earlier than I transfer to the subsequent section, I wish to share with you a curated record of episodes that I’ve created so that you can additional help you so you possibly can take heed to extra episodes of the Job Searching Podcast and dive deeper into the subjects that we’re discussing right now. First, there’s Tips on how to Bounce Again After a Layoff. That’s the title of the episode and there will likely be a hyperlink to IT within the episode present notes under.

IT gives insights on managing your job search successfully, each layoff and also you would possibly like the way in which that I clarify IT in that episode, so I might advocate that one. Then there’s one known as Alone within the Job Hunt and IT addresses the emotional challenges of job looking and methods to beat them. So in case you are feeling fairly anxious, I might advocate that one. Then there’s The Secret to a Profitable Profession.

the place we talk about methods to information you in the direction of your subsequent job. ⁓ Professional recommendation on job looking options actionable methods for networking and profession transitions. And I hope that you just discover these episodes and achieve extra perception and assist throughout your job search journey. There are many different episodes, however I believed these ones have been actually ⁓ good to start with.

Alright, let’s go to half 5. What will we do subsequent? Networking. Networking and at last job looking. Job looking doesn’t imply simply sending out your resume into the world. Begin with individuals. In the event you take heed to episode 292 with Troy Salton, there’s a hyperlink to IT under, IT’s the one simply earlier than this one, that that is tremendous necessary.

Here’s a man who has created an AI platform for recruiters to see via lots of of, generally hundreds of functions. And he’s telling you, go discover individuals in there, that group in an effort to minimize via the noise and get seen. So if he’s saying that, you understand how necessary that’s. Begin with individuals, attain out, reconnect.

Don’t ask for a job, ask for perception, ask for Information, for perspective. I additionally don’t consider that it is advisable to be prepared to talk with them. This can be a dialog I’ve with purchasers on a regular basis, folks that come to me desirous to good an ideal pitch and to have the best factor to say when all it is advisable to do is ask individuals for recommendation. I’ve been made redundant. I’m presently in transition.

In the event you have been me, what would you do now? What kind of recommendation are you able to present me? You realize, ask individuals for recommendation, for Information about the place they work, the forms of Jobs that they’re seeing are being marketed. Particularly in case you haven’t appeared for a job in over 10 years and even 5 years, pre pandemic, okay? You might be tempted to spend hours on the lookout for Jobs in job boards like LinkedIn Jobs.

These might be useful, in fact, however the roles you’re most fitted to are in all probability not marketed or you can be competing with lots of of different individuals. They could ultimately be marketed as they need to for due diligence to be sure that the recruiter or the HR crew has lined all grounds. However when a job is marketed, rather a lot has occurred already by way of individuals which can be tapped on the shoulder for the function.

individuals which can be being thought-about for the place, recruiters and HR professionals which have gone on LinkedIn and attempt to discover individuals that would probably apply and spoken to them. as an alternative, give attention to activating your community, letting individuals know that you’re trying and what are you on the lookout for. And in case you don’t know but, ask them what try to be on the lookout for. So reconnecting with outdated colleagues, with outdated contacts is so necessary. Letting individuals know

that you’re exploring alternative is de facto essential at this cut-off date. Asking for recommendation, not introductions, not Jobs, however concepts. IT’s not about sending this broadcast message saying, I’m accessible for work in a LinkedIn publish. IT’s about re-entering the skilled dialog, all of a sudden and in confidence with people.

In a number of weeks, I will likely be internet hosting a free webinar that can assist you do that extra successfully. And I might like to see you there. So hold listening to the job looking podcast in order that you will discover these bulletins of after I’m operating free workshops. Considered one of my purchasers, Tom, let’s name him Tom. That’s not his actual title by the way in which.

He was a senior government within the Health sector and after 18 years, I feel IT was with certainly one of his workers, he was made redundant and he didn’t know the place to start. After all, his firm organized for him to work with me, which is nice. His resume had not been up to date since 18 years in the past, possibly 20, as a result of IT’s not a brand new consumer. So IT was a very long time in the past.

However after taking a number of weeks to regroup, which I requested him to do even earlier than he began working with me, we labored on a recreation plan collectively, proper? So he reconnected together with his contacts, folks that he had not seen shortly, folks that he didn’t even know can be there for him in time of want. He up to date his positioning and with ⁓ that assist of his contacts and myself, he… ⁓

wrote a significantly better pitch, a significantly better introduction and resume. I keep in mind he additionally joined a board whereas he was job looking. IT was a voluntary function, however IT was nice to develop an space that he needed to develop into to develop into extra business, however he didn’t have that in his resume. So IT was actually a good suggestion. And IT solely occurred as a result of individuals knew that he was accessible they usually stated, ⁓ you’re accessible.

Would you want to affix this board and assist us out with I feel IT was treasury, some kind of necessary sort of work that wanted to be carried out however ⁓ He hadn’t carried out that in his earlier Jobs Inside three months he had three interviews two of these three interviews got here from referrals not from Jobs that he utilized for and He ended up accepting a task that gave him extra flexibility higher pay

and a renewed sense of vitality that he hadn’t had together with his earlier employer. Tom’s story isn’t uncommon. IT’s about technique. IT’s about structured steps and a willingness to adapt, a willingness to know that you’re nice at your job, however you could not know tips on how to job hunt as a result of that could be a totally different sort of ⁓ paradigm, proper? The place

issues are literally ⁓ determined and created, the principles are created by recruiters and never by you. So being seen, being curious, being a bit bit weak and letting individuals know what sort of roles you’re exploring might be actually, actually useful. Additionally working with a coach who is aware of what she’s doing may also be very useful. So take into consideration investing in that once in a while in your profession. And I’d be…

delighted that can assist you. Then half six, handle your well-being. The factor about job looking is that IT can actually take a toll. IT is each a marathon and a dash. There are occasions if you’re sitting and ready and issues take eternally after which there are occasions when it’s important to react and reply rapidly, inside hours, very, in a short time. And IT can actually take a toll additionally as a result of IT’s very seemingly

that you’ll hear many extra no’s than sure’s. IT’s simply the character of recruitment and choice. There are heaps and many candidates and just one emptiness. So in regular life, that’s not likely the ratio that we’re used to and that we really feel comfy with. There are many research in psychology concerning the ratio between adverse and optimistic

feedback about adverse and optimistic issues that occur to us and IT’s undoubtedly not what occurs throughout the job search. In the course of the job search you’ll in all probability be listening to extra nos than yeses and that’s not likely good for our psychological Health. So defending your vitality is essential throughout this time. Having a routine, sleeping, transferring your physique.

doing issues that nourish you, that’s exterior of the job search. You don’t should be good, however it’s important to be constant and know that that is the scenario of job looking. Due to how lengthy IT can take, IT can take three months, IT can take a yr, IT can actually trigger havoc to your psychological Health. So creating that self-discipline and making an attempt to be as constant as you possibly can, remembering that that isn’t what naturally

we as people prefer to be concerned in a contest that lasts that lengthy and IT’s so robust. So remembering all of that’s actually necessary.

Now I’d prefer to wrap up. Being laid off isn’t a mirrored image in your value. IT’s a chapter in your profession and IT ought to occur once in a while since you’re going to have an extended profession. You’ve had an extended profession thus far. There are various years forward of you as nicely, if not many years. So IT’s regular to count on issues to go up and down and for issues to be squiggly once in a while. So ⁓

You don’t have to have the entire solutions throughout this time, proper? You simply have to take time to know what the subsequent step is and the most effective funding of your time and vitality throughout this course of. And that’s what I’m right here to do. That’s why I created the job looking podcast. And I’d love that can assist you with that.

As I promised, I needed to spotlight how one can assist the UN and WHO professionals which were made redundant in Could 2025. This concept was designed by the LinkedIn crew in Europe and IT’s a particular banner that you should have in your LinkedIn profile, which highlights for these professionals which were laid off from the United Nations and WHO that you just

might be contacted for a brief chat and a dialog. When you’ve got been made redundant prior to now, or you probably have helped different individuals as a mentor or as a coach prior to now or as a pacesetter, you might be an ally, proper? You don’t want particular expertise. IT’s only a dialog. And IT can be beautiful for you in case you may put your hand up for that. So I’ll put a hyperlink within the present notes that hyperlinks to a web page the place you possibly can obtain the particular banner.

and add IT to your profile. IT’s a small motion, however IT has actual impression and IT will imply rather a lot for hundreds of execs on the market which can be presently on the lookout for work. Thanks a lot for listening. Be sort to your self and hold going. Preserve listening to the Job Searching Podcast. Thanks a lot in your assist. Bye for now.