5 things I’d do immediately if I got laid off today (+ the next 5)
– Go for a walk and remind myself of how far I’ve come
– Let myself experience all the feels and not try to resist them
– Detach my self-worth from an outcome that I couldn’t control
– Go 48 hrs w/o touching my resume, LinkedIn, or the job boards
– Spend time doing anything to get me to laugh (pets, movies, friends)
Then I’d move onto the next 5 items:
1: Identify
– Identify the 1 role I’m going to target (not multiple different ones)
– Identify what I’m looking for in a manager/company/culture/role
– Identify times when I thrived/didn’t thrive and know why
2: Resume
– Write a summary to highlight my strengths/experience using data
– Include a quantifiable achievements section for each role I was in
– Include a responsibilities section for each role I was in (no fluff)
– Make sure that they are relevant to the job I’m targeting next
– Remove all graphs, tables, pictures or self-assessments
Resume Length:
1 page < 5 years
2 pages < 10 years
3 pages < 15+ years
3: LinkedIn
– Include a portfolio / website showcasing my experience (if applicable)
– Make sure my ‘About’ section matches the summary on my resume
– Create a professional profile picture (smiling is okay, too)
– Turn on my ‘Open to Work’ badge and ignore the haters
– Use my profile header to have a quick blurb of my exp
4: Baskets Strategy
I‘d create 5 baskets (aka lists) of people I’m going to reach out to:
– Basket 1: Recruiters that reached out to me in the past 12 months
– Basket 2: Past colleagues, managers, alumni, friends and past clients
– Basket 3: Recruiters, Leaders, HM’s who work at my target companies
– Basket 4: Join 3 user groups specific to my skillset and engage in there
– Basket 5: Search for anyone who posted that they are ‘hiring’ for my role
Here’s the prompt I’d use to search:
hiring AND “my role” (i.e., hiring AND “project manager”) -> filter by post
4.5: Execution of Basket Strategy
– I would split my time across each basket vs. putting all eggs in one
– I’d create tailored messages vs. creating a generic one-size fits all
– I’d tie in what I did/achieved to what they need in each message
5: Proactively Prep for Interviews
– Study 10-15 job descriptions of the roles I’m targeting
– Create STAR examples for each major responsibility
– Include what I did, how I did it, and what I achieved
– Practice my tone, my delivery, and my conciseness
– Prepare thoughtful/well-researched questions
Lastly
– I’d focus on things that I control such as my activity & emotions
– I’d ignore all the things that I can’t, such as landing an offer
– I’d believe that results will come so long as I don’t stop
Above all else, I would not forget this:
Finding a job that pays me what I’m worth, at a company that I admire, doing what I enjoy (in a market like this), w/o doing the above would be an exception and not the norm.
Wishing you all the best,
Gaurav
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