Management Material

How to Get Back on Your Feet After Being Laid Off

• Catherine Van Der Laan • Season 1 • Episode 55

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If you've been through a RIF or know someone who has, this episode is here to help you get back on your feet.

I'm sharing a six-step lifeline for anyone treading in these choppy waters—all to help you find a new job, position yourself well, and reach out when you need help.

Transforming a setback into a setup for a greater comeback, we pivot to the mechanics of a job search strategy that feels less like a chore and more like a quest for your next and better job. Let's align your skills and passions to build a career in a company that gets you.

In this episode, I get into the nitty-gritty of setting actionable goals, the details behind writing a resume that gets through AI-based resume screeners, and the undeniable power of networking. 

Whether you're a seasoned professional facing uncertainty or a recent graduate eager to make your mark, this episode offers a compass in the storm and a community waiting to welcome you aboard.

Book a complimentary management coaching conversation at https://calendly.com/catherine-vanderlaan/free-60-minute-leadership-consultation

Email me at catherine@managementmaterialcoaching.com to ask a question or get in touch.

Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/managementmaterialcoaching

Find out more about Management and Leadership Coaching at https://managementmaterialcoaching.com/




Speaker 1:

Welcome back. My name is Katherine Vanderlaan and I am so excited to see you on this podcast. I'm excited to be back. If you don't know anything about my life, my family moved to California about a year and a half ago mid-2022. Life was crazy. We had an assignment, we did our assignment and then we moved back at the end of the summer in 2023. We bought a house. We've been adjusting. I've been managing savorstreetcom and the coaching business. I've been spinning up a lot more management leadership, coaching. If you are listening to this right now, you for sticking with me. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for listening to this podcast.

Speaker 1:

This topic that we're going into today is about how to get back on your feet after being laid off. It's not really a fun topic to go into. It's difficult, but if you find yourself in a position right now where you have been laid off, it's essential to know how to get back on your feet. Layoffs are in the news. It is touching the tech industry. That's, first and foremost on the news, but it's also touching the finance industry, the healthcare industry. I'm seeing it in the media and news industry. I'm seeing it in a lot of different places. If you have been touched by a layoff. You are in a lot of company right now I've been laid off. How many people know that I've been laid off? But it wasn't expected for all the reasons that you would think, because being laid off is not about poor performance. It is certainly not about your worth as an individual. If you find that you've been laid off, it says absolutely nothing about your value as an employee, about the value of your work. It says everything about the company that you're working for, in that they did not employ other techniques before doing a larger layoff.

Speaker 1:

I have now been doing group leadership coaching within organizations for whole departments. I have been doing management coaching, one-on-one with different up-and-coming managers to do first-time manager training and also a little bit of advanced manager training to help them get on the ball again so that they can be the best manager, a leader that people want to follow. Some people would call that executive coaching. I think executive coaching is a little different, although I have done a little bit of that as well. It's more about finding a strategy and creating it. Anyway, we're not here to talk about that. Layoff are affecting a lot of people right now. If you have found that it is affecting you or someone that you know, then you need to know. If it's someone that you know, send him this podcast. If it's, you, then listen up because I have six steps for how to get back on your feet after being laid off.

Speaker 1:

Let's dive right in. Let's just get into the six steps. I'm a very practical, to the point person. When I coach people, I like to be practical, to the point, help them. It's a little bit of training and coaching and problem solving and mentoring and a little bit of everything, because I don't really subscribe to the whole blue coaching thing Like no, let's just get steps. Let's do it. Let's stay accountable. Let's get stuff done. Let's do training. If you need training, I almost always share my coaching with courses and downloads and resources and all this stuff to reach you. Anyway, let's get into those six steps that it takes to get back on your feet after being laid off.

Speaker 1:

I learned these six steps after being laid off myself. I was kind of expecting it, not because of poor performance or anything. I was one of the rock stars in the organization, I was one of the fair managers, but I was expecting it because I knew that we were going to have a reorganization and I was one of the last in the department. So all of the signs were there. I knew that, how the reorganization was going to take effect. I knew some big points. I helped with some of the reorganization and reassignment. It took me by surprise. They didn't tell me everything, but I definitely went through. I was helping rate employees and assessed them. I knew it was coming. I thought, hey, I'm one of the youngest here, I am one of the last in in management, I'm probably going to be laid off. So of course I built an emergency fund, a bigger one than we already had, and we went from there. So I learned these six steps by going through them myself and then also through coaching other people how to find a new full-time job after being laid off. I've worked with at least dozens of people I don't really count at this point, but at least dozens of people who have been laid off. So I'm going to tell you stories throughout these six steps to illustrate what these points really mean.

Speaker 1:

So first I'm going to give you all six points. Number one is take some time to emotionally adjust to your new situation. Take some time. Number two is decide on your job search strategy, and that could mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, so we're going to get into it. Number three is create some job search goals and a plan to tackle it and then execute the plan, guys. Number four is to get community support and reach out to your network. Number five is to lower your monthly budget, because I mean, okay, if you're listening to this on management material, my podcast knows that I'm cross-posting this to the money minister. So I got money on the money minister and I need to say actually to anyone in this situation please enact your emergency budgets. So we're going to put into that one. And the sixth one is ask for help. If you need it, please ask for help.

Speaker 1:

So let's get into all six of those points, one at a time. The first one is to take time to emotionally adjust. Take some time, whether that is a day or two or a week maximum, maybe two weeks. Take some time to adjust to your new situation. Understand what it means. Go through the paperwork, look and sign up for Cobra, if you have that option. Take the time that you need to emotionally adjust so that you can be your whole self for the next steps. And what that doesn't mean is go, take all of your savings and go on vacation. It doesn't mean to just play video games for two weeks straight. It does not mean to spiral into a depression and isolate yourself. Instead, taking some time to emotionally adjust means look at your reality in the face, understand your financial situation and your job situation, what people you can reach out to think about how you're feeling right now. If you need to go talk to a therapist, go talk to a therapist. But take the time that you need to emotionally adjust. Give yourself a deadline Max two weeks if you can afford it. If you cannot afford it, take one or two days. Almost everybody can afford a day, day after they were laid off to adjust to the new situation. All right.

Speaker 1:

The second step is to decide on your job search strategy. Now, this does mean to a lot of different people, but here's what I mean Figure out what kind of job you're going through or what kind of job you are looking for. That job is usually an intersection between your personality, your skills and your passions. What makes your heart sing? Those are your passions. Skill what do you have proof that you can do? What have you done in past careers? Look through that and your personality. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Do you love talking to people or do you hate talking to people? That kind of thing? Who are you? Are you organized? Are you a passionate person by nature? Do you like to communicate in text or in voice? Are you a post office? Are you afraid of public speaking? All of those things? What is your personality? What are your skills and where are your passions? Your next job is in the intersection of all three. All right, so that will help you decide on your job search.

Speaker 1:

By the way I go into that is the very, very first thing in my group Find your next full-time job group coaching session. It includes workshops. It includes coaching within the group. Bring your questions. This is not a sales pitch, but I want to let you know that I'm very passionate. I help a lot of people find their next full-time job. It is within my unlimited group coaching package. I also stand alone. It comes with a two-week free trial where you can get access to almost everything, but you have to do it one at a time. You can join at any time with a conversation with me. Even if you joined in the middle or at the end of the eight-week program. You'll get a lot of benefits out of it. You will be able to view all the recordings, download the handouts, do the workshops yourself and catch up if you want to. A lot of people go through it two or three times because they catch different things different times through. So anyway, all right, I'm not trying to. Well, I guess I did plug that, but you can click the link below. Click on that button. Talk to me. I am happy to help you find your next full-time job. Anyway, so go ahead. This is the first lesson.

Speaker 1:

The first workshop is to help you find that next job that you're going for and create your job search strategy. All right, the second step is to create some job search goals. Goals are different than a strategy. Notice, when I said create your job search strategy, I didn't say here's your strategy, here's your plan, because strategy and a plan are two different things. Now that's its own podcast episode. If you listen to management material, then you will hear that as a podcast episode. Real quick. I love talking about the difference between a strategy and a plan. Anyway, all right. Third step is to create some job search goals and a plan to tackle it. That's difficult If you are currently laid off and you have emotionally adjusted to it, you are looking for a new job and you are diving in, create your job search goals, chances are you're not going to meet your goals.

Speaker 1:

That is where that group comes in. But let's say that you have some goals in place. You create those goals and your goals are applied to three different jobs a day. And then you put together that plan. You tackle it. You have a master resume, which, again, we go into in the group. You have a master resume. You modify it for every single job that you are applying to. You create a lovely cover letter that you modify to every single job you reach out. You're networking. You're finding these roles, you are applying to these roles. You are that. I mean. That's how you land the interviews.

Speaker 1:

Now, creating the goals for job searching is usually done the real way. A lot of people together goals that say I'm going to get five interviews by the end of the week. I'm going to have a new job by a month or two from now. Those goals are outside of your control. You can't get an interview. What you can do is apply to three jobs a day. You can't get yourself a new job within a month or two. What you can do is reach out to people in your community network and find the opportunities that your resume in front of the right people, create goals that you can achieve, that you have control over. Okay, those are goals that are achievable by you because you can control them. Please listen to what I'm saying. When you, after you have created your job search strategy, your jobs, that you're going for their titles, that is when you create plan, outreach, plan to then get that job. The strategy is all around positioning yourself as the best candidate for that job. The goals are around what you can achieve and plan to get you to getting that job. It's around everything that you can control. That is what the plan and the goals are about. The strategy has the uncontrollable aspect in it. All right, if you need clarity on that, come talk to me. I have a link below, let's chat.

Speaker 1:

Number four is get community support and reach out to your network. When you are first looking for a new job, you need community support. Now, a lot of us are introverts. We just don't want to talk to people. It feels icky being laid off. You feel like a pariah. Nobody wants to talk to you, or so you think, but you know what. That's not true. What is not true? You have a community of people who want to support you, I don't care how introverted and awkward you are. You have a community of people who want to help you. I promise you people who have gotten your work and it's been amazing work they will give you a recommendation, they'll write something on LinkedIn. They will recommend you to different roles. They will network on your behalf and send your LinkedIn profile to your friends or to their friends in different industries, at different companies. They will help you because they care and they're human.

Speaker 1:

Almost nobody actually nobody that I have coached into finding a new job has reached out to their network, acquaintances, people that they call friends in their office and gotten a core or charitable response. Everyone has reached out to their network and, yes, a few people didn't reply. Big portion, a large portion of people came back and said that sounds awful. I had no idea. They didn't announce who was laid off. I'm so sorry to hear that. I know that person and this other person who are looking for candidates in X field. Does that fit you? Hey, yeah, it probably does. I mean, you've created your jobs, your strategy. You know what you're going for. Go, network, connect, meet and keep. Absolutely reach out to your network and find that new job. That is the best way to find a new job is to network and reach out to your people.

Speaker 1:

Okay, number five is lower your monthly budget. Now look, if you are listening to this on management material. I need to talk about this. I look at a lot of people's budgets. If you have been laid off, go through and cancel a bunch of subscriptions. Figure out how you can lower your monthly budget and enact your emergency budget. If you don't know what an emergency budget is, then Google it or come talk to me, because that is what I do, saber Street, with financial coaching. I train financial coaches, I work with some people one-on-one, I handle groups and I train people on how to manage their personal budgets.

Speaker 1:

So go through, look at your spending, see what you can cut. Stop eating out If it is eating through your savings. If you've just been laid off, you're not gonna have an income for a while and make sure you can maximize your savings to maximize your time before you need to have that first paycheck. Your first paycheck might with your next job and, yeah, you will find a next job. Join my group. You definitely. Well, I can't guarantee it because it really depends on what you put into it, but you'll very likely find your next job and faster if you join the group. Anyway, lower your monthly budget. See what you can cut out. Stop eating out and go get that next job. Okay, maximize your time by minimizing your spending. That will help you not get into a ton of debt if you have been laid off. And when you do get that next job, your next paycheck could come two, three weeks after you've started. So just remember that and lower your spending right now. Okay.

Speaker 1:

The sixth step is to ask for help. If you need it, go, please ask for help. Join your church group and if you don't have a church, go join one. Okay, ask for help if you need it. If you need to reach out to a therapist, reach out to a therapist so that you can get, so you can emotionally adjust. If you need help finding the tools, the resources, the strategy, knowing what a craft, a resume that will land you an interview, how to create a cover letter, then join my group. We have a two week free trial. See if it fits you. All right, ask for help if you need it. It says a lot about you some really good things about you as an individual. If you are willing to ask for help when you need it, so go ahead and ask for that help.

Speaker 1:

Okay, the two big, big big things that I hear after somebody has been laid off, maybe it's been a week or two, or three or four. They've been laid off and they're really not terribly excited about where they are. We go through these six points. The first thing I hear is I'm overwhelmed, I don't know what to do. Where do I start? Start at the beginning, just start at the beginning. After a holiday, the kitchen is a disaster. Right, absolutely a disaster. Something has come out of the oven. The oven might be a disaster on the inside. You have tons of pots and pans and utensils and plates and the dishwasher is already full and you know how you clean it up. One dish at a time, one thing at a time. So start at the beginning, emotionally adjust, decide which jobs you're going for and your job search strategy. Then do it one step at a time, keep going until it's done. That's it All right. So take that overwhelm and that analysis, paralysis and just start Doing it will help you figure out how to do it. If it has been your first time in 10, 12 more years that you've had to job search, or maybe you've never created a resume, one thing at a time, just do it one thing at a time and you will get there, ask for help if you need it. That is step number six, for a reason, okay.

Speaker 1:

The second thing that I hear a lot, a lot, a lot, is I don't know which job to go for. I don't know how to list my skills. I don't know how to list my personality. What do you mean when you say that my next job is in the intersection of my skills, my personality and my passions? I don't even know what I'm passionate about. I didn't like the job that I had and I don't know what to do going forward. I don't even know if I qualify for any of the jobs that I want. That's when you talk to me, let's figure it out. I hear this a lot Within a discussion. We will figure out what you can go for. Okay, I help people with this all day, all day. Join the group. You get a free two week trial on purpose so that you know if it fits you, okay. The last thing that I hear is I'm about to run out of time.