You’ve just lost your job. Whether it was a layoff, company closure, being let go, or somewhere in between.
Of course, take a breath. Take a day. Statistically in one’s career it’s not if you lose your job, it’s when you lose your job.
This guide should help.
First Reflect
Some of the biggest turning points in my life have happened when I have reflected. I once finished reading Essentialism, a book about doing less, and I just sat and listed out all the things I had going on, eliminated some, and then wrote down what a perfect day would look like. It was transformative:
As a result I streamlined my workday far better, resulting in me being home earlier, which resulted in more time with my family. I reduced my social media time by 90%. I was more present. Again, it was transformative.
For a job it should be this way. Reflect on:
- When am I in a flow state? (e.g., when do I lose track of time due to being interested/invested in what I’m doing)
- What do I value? (e.g., do I want to stay where I’m currently living, do I value a title more than a company, do I want a more flexible schedule, etc.)
- Where do I want to be? (e.g., do I want to one day be an executive, do I want to start a business, etc.)
These answers should be helpful in truly seeing your interests, what you value, and plot where you want to be.
Secondly, Update Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile
Updating a resume can seem daunting, but here’s how to make it easy:
- Use a resume template. Use this one we made.
- Follow this guide on how to write a great resume: The Unwritten Guide to Resume Writing: How to Rewrite Your Resume in 61 Minutes
- Look at a few examples of LinkedIn profiles of people you admire professionally, and adjust your LinkedIn accordingly
This whole part can be done in 1-2 hours. There’s no reason you can’t have an updated resume within a few days of your job search!
Third, Follow These 6 Steps to Finding A Job
Just follow this guide. Trust us.
TL;DR – Be intentional with your job search! Make a list of companies and systematically reach out to people in those companies.
Fourth, the Interview Prep Formula
Let’s all just agree that interviews are not fun. BUT you can prepare for these and land your dream job. The first piece in an interview is to understand that most interviews follow the same formula:
- Greet / Pleasantries
- Statement by Interviewer
- Tell Me About Yourself
- Tell Me About Your Role/Company
- A Story-Based Question
- A Story-Based Question
- Why Are You Interested in this Role?
- Any Questions?
However formal or informal your interview is, what industry it is, what level position you’re interviewing for, or any other factor it will almost always have most of these pieces.
And your interviewer(s) are almost always familiar with your resume/background and looking for things related to the job description. They also usually take notes.
You can prepare for this by writing down and practicing your interviews. This guide has many of those practice questions and includes how to discuss salary expectations:
The Job Interview Formula & How to Talk About Salary
Conclusion
At this point you’ll be drowning in offer letters and can remove this article from your perpetually open tabs.
Losing a job is incredibly difficult, but with the right approach you’ll be working again in no time and hopefully better off than you were before. Stay strong, stay diligent, and stay focused on your end goal. Best of luck!
