What to do when you’re laid off

This content was originally featured in the February 15, 2023 newsletter here: https://www.trustinsights.ai/blog/2023/02/inbox-insights-february-15-2023-what-to-do-when-youre-laid-off-pr-and-journalists/

It’s no secret that companies are laying off staff left and right. As you read this, you may have been someone that was also laid off.

LinkedIn has been keeping track of the layoffs, you can read that here: https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/companies-that-cut-jobs-in-january-6121322/

Personally, I’ve been laid off once and short listed to be laid off twice. The two times I was short listed to be laid off, I was able to find a new job before it happened. One of those times it was a panic move and I took a job I didn’t love. The second time I was able to use it as an opportunity. Regardless, losing your job, or even knowing that you might, is scary and uncertain.

What do you do when you find yourself out of a job?

First step is to breathe. This is easier said than done. We all have different responsibilities and I’m assuming most of us are not independently wealthy. If you’re anything like me, you might release a string of curse words, cry, and want to punch something. This is all normal. You need to feel your feelings in order to move past them. Wallow for hot second. Get angry. Eat fries with cheese sauce. It’s actually really healthy. Not the fries. Letting your emotions out instead of bottling them up will help you regain your focus faster.

Once you’ve spiraled (hopefully in a non-harmful way) it’s time to start looking around at your options. If you haven’t yet joined a community, this is an excellent time to start. Why is this a good move? For a couple of reasons. First, you’re not alone. By connecting with your peers and other professionals you’ll find support. Second, many community have job boards. Many times, you can find job posting in a community before it is opened up to the public. Third, you can network. This isn’t just about finding people that can do you favors. This is about finding other professionals and learning their story. Understanding what their experience has been and learning about your own journey. You never know where a simple connection could lead you.

There is no shortage of places to find your peers. Here are some suggestions (h/t Justin Levy for many of these):

Pavilion https://www.linkedin.com/company/join-pavilion/
Peak Community https://www.linkedin.com/company/peak-community/
Content Marketing Institute https://www.linkedin.com/company/content-marketing-institute/
Marketing AI Institute https://www.linkedin.com/company/mktgai/
Marketing Profs https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-profs/
Women In Analytics https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-analytics-community/
Spin Sucks https://www.linkedin.com/company/spinsucks/

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are thousands of communities on public and private social platforms. Start by doing a search for your skills and industry. There is likely a community for you.

Now that you’ve got support you can also use this time to hone your skills. I’ve previously compiled lists of online courses, some free and some paid.

You can find those
Here: https://www.trustinsights.ai/blog/2022/11/a-comprehensive-list-of-data-analytics-courses/
and here: https://www.trustinsights.ai/blog/2022/05/our-best-resources-for-online-training-courses/

Much like the communities, this is not an exhaustive list of resources and courses.

When you find yourself out of work, whether it was a surprise or not, take a minute. Evaluate what you want and what you need. You might not be in a position to be picky about your next move, and that’s ok. Keep building your network and sharpening your skills. Your day will come. If you’re not looking, these tips are still useful to protect yourself against the uncertain.

If you want to dig deeper into your own public profile, you can check out our free LinkedIn course here: (insert link)

Have thoughts or comments? Reply to this email to reach me directly.