I’ve been laid off. Now What?
A step-by-step guide to getting your next gig and getting on with life.
I just saw a heart-breaking post on LinkedIn from a woman who was 3 weeks away from losing everything. She had been laid off from work a year ago and was down to her last bit of money. She had applied to jobs, interviewed, and hustled for a year, with no progress. She needed advice, but she also needed support, sympathy, & a sense of community.
Reading through the comments, I was surprised to see hundreds of people who said they were in a similar situation. Many had lost everything - their homes, their families, their health.
Some blamed the economy, ageism, sexism, Trump, Biden… all the villians you can think of.
I could only think, “what if that was me?” What would I do in her situation?
This is my answer.
I would write down every skill I have. Not resume-style, but literally every skill I have. For example, I know how to code software. But I also know how to properly scrub a dirty sink.
I would then write down the types of people who could use those skills. For example, companies might (or might not) be hiring for coders right now. There are thousands of laid off software coders who can’t find work because companies have frozen hiring due to A.I. investments or economic uncertainty. But lots of places have sinks that need scrubbing. (Before you stop reading because you think I’m telling you to hustle more and take minimum wage jobs, please keep reading. That is not where this is going.)
I would then write down a one-sentence reason why those types of people want me to work with them. (Note, I did not say why they should want me, but why they do want me). You can’t control what they should or shouldn’t want. You can control what they actually want. For example, Google wants to work with me because I can fix their Chrome password problem. (Not, Google should want to work with me because I am a good coder.)
I would then apply for a lot of jobs online. This should only take a hour or so a day. Most people do this and then sit around waiting on a recruiter to get back to them. That’s where they fail. You keep going, so you succeed.
I would then go meet people. Lots of people. And with no reason or motive other than meeting them. At all kinds of events, in all kinds of places. I would go to networking events, church events, social events… you name it. And I would be genuinely interested in them, without thinking about my job situation or what I need from them.
And, in a subtle way, I would ask them what they are struggling with. Here’s a real-life example: met a guy at a networking event, had the typical “what do you do” intros. He was a board member at a local non-profit. Sounds fancy, but he was actually a very poor person who was retired, who was just helping out with a tiny, unfunded non-profit. I said “that’s a really awesome way to stay active. what the big problem the non-profit is working on now?” He said they needed more volunteers. And that leads to #6.
I would then find a way I can help using my skills. For example, I could code a job board for the non-profit, for free. I could code a volunteer sign-up webpage. I could post on LinkedIn asking for volunteers to help this non-profit. I could visit churches and speak with people about becoming a volunteer. I would use someone else’s problem as my “hook” to meet as many people as I could.
During that process, I would gather as much information as possible from each person I met and repeat steps 5 & 6. I would use this to show my value (step 3) to each person.
At some point during most of those interactions, people will ask me “what do you do?” and I will respond with “I [list my skills] for [list my people], and right now, I’m looking for the best place to use my skills.” For example, “I can build software for growing businesses and I can also scrub a mean sink for restaurant owners, and right now, I’m looking for the best place to use my skills.”
Then wait. Some people will automatically try to help you. That will lead you to a job or back to step #5. Go meet whoever they connect you to.
I would repeat steps 4-9 every day.
Then, when recruiters from step 4 finally do reach back out to you, you can honestly say “I’m working on a job board for a local non-profit right now, but I can squeeze in an interview at 2pm on Thursday.”
As a bonus, as time allows, I would start a business. Cheaply. Even if it is just throwing up a website that says “I clean a mean sink.” The process of starting a business will give you insight into how business owners think and why they might (or might now) hire you. And who knows, you might actually like it and make a little money in the process.
If you’d like to start a business, we are happy to help. We have starter kit & business software available to solopreneurs to help start your business the right way - all for free. Just email starterkit@goodlooking.com, tell us your situation, and we’ll send the kit and software info to you.
This process is all theoretical (except for the free starter kit and software, that’s real).
I haven’t been laid off and I haven’t done this process myself. And I won’t shame you for not doing it. But I can’t imagine it wouldn’t get you a job very quickly.
The biggest risk as an employer is hiring people who won’t be productive. Resumes can’t really do that. Interviews can’t really do that. But this process showcases productivity. It’s a process that helps other people. And I think it will help you and make you feel a lot better along the way.
And please know, we are praying for you and your success. Life is not easy. Getting laid off is not easy. Finding a good job is not easy. And there are a thousand reasons why you might not be able to do what I’ve written here. There is no judgment here. This is just the process I would use if I was laid off and I hope it helps.