The Layoff Lady

Job Listing Tips and Tricks: Hybrid, and Onsite Labels

10/15/2024

By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Onsite, Remote, and Hybrid Work Implications

When searching for a job, one challenge is figuring out what work arrangements a given employer has in mind. Since 2020, companies in the United States often label their open positions as onsite, hybrid, or remote. Even with those labels, job seekers and individual employers are still not always aligned on what exactly that means.

Let's look at some of the factors in play.

Remote Job Clarifications

For a job labeled as "remote," their expectations could be any of the following:

The candidate lives in the United States and can work from anywhere.
The candidate lives in the United States and must work from their home.
The candidate lives within a specific list of states where the potential employer is set up to conduct business.
The candidate lives within a specific time zone.
The candidate is willing to work hours in a specified time zone.
The candidate lives within a specified distance from one of the company's physical office locations.
The candidate lives in the metropolitan area of the company's headquarters.
The company is "remote first" with no physical office location.
The company is "remote-friendly," meaning there may be the option to work in an office location, a designated shared space, or fully remote.
The company is "open to remote" and may consider a candidate who does not work in their office location.

Onsite, Remote, and Hybrid Roles in Practice

Regardless of the label, each role may work differently in practice. Here are a few of the many possible scenarios:

A company may label a job as remote, then later in the job description mention preferences for being onsite.
A company may label a job as hybrid when it could more accurately be described as remote with some travel to the corporate office.
A company may label a job as onsite or hybrid, and in the body of the job description, explain that they are also open to remote.
A company may label a job hybrid, expecting people to be onsite (in the office) anywhere from never to 4 days per week.
A company may have an unstated preference for the location of employees.
A company may not be clear about their ongoing thoughts on having workers return to the office or the timeline for that change.
Many companies label roles as remote but do not clarify additional details about arrangements (which states, preferences for specific geographical locations).
Companies may decide on a case by case basis where they prefer employees to be located or if they will be remote, hybrid, or onsite.
Any of these designations may also include travel.

Navigating Job Listings for Remote Roles

As a job seeker who understand the different stated options and possible meanings, here are a few strategies for navigating job listings:

Review posted job openings for additional details on work arrangements. For remote roles, read the main job description and skim the listing for additional location restrictions (time zones, states, and proximity to a physical office).
If you're on a job search site, find the job listing on the company's website. Sometimes they will include additional details on the specific states where they are able to hire and/or want to hire for a given position.
If you’re not sure if a company can do business in your state, use LinkedIn to search for employees at that company who currently live in your state. This would indicate that the company is legally able to hire someone in your state.
Connect with and speak with someone at the organization and ask for additional clarification on work arrangements and remote work policies.
If it’s unclear, reach out to a company recruiter to clarify details (or, if time is of the essence, apply first, then ask questions later).

Remote Work Implications: Locations and Pay

There are also a few other implications of remote work to keep in mind:

Salary ranges will be all over the board for the same role. For example, a title like "Training Manager" could have a salary of anywhere from $50,000 - $225,000 per year, depending on the location of the company's corporate office.
Some companies adjust their salary ranges based on the candidate's geographic area, while others do not.
Even with pay transparency laws in some states, not all jobs list the salary range--even when they are now required to do so.

Strategies for Remote Work Salary Conversations

Given these variations on how salaries work for remote roles, be sure to think through your financial requirements and how you will address questions about your desired salary:

Identify your desired salary range overall. Use this range as a starting point for all conversations.
Review posted salary ranges for the role. Make sure they at least meet your minimum salary.
During the interview process, when a recruiter or hiring manager asks you for your desired salary range, answer that question with the question, “what is the salary range for this position?” This assures that you’re not selling yourself short.

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The Art of Job Application Follow Up: Email Messages

10/8/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Eye on the Prize: Getting the Interview

There are a lot of opinions on how to interact with employers early in the hiring process. They include everything from sending a basic “I applied” email to off-the-wall rom-com level gesture like sending the hiring manager a cake with your resume attached to the inside of the box. In this article, we’ll focus on using email to follow up after you have formally applied for the job.

Regardless of your approach (and my overall follow-up recommendations are closer to the email than the cake end of the spectrum), stay focused on what you’re trying to accomplish. Remember, your goal at this point in the process is to get your application into the “must interview” pile.

What Follow-Up Email Messages Will and Won't Do

Let’s first set a few expectations on the impact sending a follow-up email message will have:

If you are not a generally qualified candidate for the job, you’re not going to “follow-up” your way into an interview.
If you follow-up badly, you may very well “follow-up” your way right into the “no” pile.
Following up with the wrong person won’t help your cause.
If you’re going to follow-up, contact either the hiring manager or the recruiter.
Sending a follow-up email may help the hiring team remember your name--which may help especially in remote roles with many, many applicants.
Even if you are a strong candidate, and following up with the right people, you may or may not get an interview.

Like with most of the hiring process, there is no guarantee that you will get an interview for any given role. However, doing the right things consistently gives you a better chance of having a positive outcome.

My Horror Story: Follow-Up Gone Awry

Once upon a time, I was the hiring manager for an instructional designer position. A person who I had never met, but who knew a colleague of mine, had a background in instructional design and was interested in the job. Through our shared colleague, that person (who I will now refer to as “the candidate”) ended up with my name and work contact information.

What followed was an example of the worst-case scenario of a how a candidate reaching out to a hiring manager can actually be detrimental. From mid-December through the end of the calendar year, over the course of 10 business days, the candidate (who—reminder—I had never before interacted with in any way) contacted me 16 times via phone and email about the open position.

I do not remember what all the candidate asked during each request (because blocking out awful memories is a real thing). I do remember one early request was asking how to apply for the job. Given that this role was with a technology company, and I needed someone who could work independently and solve problems, a candidate who wasn’t sure how to apply for the job through a pretty typical Careers webpage was not going to be a top candidate.

In addition, after they managed to apply, they then called and also emailed the recruiter multiple times, again in the spirit of follow-up.

The good news—we definitely knew the candidate’s name. The bad news (for them)—we knew for sure we were NOT going to interview them.

Worst Practices: Job Application Follow-Up

As a hiring manager, here are the issues I’ve seen when people follow up on job applications:

They reach out with no plan or point.
They reach out too many times.
They reach out many times with too small of a gap between messages.
They reach out to the wrong person.
They reach out with a large ask.
They are DEMANDING about what the hiring team should do for them.
They push too hard on next steps.
They disregard specific directions in the job description regarding what follow-up is acceptable.

Finding the Right People and Contact Information

Remember, typically the two people to follow up with regarding your job application are the recruiter and the hiring manager. The first challenge is figuring out who these people are, then getting their email addresses.

In some cases, the name of the recruiter may be included on the job posting. Through using LinkedIn or the company website, you may be able to find a professional email address to use for them. You can also potentially do some digging through LinkedIn and find out the name of the recruiter through their LinkedIn posts. It could be little to no effort to find their email address, or a genuine project, to find out that detail about the recruiter.

For hiring managers, some job listings will include the title of the hiring manager (who the position reports to), or even sometimes their name. Again, you may be able to use LinkedIn to find their contact information, or you may find the naming scheme a company uses (like [email protected]) to figure out their email address. You may also need to contact HR or a current employee to find out more, or there might be fee-based services you can use.

When it comes right down to it, it is important for you to determine how much time and money you want to dedicate to finding this information. You also need to decide if the time you spend on this quest is worth the value you will gain from sending a follow-up message. It's your call.

What To Include In Your Follow-Up Email

Once you’ve identified the person to contact, and have their email address, think about what you’ll say in your message. Here are my recommendations on details to include:

Greet the person by name.
Introduce yourself.
Mention that you’ve applied for the job and include the title of the job and the company name.
Share a brief summary (a sentence or two or a few short, bulleted points) on why you applied and the skills you bring to the role.
Include your contact information (email and phone) and invite them to contact you.
Thank them.
Your first and last name, email, phone, and LinkedIn URL

How a Follow-Up Message Might Look

Subject Line: Following Up on my Support Manager Application

Body of the Message:

Hi, Annette. I’m Esme Whitlock, and I'm sending you a quick message to introduce myself, and let you know I just applied for the Support Manager role with Super Cool Company. Because I have a background working in tech support specialist and help desk supervisor jobs in manufacturing companies, I think I am a great match for this position.

As indicated in the job description, I have experience setting up a knowledge base using Super Cool Software and training new staff on using internal resources. I also enjoy hiring and training new associates and helping them grow their skillsets to meet performance goals. These skills, and my desire to grow in my career, drive my excitement for this role with Super Cool Company.

If you’re interested in talking to me directly about the Support Manager role and my qualifications, please contact me via text/phone at 555-555-5555 or via email at [email protected].

Thank you!

Esme Whitlock
555-555-5555
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mylinkedin/ewhitlock

Follow-up Email Timing and Frequency

There are also various opinions on when to contact a potential employer and how many contacts to make.

I suggest emailing once sometime between the day you apply and a week after you apply to briefly introduce yourself and get your name in front of the hiring manager and/or recruiter. If you decide you want to do a second message, I suggest waiting until a week or two after the first message and modifying the message so it is not just a repeat of the first message you send.

Remember, you get to do whatever you want to do. Some hiring managers and recruiters may be very open to messages, and others might prefer to avoid being contacted. I believe reaching out one to two times with a few days in between contacts should show your interest without venturing into being way too much.

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The Ultimate Guide To Answering The Question, "I Just Got Laid Off--Now What Do I Do?"

10/1/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Layoffs Happen All The Time

It starts like any other day. Then, it takes an ominous turn.

Whether you were invited to an ambiguously titled last minute meeting, received an awkward message in your personal email notifying you of your last day, or are perp walked to HR on your first day back from vacation, you are now among the newly unemployed.

Welcome to the suck.

Layoffs happen all the time.

Now What Do I Do?

Even if there were buyout rumors, a quarter with low sales, or a new company direction, being part of a reduction in force (RIF) is still surreal when it happens to you. It's hard to know what to do with yourself when you find yourself unexpectedly out of the job. It's time to redirect your attention.

Your New Focus Areas

The work problems you had an hour ago are gone. Along with your freed-up future come very different challenges. It’s time to shift to these top three focus areas:

Working through your initial feelings.
Assessing your current financial state.
Considering future employment options.

Your Guiding Principle

Along with your new focus areas, your overall guiding principle is not to do anything counterproductive (or downright dumb) as you figure out your post-layoff next steps.

Your Never-Do List

Here are the career-limiting moves that will make your life harder. Instead of springing into action, stop, think, and then just don't do the following:

Talk trash about your former employer or layoff publicly.
Spew your unfiltered anger, sadness, fear, or hurt all over the interwebs.
Post on social media about how desperate you are for paid work.
Apply for all the jobs motivated solely by panic.
Take any old job.

Your Think-Before-You-Consider-Doing List

Here are a few things you may want to do at some point, but that require thought and a plan before you move forward. At the very least, sleep on it before you do any of the following:

Contact recruiters, hiring managers, or colleagues about job openings before thinking about what you really want to do next.
Make big life decisions with long-term consequences (like a cross-country move, selling your house, or getting rid of your car).
Act on anyone else's advice without thinking about what is right for you (including a cross-country move, selling your house, or getting rid of your car).

Now that you are at least somewhat inoculated against creating utter chaos for yourself, let's get back to those top three focus areas.

My white box from layoff #4.

Focus Area 1: Process Your Emotions

Losing your job can be an emotional roller coaster. An unplanned job change is a stressful life event on par with getting divorced or going to prison. Just like dealing with a death in the family, you’re dealing with the death of the future you thought you had. Losing that imagined future is a significant loss that needs to be addressed.

Figure out how you will cope with these changes. While distracting yourself from the unpleasant parts of the process is natural, building healthier coping mechanisms, like prioritizing self-care, is better for your long-term success.

While you can get away with avoiding your feelings for a while, eventually, you need to acknowledge each one so you can move on. If you don’t work through those difficult emotions, your ignored feelings will come out sideways at just the wrong time. It is better to work through your grief privately than to fall apart during an interview or snap at someone who is trying to help you.

Step 2: Review Your Finances

Disclaimer:

While I know quite a bit based on my previous work experience supporting financial coaches, my own research, and my personal life experiences, I do not currently hold a license or certification to give financial advice. Therefore, the information provided here is educational information provided as guidance.

I hope you can glean value from my lessons learned. Feel free to take my recommendations or not—but whatever you do, double-check my information (and everyone's facts, for that matter). This is your life, and you will care more about your finances and health care than anyone else. With that, read on.

Possible Money From Your Former Employer

Although your paychecks will eventually stop, you will receive your final paycheck, possibly vacation time that you have earned and, hopefully, a lovely parting gift from your former employer in the form of a severance package. Severance could be equivalent to a set number of weeks of pay or include an additional lump sum, continuation of some benefits, and job placement services. In most cases, employers do not have to give you any type of severance.

If you are eligible for a severance package, you will need to sign something before receiving that money. Once you sign, any thoughts you might have about legal action regarding your employment with the organization are pretty much over. Read the agreement given to you, consider having a lawyer look it over, and ask for clarifications (and any revisions) before signing it. After that, there is typically a waiting period before you receive that money. I also encourage you not just to sign whatever paper they put in front of you. Make sure you advocate for yourself.

Unemployment Income

After a layoff, most people will be eligible for unemployment insurance income, or UI. I encourage you to apply for unemployment payments. The money used to make unemployment payments comes from the payroll taxes that employers pay. That money is intended to help people who have been laid off to pay their bills as they search for something new.

Unemployment payments are administered at the state level and vary by state. After you apply, there may be a waiting period before you receive a payment. Your state will also outline the amount of each payment you will receive, the number of payments you are eligible to receive, and additional factors impacting your payments. You may also qualify for job search support services and even programs to help you upgrade your skills.

In short, apply for unemployment income right away. In most cases, there is not a good reason for most people to forgo unemployment payments.

A Note About Health Insurance

Since many people rely on their employers for health insurance coverage, consider how you’ll cover healthcare costs. If you have a spouse, domestic partner, or parent who can bring you onto their health insurance, that may be your best option. Check with the other person’s employer and let them know you no longer have health insurance through your employer because of a layoff. Their employer can talk you through your next steps and cost changes.

If that's not an option, consider COBRA coverage through your former employer. This means you could stay with your previous health insurance, but now you'd pay the whole premium cost. Brace yourself when you see your new premium amount because it is usually A LOT more than you spent as an employee.

Another option is going on the insurance exchanges at Healthcare.gov to find coverage. You may even be eligible for a subsidy to offset the cost. Alternatively, for less expensive coverage intended to cover a big expensive medical issue should it happen, short-term health care insurance may be a good interim option. Do your research and determine what makes the most sense for you and your household.

Step 3: Prepare For Your Job Search

Next, plan to launch your search for a new job. Start by thinking about what kind of job you want. Write down job titles, possible employers, and your target salary range. Update your resume to include details about your last position and showcase your unique skillset as it aligns with your target job.

From here, start letting people know your new status of being “in transition” and ask for help. They might be able to introduce you to a valuable business contact, keep an eye out for job openings that meet your needs, and introduce you to a hiring manager looking for someone just like you.

It Will All Work Out. It May Also Take A While.

All told, I’ve had seven workdays that started with lots of obligations then quickly evaporated into unemployment. The good news is that it will all work out. The bad news is that there is a lot of uncertainty between your last day of work and your first day of your fancy new job when it does arrive. Using these tips will set you right as you begin your career transition.

Seven Lessons From Seven Layoffs: A Guide

If you've recently been laid off, check out my book Seven Lessons From Seven Layoffs: A Guide. You can even buy the eBook to get help right now.

In this book, I cover seven lessons from my seven experiences with unplanned job losses. I include my personal stories alongside practical advice for navigating this tumultuous time.

You'll learn strategies for managing your mindset, finding the next right job for you, shaping your career story, and overcoming setbacks.

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How To Create Your Professional Portfolio in Five Easy Steps

9/24/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Where Do I Even Start?

If you work in an industry where potential employers want to see examples of your previous work, putting together a portfolio is a good idea. As someone who works in the field of learning and development, I know that it's valuable for me to have additional evidence to prove that I actually have all of those skills I brag so much about on my resume. Whether you're job searching or building your overall career resilience and opportunity readiness, having an online portfolio is a good step to take.

Like any new endeavor, figuring out where to start can be challenging. There are countless options, and even more opinions, on what the ideal portfolio looks like. Here is my five-step process for helping you to create a portfolio that works for you.

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

This is the step you might be tempted to skip. However, if you don't take a little time to figure out what you're trying to accomplish with your portfolio, you most certainly won't reach your goals.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you clarify what you want:

Who do you want to see your portfolio?
When do you want them to access your portfolio?
Which of your skills do you want to showcase?
What stories are you trying to tell?

Depending on your answers to these questions, your goals may include one or more of the following:

Have work samples available on-demand.
Share lessons learned with select people.
Tell the story of past projects.
Showcase evidence of specific work skills.
Support a job search.
Build opportunity readiness.

The answers to these questions will influence your portfolio creation choices.

Step 2: Decide What To Include

The specific content you include in your portfolio will depend on your overall goals. In my chosen field of learning and development, here are a few of the kinds of work samples I might want to include:

Communications plan
eLearning module
Facilitator guide
Job aid
Learning strategy document
PowerPoint presentation
Project plan
Storyboard
Technical documentation
Video
Webinar recording

Remember, your portfolio is not just about the documents you include. It's also about the story you tell about how you solved a problem and how the artifact you include supports that narrative.

Step 3: Gather Work Samples

Once you have identified your goals and thought about the skillset you want to showcase, it's time to choose the specific documents you will include. Here are a few possibilities for locating or creating your actual work samples:

Class projects
Previous work (anonymized as needed)
Projects completed for other organizations
Publicly available resources
Re-creations of past work
Sample projects
Work samples created as a part of a hiring process

Whether you have existing documents you used in previous roles, re-create samples similar to past work projects, or re-purpose project documents created as part of another interview process, determine what you will include.

Step 4: Choose and Implement Technology

Since you are creating an online portfolio, choosing the underlying technology is an important step. While there are countless options available, here are three viable choices to consider:

A file-sharing platform: Using Google Drive, DropBox, or OneDrive is a way to stand up a portfolio quickly. You can enable sharing for anyone with the link or set permissions for each person who you might want to access your work. If you have a Gmail account, you already have access to Google Drive without any extra cost.
A Canva portfolio: Canva includes templates to create a free portfolio. Canva provides video tutorials and several examples from which to choose. Overall, this is a website with a specific focus. While there will be a bit of a learning curve to set up the site, you'll also have additional options for including the story behind each work sample instead of just a list of documents.
A website: While most people think of WordPress when they think of website creation, tools like Weebly and Wix have free options with more user-friendly interfaces. You can create a website with multiple pages or a page on an existing website accessible by a direct link. Websites have various options, meaning you have more control over how you create a site but have many more decisions to make upfront.

Step 5: Share Your Portfolio.

Depending on your goals, you may have your portfolio as a website that someone could discover on their own or a link that can only be accessed after you share it with someone. Regardless of your portfolio format, there are a few cases where you will proactively share your portfolio link:

In a job application.
Included with your contact information in your LinkedIn profile.
As a link at the top of your resume or cover letter document shared online.
In an email to a colleague or hiring manager.

Make Your Portfolio 1.0

At this point, you may be excited about all the possibilities and overwhelmed with uncertainty. Here's my recommendation for creating at least a starter portfolio for yourself.

If needed, create a Gmail account, then access Google Drive.
Create a folder called [FirstName] [LastName] Portfolio. In my case, Brenda Peterson Portfolio.
Upload six documents you created that showcase your skills.
Set sharing options to view only and copy the link for later use.

Congratulations. You now have a portfolio. Take a week off from looking at it, and then make an appointment with yourself to revisit your portfolio goals and next steps.

What Do You Think?

What goals and design choices did you make with your online portfolio? Include your thoughts in the comments.

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Examining Your Energy

9/17/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Energy Management Trumps Time Management

Many people equate productivity with making progress on a task list. When you're going through a trying time, everything can feel harder. Whether you are navigating family drama, work burnout, or a post-layoff job search, there will be times when you can't just "buckle down" and get things done--no matter how efficient your to-do list is. Managing your energy levels, not just your ever-growing task list is the key to making progress.

Reflect on Factors Influenging Your Energy Levels

As you think about how to spend your time, learn about yourself and when you will be the most productive and happiest with each activity. I interact with LinkedIn posts during my first cup of coffee, enjoy afternoon walks, and do yoga at night before bed. There are no absolute right or wrong times for many things, just ones that are a better fit for you.

Your Most and Least Productive Times of Day

Take time to reflect on your most and least productive times. Use these questions as a starting point:

Are you a morning person, a night person, or somewhere in between?
What time of day do you seem to get the most done?
Do you think about something for a while before doing it, or do you jump right in?
What tasks take you very little time? What tasks seem to take a long time?
Do you prefer to work on the same task for while? Or do you prefer switching between tasks regularly?
How much structured time do you need? How much unstructured time do you need?

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, just what is true for you.

Factors Influencing Your Energy Levels

In addition, reflect on the following factors and their impact on your energy levels:

How do you feel when you have too much or too little social contact?
How do you feel when you have too much or too little time at home?
How do you feel when you have too many or too few new experiences?
How do you feel when you have too much or too little routine?

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, just what is true for you.

Patterns for Energy Builders and Energy Depleters

Based on your responses to those questions, you may have identified factors that energize you and those that deplete you.

For me, I am energized by having enough alone time, having time to think about a task before doing it, and having a balance of unstructured and structured time.
I also know that I am depleted when I have too much structured time, too little time at home, and too many new experiences all at once.

Knowing these things about myself helps me know how to organize my time to maximize my energy. Letting family and friends know what I need also helps them understand and support me as I work towards my goals.

Self Care Builds Energy

After you identify your energy depleters, here are a few steps you can take to build your energy:

Basic self-care: eating, drinking water, showering, walking outside, breathing deeply, and stretching can help make you feel better almost immediately.
Accomplishing something: sending an email, making a phone call, paying a bill, or wiping down your kitchen counters will help you feel like you made even the most minor contribution to the world today. There is something inherently satisfying about crossing one task off of your list.
Changing it up: taking breaks, going to a different grocery store, walking in a new place, driving a different route as you run errands, working from your kitchen table, or doing whatever you can to add newness to your daily routine.
Recovering: sleeping, walking in nature, watching a movie you’ve seen before, reflecting on your day, playing games, journaling, and meditating are all great ways to heal.

Leverage Your Energy To Achieve More

When I identify my energy patterns and take steps to recover when needed, I have more capacity. I can accomplish more in less time when my energy is in a good place. Then, I can leverage my to-do lists and make real progress towards my goals.

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Managing Job Search Rejection

9/10/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Rejection and Negative Emotions

Searching for a new role is a rough process riddled with rejection, which is never pleasant.

If you're in a post-layoff career transition, It starts with your former employer kicking you out of the whole company and, in essence, saying, “You are no longer one of us.” At every step of the way, you’ll experience people telling you no in a variety of ways--and it hits hard since you're navigating so much uncertainty and so many life changes.

Even if you are currently employed, job searching and the associated rejection is still no picnic. You're also dealing with the uncertainty of knowing how long it will take to find something new and the challenge of doing passable work at your current job while not knowing how long you'll be in limbo.

Here is how that rejection may look.

Applying for a job and:

Hearing the booming emptiness of no reply at all.
Receiving a rejection email in what feels like moments after hitting submit.
Seeing that role repeatedly reposted as if to say, “We can’t find anyone—but certainly not you.”

Having what felt like a great interview for a job and:

Hearing a fat lot of nothing back. Ever.
Finding out the job is on hold, they made an internal hire, or they went with another candidate.
Receiving a canned “thanks, but no thanks” email months after your last conversation.

Receiving a job offer and:

Seeing that the pay rate is significantly below the salary range you had discussed.
After a long delay, receiving an offer with the demand that you accept immediately and start right away.
Wishing it was from another company for a different role.

Accepting a job offer and:

Hearing nothing from your new employer about the details of your first week.
Getting a last-minute call from the recruiter that your start date has been postponed.
Having the offer rescinded due to company changes.

The Necessity of Experiencing Your Emotions

Because of all of the uncertainty and rejection, this whole process can be a lot to bear. It’s hard to keep going when there are obstacles at every turn. Sometimes, even well-intentioned people who are genuinely trying to be supportive ask just the wrong question and make you feel even worse.

It is paramount that you experience your emotions, then manage your mindset so you don’t let your feelings make the already complicated process of finding a new job even harder.

Coping Strategies

Here are a few ideas for strategies to help you work through the unpleasant emotions that will pop up during your quest for a new role.

Acknowledge Each Emotion

Befriend your feelings. Don’t pretend that you don’t feel how you do. Name them, acknowledge them, and then move on. Pretending those unpleasant feelings don’t exist will not make them disappear. Instead, it may silence them for a bit, but they will pop up later, usually at the worst possible time. Acknowledging each one will help them run their course–and also help you to increase your ability to manage those feelings.

Wallow a Little

It’s impossible to will yourself into feeling better. Sometimes, you need to just sit with an uncomfortable feeling for a while and let it run its course. Cry a little. Rewatch your favorite movie for the bijillionth time. Have a little ice cream. Do a puzzle. Take a walk. Take the afternoon off from your to-do list. Some will run their course a bit more quickly than others.

Research The Problem

If you’re worried about something, researching answers and managing your expectations often helps. How many job applications does it typically take to get an interview? How long does it take most people to find a new role post-layoff? Which companies are hiring? You'll probably feel a little better by researching options, clarifying goals, and taking useful action.

Even if you don’t find a complete solution, you at least know more. Having added knowledge will help you worry less or at least direct your worry toward taking productive action that will help you solve a problem.

Take a Social Media Break

Social media, specifically LinkedIn, can be a great job search tool. Unfortunately, it can also give you the illusion that everyone else is doing great and you are downright hopeless. Posts like “It only took me a week to find my dream job,” or "I just got an awesome job (aka the one you were interviewing for)," “I’m still employed but I feel SO BAD for my former coworkers who are jobless,” or “Every company ever is doing more layoffs (which means more competition for each job)” will only make you feel worse. Remind yourself that social media isn’t real life and disengage.

Leverage Basic Self Care

When everything feels hard, taking care of yourself needs to be your top priority. Here are a few quick and easy ideas to make you feel almost instantly better:

Breathe.
Drink water.
Eat regularly.
Rest.
Shower.
Take a break.
Move your body.
Go outside.

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Your Weekly Job Search To Do List

9/3/2024

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by Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

A Harsh Truth About Job Searching

Whether you are employed and searching for a role that is a better match or in a post-layoff career transition, job searching has many challenges. Perhaps the most frustrating part is that you can't control when you will get a new job. The whole process takes as long as it takes. To make the waiting and uncertainty more bearable, focusing on the aspects of your job search you can control is helpful.

Measuring Success

When working toward a goal, it's always helpful to identify your goals and track your progress toward those goals. This will also help you to evaluate what you are doing and adjust as needed to help you see greater success. There are two kinds of indicators to help measure success: leading indicators and lagging indicators.

When working toward a goal, most people focus on lagging indicators. In a work setting, if I deliver a training session to help boost product sales, future sales numbers are a lagging indicator. Many factors contributing to future sales are outside my control—like what competing products exist, commission rates, or market conditions. Ultimately, sales numbers are a lagging indicator of success because they show up later on.

Focusing on lagging indicators is how we are encouraged to measure progress in much of life. We look to the scale to show us if we lost weight, our temperature to see if we are healthy, and an accepted job offer as proof of results. While these are all the ultimate measures of success, they are the outputs of many tangible factors we can track and control. Which brings us to...

Along the way, it’s more helpful to focus on leading indicators. These are the easily measurable, countable, check-off-able items that are within your control. In my sales training scenario, leading indicators of success would include holding the training session, the number of attendees, knowledge check results from each participant, and the presence of a reference document. I can control all of these things, count them, and check off tasks completed.

Focusing on the right leading indicators doesn't guarantee I'll achieve my lagging indicators of increased sales, but that success is more likely to happen. Similarly, if I commit to the daily tasks of walking for 30 minutes, eating 5 servings of vegetables, and drinking 64 ounces of water per day, I am positioning myself for more success in my weight loss goal. Those right actions, and tweaking them as needed, will eventually lead to that number on the scale moving in the right direction.

Job Search: Lagging Indicators

Within the context of a job search, here are a few lagging indicators of job search progress. You can also not directly control these actions happening:

Finding a current employee to refer me for a specific job at their company.
Getting a collegues to put in a good word for me with a potential employer.
Hearing back from an employer about an initial interview.
Being invited to a follow-up or final job interview.
Recieving a job offer.

All these lagging are definitive, and are indicators of legitimate progress toward getting a new job. You also can not directly make any of these things happen.

Ways to Achieve the Bigger Goal

During your job search, it's important to focus on activities that can position you to reach those milestones. Here are the broad areas you can impact:

Build or strengthen networking connections with people who work in my industry or for a possible employer (which may lead to a referral)
Highlight my professional skillset through my LinkedIn profile (which may lead to an employer reaching out about an open position)
Apply for jobs that are a good fit for me (which may lead to a call back)
Improve how I position my work experience (which may lead to my resume being selected for an initial phone screen)

Job Search: Leading Indicators.

Now, turn those squishier ideas into leading indicators. Do this by creating specific, countable, check-off-able tasks on your to-do list. Here are a few examples:

On LinkedIn, spend 15 minutes each weekday reacting to and commenting on posts made by my connections and companies that I follow.
On LinkedIn, make a post each Tuesday at 10:00 am that starts with a sentence about a valuable skill I have and includes a link to an article about that skill.
On LinkedIn, make a post each Thursday at 2:00 pm that includes a work-relevant inspirational quote.
On LinkedIn, send five requests to connect with new people each week.
Identify five jobs that meet my job search criteria.
Apply for three jobs with tailored resumes.
On LinkedIn, follow the LinkedIn page for each company where I apply.
Take part in at least one professional development activity per week.

Having this list of tangible actions to take will keep you on track to achieve your goal of finding a new job.

Keep On Doing The Right Things

Some weeks, you do a lot of waiting, which makes you feel like you are terrible at everything and destined to be stuck right where you are. Other weeks, people will trip over one another clamoring to talk with you about yet another amazing job opportunity. During those weeks, you feel like this is all easy and you can do no wrong. Stay the course and keep on keeping on knowing that eventually something will pop.

What Do You Think?

How do you sustain momentum during your job search? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Customizing Your Resume For Each Job Application

8/27/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

A Resume for Each Job? Won't That Take Forever?

When applying for jobs, customizing each resume is one way to help you stand out. Unfortunately, it’s easy to spend a lot of time and effort updating your resume. Let's look at shortcuts for customizing your resume that take less time and improve your results.

Identifying Your Target Role

When applying for jobs, an important first step is to know what specifically you are looking for in your next job--your target role. This includes details like your desired job title(s), industries, core work responsibilities, geographic location, day-to-day responsibilities, pay rate, and work arrangements (onsite, remote, hybrid).

If you don't have a clear idea of what your target job looks like, it makes everything else harder. I encourage you to dedicate time to figuring out what you want. This action alone will help you be more efficient as you search for open positions, determine what to apply for, create your target job resume, and apply for specific jobs.

During a previous job search, these were key components of my target role:

Full-time Learning Consultant role at a company in the fields of software/healthcare/finance
100% remote or hybrid in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area
Managing learning projects, completing needs assessments, designing comprehensive training programs for customers and employees

Create a Target Job Resume

Start by creating a resume aligned with your target job. To be clear, this IS NOT the resume you submit each time you apply for a job. Instead, this target job resume is the one you start with and customize just a bit for each job application. You could also share your target job resume with those people who say, "Can you send me your resume?" who may not have a specific job description to share.

Overall, this resume should be a solid representation of your skills, the type of work you do, and the unique value you would bring to a new role. Your target job resume should also include keywords commonly appearing in job descriptions for the type of work you do.

Target Job Resume: Professional Summary Section

Start your target job resume with a professional summary. The goal of this section is to give the reader a quick overview of the value you bring to the position. This summary includes a few sentences that summarize who you are, what drives you, and how those factors align with an available role. This is also an opportunity to highlight important keywords that will resonate with employers.

During a previous job search, this was my Professional Summary:

Proactive learning consultant driven to help organizations succeed. Thrives when partnering with leaders and stakeholders to improve performance. Able to think strategically and execute tactically while managing multiple projects. Committed to constant learning, continuous improvement, and delivering training that drives results.

Target Job Resume: Relevant Skills Section

Think about the skills employers typically ask for in your area of expertise. Make a list of those commonly used skills that keep popping up in job descriptions that interest you. Prioritize the ones that you really want the hiring team to know about. Include those in your Relevant Skills section near the top of your target job resume.

During a previous job search, I listed these keywords as my Relevant Skills:

Blended Learning, Coaching, Collaboration, Communications, Consulting, Facilitation, Instructional Design, Needs Analysis, Onboarding, Project Management, Relationship Building, Strategy, Video Production

Target Job Resume: Work Experience Details

For each of your previous roles, be sure to outline specific projects on which you worked and the results of your efforts. In those bullet points on your target job resume, use the words you’ve seen in job descriptions. Be sure to include a wide variety of keywords to help even the least experienced recruiter see the tie between what you describe and the skills the employer wants.

During a previous job search, I included these keywords in my description of core responsibilities for my previous roles:

Implemented a knowledge management strategy for a fast-paced B2B company. Drove platform adoption, standardized training materials, leveraged best practices, and managed a remote team of 5-8.

Developed a blended learning solution to onboard new SaaS customers. Incorporated virtual instructor-led training (VILT), eLearning, hands-on practice, and post-class assessments. Decreased instructor classroom time, customer wait time, and implementation project length.

Managed enterprise-wide training initiatives: producing a library of best-in-class microlearning videos, implementing a Digital Adaption Platform (DAP) for in-tool software support, and creating online user communities based on personas.

The words in bold are keywords pulled from relevant job descriptions.

Throughout my resume, I use as many variations of industry-standard words as I can. For example, the terms learning experience design, instructional design, and curriculum design are often used to describe the same set of skills. Instead of using the same term all the time, I alternate between these three to include a company's preferred term.

When You Might Share Your Target Job Resume

Once you have your target job resume completed, save a copy of it as a .pdf with a file name that includes your first and last name and the word "resume." For example, I would save mine as Brenda L. Peterson Resume. Now, if someone asks you for "your resume" with no specific job title in mind, you have a resume that is a good representation of you. In most cases, though, you will share a slightly different version of your resume for each job that interests you.

Creating an Application Resume: Save As

Now that you have a target job resume in good shape, make sure the editable copy of your target job resume with a file name that includes your first and last name and the words "target job resume." For example, I would save mine as Brenda L. Peterson Target Job Resume.

Now, when you apply for a new role, you’ll start by opening your editable job target resume document and then saving it under a new file name that specifies the role for which you are applying. For example, I would save my application resume as Brenda L. Peterson, Lead Learning Consultant at Super Cool Company. This way, I still have my target job resume and a specific application resume to use for this job application.

From Target Job Resume to Application Resume

Now you have a solid target job resume with the right sections and a wide variety of relevant keywords. When you are ready to apply for a specific job, start with the editable version of your resume. Remember, your resume is 80-90% ready. Now, you will focus on customizing two key sections before submitting an application: Professional Summary and Relevant Skills.

Application Resume: Professional Summary Section

From here, use the language in the job description to tailor your resume for this role. Since you already have a framework in place for how you write this section, now you can modify the exact wording to make it even more applicable to the job. In this example, I will customize my Professional Summary Section to align with the language used in the job description for a Lead Learning Consultant role.

Here is the Professional Summary section from my target job resume:

Proactive learning consultant driven to help organizations succeed. Thrives when partnering with leaders and stakeholders to improve performance. Able to think strategically and execute tactically while managing multiple projects. Committed to constant learning, continuous improvement, and delivering training that drives results.

Here is the updated Professional Summary section for my application resume for the Lead Learning Consultant role:

High-performing lead learning consultant who thrives when delivering engaging employee performance solutions. Thrives when partnering with internal and external stakeholders to design innovative talent management programs. Able to think strategically and execute tactically while managing multiple projects. Committed to constant learning, continuous improvement, and delivering talent initiatives that drive engagement.

The sentiment is similar, but now I'm conveying my value add using the employer’s words to describe this position. Note the bolded words were pulled directly from the job description.

Application Resume: Relevant Skills Section

Now, its' time to customize the Relevant Skills Section to align with the words used in the job description. In this example, I will update my language to align with the terms in the Lead Learning Consultant role job description.

Here is the Relevant Skills section from my target job resume:

Blended Learning, Coaching, Collaboration, Communications, Consulting, Facilitation, Instructional Design, Needs Analysis, Onboarding, Project Management, Relationship Building, Strategy, Video Production

Here is the updated Relevant Skills section for my application resume for the Lead Learning Consultant role:

Blended Learning Solutions, Employee Coaching, Collaboration, Communication Skills, Consulting, Facilitation, Curriculum Design, New Hire Onboarding, Project Management, Relationship Building, Strategy, Talent Management Programs

To mirror language the company used, I added "solutions" to blended learning, changed "instructional" to "curriculum", and added a few terms emphasized in the job description to this list. Realize these skills are also included in bulleted points for each role. This is just another opportunity to help the recruiter align the skills needed with the words listed in the job description.

Finalizing Your Application Resume: Save As .pdf

Once you have your application resume completed, save a copy of it as a .pdf with the same file name, in my example, Brenda L. Peterson, Lead Learning Consultant at Super Cool Company. Now, you can submit your application resume to the company along with other details they request.

What Do You Think?

Do you customize a resume for each role? What are your tips, tricks, and strategies? Include your thoughts in the comments.

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Career Planning: Figuring Out What You Want To Be Next

8/20/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

What Do You Want To Be Next?

We often ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As an adult thinking about the future, it’s time to ask yourself, “What do I want to be next?” Whether you are in a post-layoff career transition searching for a new role, or you're employed and contemplating your future, it's a good time to think about what you want from your professional life going forward.

Shouldn't I Just Take What I Can Get?

As a job seeker who is unhappy with their current situation, I understand the tendency to feel like you are in no position to be picky. However, when I talk with job searchers having difficulty landing a new role, not having a focus for their job search actually slows their progress considerably.

Most of the time, employers are less likely to hire someone who wants what I would call “any old job.” Employers would rather find someone who genuinely wants to do a specific type of work, has the necessary skills, and is targeting an identified role. One of the best things you can do for the success of your job search is to figure out what you really want to do, then use your resume and LinkedIn profile to promote yourself as a match for your desired role.

Take a Beat

When your job suddenly ends, I think the natural tendency is to think, “I need to be reemployed as quickly as possible,” or to skip thinking altogether and seek out exactly the same job you had before. It’s not that you can’t seek the same type of work—because you can. Just make sure to reconfirm with yourself that you are going toward a role you want.

After my very first layoff, I took a moment for contemplation and thought to myself, “This is my chance to figure out what it is I want to do with my life! I can do anything!” Approximately 5 minutes later, I realized, “For me, this is the right area.”

Other times, when I fell into that “must get a job right now!” mindset, I just got a job with about the same title as my last job with about the same type of company. Was it a bad decision? Not necessarily. Whether you do the same things as before or want to shift gears, make sure you’re actively deciding what is next for you. As yourself—what do you want?

Learning About Yourself

The first step of job searching is figuring out what kind of a role you even want. Take time to do a little soul searching. Here are ideas for how to go about that process.

Reflect on Your Values

A good starting point is thinking about what really matters to you in life and how you express those values.

Personally, I also find that it's challenging to think of the right words to articulate those high-level ideas that matter to you. I discovered the think2perform Online Values Exercise at a previous job when I was designing a retirement planning seminar. Since thinking about your money (or your work, for that matter) starts with what you care about on a larger scale, this is a great starting point. Personally, I take this assessment on at least an annual basis because the process helps me revisit my values in general and helps me more thoughtfully talk about what I do and why I do it.

The assessment itself includes 51 named value cards and 4 rounds of reviewing the cards. The total time to complete this activity is about 15 minutes, and perhaps more, depending on how much contemplation you do during the process. You also have the option to add your own values as needed. In the end, you'll have 5 value cards with descriptions that name and describe key areas that matter to you.

After you identify your top 5 values, think about how you live those values in your life and how you would like to express those values in your work. Use these as your guideposts as you move on to the next steps.

Identify Your Work Strengths

The CliftonStrengths Assessment (previously known as Clifton StrengthsFinder) is a wonderful tool for identifying what you are good at, how that manifests, and how your version of each strength shows up. It not only helps you identify your top strengths but also gives you language to talk about skills you didn't even realize everyone else didn't have.

To access this assessment, you can purchase the StrengthsFinder 2.0 Book (which includes a code for the new CliftonStrengths Online Assessment) or you can directly pay for and access the CliftonStrengths Top 5 Assessment on Gallup.com. Either option should cost around $25 for the basic assessment and results, with the option to purchase additional assessments or training based on your level of interest.

The 30-minute online assessment includes 177 questions including paired statements. On a scale you select which of the statements is more like you. From there, you'll receive a report identifying your top five strengths along with a more detailed description of how those strengths are exhibited in how you interact with the world. Reading a report about yourself (one that is freakishly accurate, by the way) is downright life changing.

After taking the assessment, you'll be able to see your unique talents and have language to explain how what you do sets you apart from others. Having a way to put your abilities into words can translate directly into your resume, and how you talk about who you are and what you bring to the table.

Reflect on Roles and Identify What You Want

Think about your previous jobs and reflect on what you liked and didn't like. As yourself the following questions and write down your answers:

What field or fields would you like to work in?
What job titles might be a good fit for you?
Are you interested in a full time, part time, contract, or freelance job?
How many hours do you want to work a week?
What size of company or industry would you like to work for?
Would you like a manager role, individual contributor role, or player/coach role (doing both)?
What work hours and schedule would you prefer?
What salary would you like?
How much time off would you like?
Would you like to work in-person, part in-person and part remotely (hybrid), or all remote?
How many miles/lengths of time would you be comfortable commuting? How often would you want to commute?
Would you like to travel for work? If so, how often over what period of time? Driving or flying travel? What travel percentage is ideal for you?
What benefits are important to you? What would be nice to have?
What focus area(s) would you like to have?
What skills would you like to be able to use on a regular basis?
What day-to-day activities would you like to do?
What do you want the role of your work to be in your life?
What is on your “oh hell no” list?

Talk To People In Roles of Interest

One helpful way to find out more about possible career options is to talk to people who are currently in those roles. By reaching out to individuals in your professional network and asking them to put you in touch with people they know who could help, you can make new connections and find out about specific companies and roles. This will help you start to bridge the distance between your skills, and possible job titles and companies that might be a good fit for you.

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The Why and What of Posting on LinkedIn

8/13/2024

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By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Using LinkedIn To Build Your Brand

Sharing content on LinkedIn is a great way to engage with your connections, add value to your professional relationships, and promote who you are and what you know. However, only about 1% of LinkedIn users ever post anything at all--which I think is a huge missed opportunity to stand out.

Why People Don't Post on LinkedIn

When I've asked people what is stopping them from posting on LinkedIn, the overwhelming answer is, "I don't know what to post." Like with most everything in life, it comes down to your overall goals.

Whether I'm promoting myself in general or actively searching for a new "day job" in L&D, my goals remain consistent: to share knowledge and strengthen relationships. There are many ways posting on LinkedIn can help. I suggest using LinkedIn to share posts that support who you are as a professional.

Types of Posts

You don't have to write a long, original manifesto to post on LinkedIn and make an impact. Here are examples of what you can post on LinkedIn that will help you "build your brand" and share what you're all about, both professionally and as a person:

Showcasing your expertise
You as a person
Inspirational content
Promoting others
You doing things
Your work samples
Sharing insights
Sharing opportunities and resources

Let's look at a few examples of my posts.

Showcasing Your Expertise

Who are you professionally? What are your skills? What do you bring to the table as a possible employee of a given company? For me, my skills include training leadership, needs assessment, relationship building, instructional design, project management, technical writing, facilitating classes, and more.

You as a Person

Who are you? What is it like to work with you? What are your interests? What do you care about? For me, I love helping people to succeed. I love removing obstacles so people can be successful. I enjoy board games, inline skating, my cats, my family, and a good cup of coffee. I am also kind of a nerd. I also own a velvet Elvis--because of course I do.

Inspirational Content

What picks you up when you are down? What insights struck you? What motivates you? For me, I love quotes about the value of lifelong learning, self care, and shifting your mindset.

Promoting Others

Who inspires you? Who do you learn from? Who shared a useful resource that benefitted you? For me, I enjoy finding awesome people to learn from and sharing useful articles with others who might also find them helpful.

You Doing Things

What do you do? What did you write? How do you volunteer? For me, I lead classes, go to professional development meetings, deliver webinars, inline skate, and, on rare occasion, beat my now-adult child at a board game.

Your Work Samples

What projects do you work on? What do you write? What content to you create? What experiences have you learned from? For me, I teach custom webinars, write blog articles, assist other instructors, and design learning.

Sharing Insights

What have you learned about your chosen profession? What's a tip you like to share? What's your go-to strategy for solving a problem? What's something unique you have noticed? For me, I make observations, see unique solutions to common problems, or see how training and learning are out there in the world. And also coffee.

Sharing Opportunities and Resources

What problems can you help people solve? Who do you know who is a go to person for a given topic? What is a solution you learned about from a common problem? For me, I share information for people who want to get into corporate training, share job search resources, point people towards others who share topic-specific content.

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Onsite, Remote, and Hybrid Work Implications

Remote Job Clarifications

Onsite, Remote, and Hybrid Roles in Practice

Navigating Job Listings for Remote Roles

Remote Work Implications: Locations and Pay

Strategies for Remote Work Salary Conversations

Learn More

Eye on the Prize: Getting the Interview

What Follow-Up Email Messages Will and Won't Do

My Horror Story: Follow-Up Gone Awry

Worst Practices: Job Application Follow-Up

Finding the Right People and Contact Information

What To Include In Your Follow-Up Email

How a Follow-Up Message Might Look

Follow-up Email Timing and Frequency

Learn More

Layoffs Happen All The Time

Now What Do I Do?

Your New Focus Areas

Your Guiding Principle

Focus Area 1: Process Your Emotions

Step 2: Review Your Finances

Possible Money From Your Former Employer

Unemployment Income

A Note About Health Insurance

Step 3: Prepare For Your Job Search

It Will All Work Out. It May Also Take A While.

Seven Lessons From Seven Layoffs: A Guide

Learn More

Where Do I Even Start?

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

Step 2: Decide What To Include

Step 3: Gather Work Samples

Step 4: Choose and Implement Technology

Step 5: Share Your Portfolio.

Make Your Portfolio 1.0

What Do You Think?

Learn More

Energy Management Trumps Time Management

Reflect on Factors Influenging Your Energy Levels

Your Most and Least Productive Times of Day

Factors Influencing Your Energy Levels

Patterns for Energy Builders and Energy Depleters

Self Care Builds Energy

Leverage Your Energy To Achieve More

Learn More

Rejection and Negative Emotions

Applying for a job and:

Having what felt like a great interview for a job and:

Receiving a job offer and:

Accepting a job offer and:

​The Necessity of Experiencing Your Emotions

Coping Strategies

Acknowledge Each Emotion

Wallow a Little

Research The Problem

Take a Social Media Break

Leverage Basic Self Care

Learn More

A Harsh Truth About Job Searching

Measuring Success

Job Search: Lagging Indicators

Ways to Achieve the Bigger Goal

Job Search: Leading Indicators.

Keep On Doing The Right Things

What Do You Think?

Learn More

A Resume for Each Job? Won't That Take Forever?

Identifying Your Target Role

Create a Target Job Resume

Target Job Resume: Professional Summary Section

Target Job Resume: Relevant Skills Section

Target Job Resume: Work Experience Details

When You Might Share Your Target Job Resume

Creating an Application Resume: Save As

From Target Job Resume to Application Resume

Application Resume: Professional Summary Section

Application Resume: Relevant Skills Section

Finalizing Your Application Resume: Save As .pdf

What Do You Think?

The Necessity of Experiencing Your Emotions