By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

No doubt, you've been applying for a lot of jobs--and now a company wants to talk to you! Since you're over the first hurdle, it’s time to get ready to make a good impression. Your goal is to help your interviewers see how amazing you are! To do that, you need to figure out how to shape and share your story. Let's look at what you're likely in for and how to set yourself up for success.

During the job interview process, hiring managers and recruiters often ask behavioral interview questions since past actions often predict future behavior. Old-school interview questions rely on asking how you would handle a hypothetical situation (which, of course, would be perfectly).
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Conversely, behavioral interview questions require you to share a story of what you actually did in a similar situation. The stories you share come from your previous work experience and demonstrate how you think, solve problems, measure success, and overcome obstacles. 

Traditional interview questions usually start with, "How would you?" while behavioral interview questions often begin with, "Tell me about a time." 

Here are a few examples of old-school questions and behavioral alternatives:​

When answering behavioral interview questions, you will tell a story. It's valuable to think about your previous jobs and be ready to mine that experience for stories to explain key points to your interviewers. Your goal should be to give a 1-3 minute answer that showcases your skills in ways that address the question. 

The tendency is for people to either not know what to say or to ramble and hope they stumble upon something useful. For the next little part of this article, we'll explore different strategies you could use to answer the following question:

Tell me about a time when you had to finish a project with a short turnaround time. ​

Here goes nothing:
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Gosh. I've done a lot of projects where I had to get something done quickly. Those have included software implementations, making a video, and even designing or updating a class with little to no notice. I usually just work really hard and put in extra hours to get something done.

So, one case I can think of was right when the pandemic started in 2020. I worked for a software company that delivered most of its training in person at customer sites. Since government guidelines for dealing with COVID were changing daily during the early part of the pandemic, over the course of a couple of days--maybe it was like two weeks. I can't quite remember.

Anyway, we realized that we would not be able to travel to customer sites to deliver their training like we had always done. We had to figure out how to deliver what was usually a week or so of in-person training without traveling to a customer site. We really didn't know how we were going to pull that off--and we were really worried that we were going to totally screw it up. I mean, who even knew what was going on early pandemic? What a mess that whole thing was. 

So anyway, we had to figure out how to do that well--and we had to figure it out in literally days. I had the trainer cancel their travel plans. Then, a few of us--including a salesperson, a trainer, and an instructional designer--sat down and tried to figure out what to do. We didn't want to bore people to death or make it an awful experience. We thought about doing videos, but those take a lot of time to create and produce. We also had to figure out a short-term plan for the next week and figure out a more interim plan after that. It was really hard to figure out. I mean--the whole WORLD had changed! 

[Note: we're still on the stage setting part of this and not even on to the question answer. So. Much. Talking.]

Having a plan for your answers will make the whole interviewing process better.

PAR is one method you can use to structure your answer. Here are key components and what each letter represents:
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• Project or Problem: Set the scene for the story you are telling and the problem you were trying to solve. What company did you work for? What was their focus? What was the problem? Why did the problem matter? 
• Action: Describe what you did. What did you think about first? What actions did you take? What specifically did you do? Why did you choose that course of action over others? Who did what?
• Results: Explain the end result. What tangibly happened? Was the customer happier? Did a problem go away? What were the short term impacts? How did this work out in the long run? What did you gain? Did you avert a loss?

Project/Problem: 

In March of 2020, when COVID was declared a pandemic, I worked at XYZ Software Company, and my team trained new users right after their software went live for each customer. Because we did new user training in person at each customer's site, and travel restrictions were going into place, we had to figure out what to do instead--and we only had a few days to figure something out.

Action:

I talked with my manager about how to deliver this training the following week to ABC Company. We thought through options and decided to use a combination of Zoom meetings and hands-on practice. I repurposed some of our materials to be self-paced activities, and my manager and I talked with the customer about our plans. We agreed to do a 90-minute instructor-led session in the morning and another one in the afternoon each day that week. Learners would also do self-paced activities, and the instructor would be available to answer questions as needed. 

Result:
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This resulted in us delivering the training during the planned week using the time already scheduled, but in a different way. In the end, the customer was happy that we were still on schedule, and end users appreciated the combination of instructor-led training and self-directed time.

Context:

In March of 2020, when COVID was declared a pandemic, I worked at XYZ Software Company and my team trained new users right after their software went live for each customer. Because we did new user training in-person at each customer's site, and travel restrictions were going into place, we had to figure out what to do instead--and we only had a few days to plan.

​Action:

I talked with my manager about how to deliver this training the following week to ABC Company. We thought through options and decided to use a combination of Zoom meetings and hands-on practice. I repurposed some of our materials to be self-paced activities, and my manager and I talked with the customer about our plans. We agreed to do a 90-minute instructor-led session in the morning, and another one in the afternoon each day that week. Learners would also do self-paced activities, and I would be available to answer questions as needed. 

Result:

This resulted in us delivering the training during the planned week using the time already scheduled, but in a different way. In the end, the customer was happy that we were still on schedule, and end users appreciated the combination of instructor-led training and self-directed time. 

Learning:
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Through this process, we learned more about how we could deliver effective learning at a distance. We also found that encouraging learners to turn their cameras on during training helped build a sense of community among class members. We built upon our lessons learned to improve our training with each customer.

In addition to PAR and CARL, here are two more question answering models. 
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• CAR: Context, Action, Results: This method is similar to content in PAR. Both CAR and PAR do not include what you learned during the process.
• ​STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Results: STAR breaks apart the Situation and the Task, and still covers the Actions taken, then Results. 
  

In the end, it doesn't matter as much which one you choose, just that you structure your answers to minimize rambling. 

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

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.

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. 

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.
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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.

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. 

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. 

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

​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.

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.

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

By Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you determine your portfolio goals:

• What is your main purpose for having a portfolio? Do you need work samples to show hiring managers? Are you interested in sharing examples of websites you've built to entice potential clients to want to work with you? Is it just because someone told me I should have one? Figure out your why, then plan accordingly. 
  
  
• Who is your primary audience? Who specifically are you creating this for? Answers may include recruiters, hiring managers, potential employers, or people who may be looking for a freelancer.

• Who are your additional audiences? Who else might you want to access your portfolio? Perhaps the main goal is to share this with hiring managers, but a secondary goal is to share it with a colleague looking for ideas.
  
  
• What would you like your primary audience to learn about you from your portfolio? Is your goal to show your wide range of skills? Are you trying to do a deeper dive into your whole work process by sharing details on one comprehensive project? Do you want to show how you've used project management principles by highlighting projects in three very different industries? Choose your focus, then create accordingly.
  
  
• How much context or positioning does each work sample need? Can your primary audience just look at a work sample and garner what they need? If not, what context is needed, and how can you provide that?
  
  
• How and when do you want to share your work samples? Do you want them readily available? Does a potential employer ask you to include a link when you apply? Can you share work samples as needed? Would you prefer a URL that not just anyone can access?
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• How fancy does it need to be? This will help you decide what technology to use, your budget, and your minimum viable product (MVP). 
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• What is your level of commitment?​ Consciously decide how much time, energy, brainpower, and money you are willing to dedicate right away and on an ongoing basis to creating your portfolio. 

A few years ago, when applying for jobs, I realized I needed an online portfolio to show hiring managers supporting evidence that I could use the learning and development skills included in my resume. I looked at job descriptions for training leadership roles that interested me and noted the specific keywords and skills that were most often included.

From there, I chose work samples to showcase those identified skills. For each sample, I included a brief introduction to position the value of each artifact. I shared a project plan, a pitch deck promoting a company-wide change, a facilitator guide, and microlearning videos on technical, soft skills, and business-related topics. 

​From a technology standpoint, my portfolio was a hidden page on my existing website. That portfolio page was non-searchable and not listed in website navigation, but it was available directly through the page's web address. As needed, I could include that URL on my resume, email it to hiring managers, or include it in an online job application. 

What are your goals for your portfolio? What kind of content do you think it makes sense for you to include? As you are comfortable, share your ideas in the comments.