For over a year, I’ve been writing (mostly) weekly updates from the post-layoff seat to contracting and soon to a new full-time role. I’ve seen my writing go from optimistic, to broken, and back again. It’s been a wild year, and unfortunately, 2024 is shaping up to be challenging too.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

This week another 1,000 Indeedian’s joined a club they didn’t choose to be a part of, ex-Indeedians. Like many of my former coworkers (Indeedians and ex-Indeedians alike) I’m putting my time, my network, and my camaraderie out there for you all. If there’s anything I can do to help, please reach out: on OnlyNewMistakes, via Substack, LinkedIn, email, SMS, or whatever works best for you. 

Rather than telling more of my story, I’m going to grab a few of the better bits of support from previous posts and re-share them for those who’ve been laid off recently. Rather than make this just a straight link dump from previous posts, I’ll provide a few updates/insights that have come with hindsight since those posts.

1. Immediate reactions & next steps – week #1 
   1. The first thing I see is the optimism in this post. I still thought we were in the same old tech market. We are not. It has changed. Be prepared to search for a while and to have fewer options than you would have previously.
   2. Networking is crucial. You have the time. Reach out to the unemployed and connect. Reach out to people who are working too. Get recommendations, referrals, tips, resume reviews, and anything else they offer.
2. The funnel of despair – week #5
   1. Lots of folks (including me) shared their stats along the way, but the ratios of jobs applied, interviews, and offers are VERY real right now. Creating a system to track your applications, and following up is important.
   2. That mountaintop-to-valley-to-mountaintop ride of the “Morale over time” chart is very accurate. Be prepared for the rough days and have a plan. Get out, get some sun, and see friends.
3. Using the tools well – week #13 & week 32
   1. From making sure you have an active role in your LinkedIn to trying other tools (Otta, BuiltIn, etc.) make sure you use your tools well.
   2. AI tools for resume review and cover letter writing are quite good and can save a lot of time when you are firing off a lot of applications.
4. Focusing on what you do well – week #22
   1. Writing down things you do (and did) well and reading those frequently was a lift when my spirits got low. I emailed my list to myself and snoozed it each morning to the next day or two so that it was a regular message reminding me to focus on my strengths.
5. LinkedIn supertips – week #21
   1. Using the Social Selling Index to understand your LinkedIn profile’s strengths and weaknesses and how to improve your profile’s ranking.

There are weeks of other content here or on any of the other platforms I share this content on: OnlyNewMistakes, via Substack, LinkedIn. I hope it helps.