Getting laid off is painful. Here’s what to do after.

LTC Eugene Chu
..."Ongoing strategies to aid your job search
In the weeks following the layoff, structure will be your greatest asset. “Schedule your day for job searching the same way you would schedule your day when you are doing a work project,” McGoodwin says. Rather than spend five consecutive hours firing off applications for roles you don’t really want, dedicate two or three hours applying to exciting positions.

Have a friend or mentor look over your resume and cover letter to provide feedback, Green advises. (Even better if they have hiring experience.) For those who have been out of the job search for a while, getting advice and strategies can ensure you’re using the most up-to-date approaches, especially in the age of social media.

Think deeply about what you want your next role to look like. If you were burned out from your previous position, it can be helpful to think about aspects of a new job that would help lighten your load, like a role that doesn’t require early morning hours or one where you don’t manage a team.

The next few hours of your day can be devoted to networking. As unappealing as it might sound, most jobs are never publicly advertised and many positions are filled through networking. Reach out to a friend-of-a-friend or slide into the DMs of someone who works in your field and ask to learn more about what they do. Don’t forget to keep in touch with former colleagues or contacts from your former job, Green says.

The rest of your to-do list can be administrative tasks like updating your portfolio and responding to emails. Make sure you’re taking some time for yourself, too, to get some fresh air and spend time with people you love.

Layoffs can be painful and potentially feel shameful, but the elimination of your position has nothing to do with your value as an employee or as a human. Take some time to feel hurt, but remember, no one will judge you for having lost your job, Green says. “It was personal to me,” she says. “It was business to them.”

LTC Eugene Chu Been There, Done That, Laid Off by Sprint 2002.

Thanks for sharing this information! The workforce of today is very diferrent of the past!