In recent months we had a series of major technological companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Vimeo, Goldman Sachs executing major layoffs. Last year we heard similar daunting news from Meta, Twitter, DoorDash, Zillow, Peloton, Snapchat, Netflix, Cisco. The list goes on.

Let me share a few thoughts how to survive such difficult event and how to get back in the game.

1. Give yourself some time to recover after the painful experience. Surround yourself with people whom you trust, get some sleep, take care of your physical well-being. Grant yourself this well-deserved break. One watch-out though: do not make it too long. Get back in the saddle, so to speak. I actually like this metaphor a lot – the image that I have in my mind is of someone, such as a jockey or cowboy, who has fallen off a horse and must get back in the saddle to resume riding the horse. Common wisdom dictates that someone who falls off a horse must immediately return to the saddle in order to conquer the horse’s temperament and one’s fears. There might be a grain of truth in there.
2. Identify your goal. Saying that “I want a new job” is not enough. Try to be as specific as possible. Which industry you want the job to be in? Do you want to continue with your current career trajectory or you want to leverage this break to pivot into a new direction? What types of companies you would be interested in – established ones, corporations, early start-ups, late start-ups, non-profits, your own business? Keep asking these types of questions until you can clearly visualize where you want to go.
3. Work on your “pantry” check. By pantry I mean all your assets – physical, intellectual, social – that you might leverage in your job quest. It also helps to create your own “mojo” file. (…) Not only it is a great preparation for any interviews up ahead, yet also it helps to boost your self-confidence.
4. Map your network. List all the individuals that you know or might have access to that might be helpful to reconnect with – not only to ask whether they are aware of any openings, yet also to get more perspective on the companies that you have identified in step 2. Start with leveraging power strategy of flattery – that we have discussed in episode 1 and ask for some time with them. Let it even be 15 minutes virtual coffee. And do not hesitate to ask. As proven over and over again by the studies in social and organizational behavior, asking really works. Contrary to common belief, people want to be helpful.
5. Get into action. Do not over-rely on replying to the job advertisements. This activity should constitute not more than 10 to 15% of your time devoted to the job search. If your sole strategy of finding a new job relies on job ads, then you are in trouble. You will be up against bots, sifting out algorithms and massive competition. So what to do instead, Monika – you ask? Tap into your network to access so called hidden job market. What’s this one – you ask? Those would be the vacancies that aren't publicly listed or advertised with recruiters but instead are filled through “internal candidates or referrals”.