Bounce back: the search after a layoff

Running a job search after a layoff as a project: the story, the pipeline, referrals, closing skill gaps, bridge income and choosing a stable next employer.

Your layoff story

What: Two calm, factual sentences explaining the layoff, followed by what you did next and what you want.
Why: Interviewers want to know whether it was about you and how you handled it. A short answer lets you move on to what you can do.
Example: My team was one of several closed when the company cut 15% of staff in March. Since then I have built X, and I am looking for a role doing Y.

Watch out

A long, bitter or apologetic story that makes a company decision sound personal.

Job search pipeline

Also called pipeline, job tracker

What: A tracker of every opportunity and its stage: researched, applied, referred, recruiter call, interviews, offer.
Why: Reviewed weekly, it shows where the search is stuck and turns effort into targets you control.

Open to Work

Also called #OpenToWork, open to work banner

What: A LinkedIn setting that tells recruiters, or everyone, that you are looking, with an optional green photo frame.
Why: It can bring recruiter messages. Showing it only to recruiters is a reasonable middle ground if you are unsure about the public frame.

Skill gap

What: The skills that job ads for your target role ask for most often and that you cannot yet prove.
Why: Counting them in 20 real ads tells you what to learn, instead of guessing.

Watch out

Spending the whole search learning and putting off applications until you feel ready.

Bridge work

Also called bridge income, contract work

What: Short contract or freelance work taken during a long search to pay bills and keep skills current.
Why: It extends your runway and gives you something recent to talk about, as long as it does not stop the search.

Checking a company's stability

Also called due diligence

What: Researching whether the next employer is likely to cut soon: results, funding, recent layoffs and how close your team is to revenue.
Why: It lowers the chance of being laid off again within a year.
Example: Ask a startup when it last raised money and how many months of runway it has.

Job scams

Also called fake recruiters, recruitment fraud

What: Fake job offers that try to take money or personal data, often aimed at people who have just been laid off.
Why: Warning signs: no real interview, chat-only contact, requests to pay for equipment or training, or to deposit a cheque and send money back.

Watch out

Letting stress and urgency override the checks you would normally make.

Search routine

What: Fixed working hours for the search, plus sleep, exercise, time off and people to talk to.
Why: Searches can take months. A routine prevents burnout and the poor decisions that come with it.

Reference

Also called references, referee

What: A person, usually a former manager or senior colleague, who confirms your work to a future employer.
Why: Agree references before you leave and save their personal contacts, because work email will stop.

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