Stage 7 of 7 · 8 lessons · ~6 weeks
Bounce back: the search after a layoff
A job search after a layoff is a project, not a mood. Tell the story in two calm sentences, run a weekly pipeline that leans on referrals, close the skill gaps the market is asking about, and protect your health and money while you do it.
Start: Explain the layoff in two sentencesLessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order
- 1Explain the layoff in two sentencesLesson
- 2Run the search as a weekly pipelineLesson
- 3Use your network and referralsLesson
- 4Close the gap the market is asking forLesson
- 5Bridge income: contract and freelance workLesson
- 6Check the next company is stableLesson
- 7Spot job scams aimed at laid-off peopleLesson
- 8Pace yourself and protect your healthOptionalLesson
Do this
- Write and practise your two-sentence layoff story
- Post a short note on LinkedIn with the roles and locations you want
- Message ten people one by one with a specific, small ask
- Set up a pipeline tracker and weekly targets you control
- Count skills in 20 job ads and pick one gap to close with a project
- Practise interviews every week, out loud
- Check company stability before accepting any offer
- Keep a routine with fixed search hours and time off
Start with· follow one of these
- CoursePaidGrokking Modern Behavioral Interview
Design Gurus · Subscription
Answer questions about your past roles, including the layoff, with calm, structured stories
- BookFreeHow to Learn to Code and Get a Developer Job
freeCodeCamp (Quincy Larson) · Beginner
The free chapters on networking and getting hired through people, not job boards
Practise
Keep handy
Also worth your time
Before moving on: A two-sentence layoff story you can say calmly, a pipeline tracker with weekly targets reviewed for four weeks, ten referral conversations started, one skill gap closed with a project you can show, and a written check of your next employer before you accept.
The people who recover fastest are not always the strongest engineers. They tell people quickly, ask for specific help, treat the search like a job with working hours and keep their money and health in order. Give yourself a week to feel it, then start the pipeline.