Is there life after a layoff?

I was let go from my full time job – not laid off, just dismissed without cause – a little over a year ago. I have only been let go twice in my career. It was hard to accept, but eventually I was able to move on.

These days, unfortunately, getting let go or laid off seems to be an almost universal experience. High-performing people are being let go every day with no reason and no warning, resulting in a brutal experience that cannot easily be put into context, understood, or accepted.

If you have been laid off recently, there are things you can do to make the transition more manageable, if not smooth. ​Here are some of the phases and actions that have been common and helpful for many of my coaching clients and for me:

GRIEVE – Take time to acknowledge the experience and the many feelings involved in losing your job. Let yourself feel the normal mix of emotions, including shock, disbelief, guilt, anger, sadness, and confusion.

GET GROUNDED – You may be grieving for quite some time, but the pressure to move forward and face reality is also there. Before springing into action to figure out what is next, first find your footing by taking stock of the resources and people available to help you through this time. Tell the people in your life what has happened and that you are likely going to need their support and understanding for a while. Accept their offers to listen and to help. Ask for what you need. If you do not know what you need, tell them that; but still take them up on any offers of help that might ease your burden, even just a little. You do not have to go through this alone.

SELF-CARE – This is something that is hard for many of us, even in good times, especially women and anyone who has multiple life roles and responsibilities that include taking care of other people. Taking care of yourself is important, always, but particularly when you are needing to heal from a big jolt like a layoff or other loss. You deserve to make time for yourself and experiment with activities that help you start to feel whole again. Some of my favorites are taking long baths, naps, and walks; reading; and spending time and laughing with friends and family. What works best for you?

ASSESS – As soon as you are ready, but not sooner, begin to assess where you might want to go from here. Do you need to find another full time job? What about part time work? What types of jobs or position titles are of interest? How soon do you want/need to be back to work? Could you afford to intentionally take a longer break to do a deeper dive into what’s next? Are there professional development opportunities or skill building steps you could take while you are looking for jobs? Is your LinkedIn Profile up to date? What about your resume? Keep a journal or notebook of all your ideas, needs, the timing of activities, and who could help you move forward.

NETWORK – Yes, the dreaded networking suggestion! For many years early in my career, I quickly dismissed anyone else’s suggestion that I network for what I wanted professionally. I had “gone to school forever” and believed that it should be about WHAT you know, not WHO you know. By mid-career, I had to admit that I was wrong. In my professional opinion, the two most important things in finding a job are networking and persistence! Contact people you know (friends, family, former coworkers and managers, neighbors) and people you do not yet know (in job positions and/or companies of interest), to let them know you are looking for a job. Boil down the results of your ASSESS phase, above, to develop an elevator pitch about the top two or three positions of interest to you. Make it memorable – and brief – enough that you will spring to their mind when they hear about that type of job!

APPLY – Keep networking, but also start applying for jobs before you are fully ready… we never feel ready! Enlist or hire a professional resume writer if you need help describing your previous roles and professional accomplishments. Update your LinkedIn Profile, search for people on LinkedIn to network with, and contact companies of interest even if they do not currently list any job openings. Let everyone know you are looking and applying for what’s next. Keep a record of your applications, interviews, rejection emails, etc. This often feels grueling, but you also get to know yourself better – and meet new people – along the way.
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REPEAT – The two layoffs I endured recently were only 15 months apart, with less than a year spent in each of those roles. It sucked. As a result, I had to repeat the steps in the above process way before I was ready to go through that again! But I got through it. The sooner you realize that you are the only one who can manage your career, the better off you will be. It is up to you, but you have what it takes, and you can do hard things! Best wishes for what’s next. You got this.
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*This blog post was originally posted as a LinkedIn post on 3/20/2025. If you want to Comment on or Repost this piece of writing, please do so from LinkedIn using the link below. Thank you!

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