Cynosure

Managing the Personal and Professional Impact of a Layoff

Many of the smartest, most diligent colleagues I’ve known have been subject to layoffs recently. It’s odd that job-seeking is so prevalent, given the dearth of candidates lamented by security leaders over the last decade. Adding to this irony: the list of candidates includes qualified leaders.

Layoffs are a business decision, but impostor syndrome gets loud while the wound’s still fresh. I’d like to focus on the human impact and provide some lessons I’ve learned for those in need.

Processing and Preparation

You’ve lost something. Don’t let grief impact your better judgment. You built something special and worked harder than anyone in the company could ever know. Be gracious, patient, and logical, and don’t be afraid to get help.

Take notes on what you’ve done –and do so immediately. What you accomplished last month is easier to recall in detail than what you did 18 months ago amid chaos, so start fresh and work your way back. Scribble what’s top-of-mind and tune it into a master resume later.

Going fast and furious right out of the gate might feel necessary, but with a decent severance, you should take some time to relax. Treat this as a project: your best resources right now are an iron will, patience, and support.

Exercise is critical to good mental health. Going to the gym at 10 or 11 AM on weekdays is highly recommended.

Use the time to reconnect to your online and in-person network - volunteer, go to tech conferences/user groups, and connect online to former colleagues. Each contact is a potential in-road.

Development and Testing

Much like networking and recruiting, ask friends and colleagues to critique your resume. You may even have coworkers in the same boat willing to trade resumes and help fill in gaps (e.g., "Remember the ______ project?").

 

 

Use a template with a two-page maximum. The first page makes an impact, so make it stand out and be directly applicable. Consider a master resume you can align target to specific jobs. Put together a cover letter template and find the toughest grammar critic you know to look it over.

Be prepared for hybrid or in-office environments. Many offices are still leased, and companies are realizing 100 percent remote meetings aren’t the best for their workforce. Daycare, meal prep, and reliable cars are back on the table. Plan now so it doesn’t catch you off-guard.

Execution

Find the sweet spot between too many and too few applications. Too many applications will imply you don’t care about the quality of your product and can be self-defeating. Be meticulous. Seek out positions and organizations you want to represent, not simple keywords and quick applications. If searching is tiresome, consider working with a trusted professional recruiter, and use their contacts to bolster your network.

That said, be aware you’ll be declined, ignored, and challenged. Avoid being too selective – we’re not stuck to one industry! Consider how your existing knowledge could help in a different field.

Dress the part. I once got to the next round of interviews because an opponent wore a grunge band t-shirt to an executive interview. You're a professional, and you're darn good at what you do… act like it!

Track your applications: Minimally company, contact, position, date applied, app/website used, interview dates, $ range, and gut feel. Other trackable items include benefits, expected hours/week, travel, reporting structure, quality of leadership, and amicability of the interviewer(s).

Moving Forward

Believe In Yourself! It’s hard to be positive when you've given yourself a vision in which you believed only to exit before that vision becomes reality. Semantics matter: you’re not unemployed; you're between jobs. Breathe, get some exercise, celebrate your accomplishments, stay focused, and rise to your next adventure.