It sucks to get laid off. I've been there a couple of times.

You wonder why you were on the list and not a colleague who does less.

You dread updating your resume and LinkedIn profile. And the need to network makes you cringe.

And if you were one of the employees who didn't get laid off, that can be bad. You're left with doing your job plus the job of someone who got laid off. And now you're thinking of resigning because this isn't sustainable. You deserve better.

And if you are the manager or HR person having to tell someone they are being laid off, that's another level of awful. Especially because you've known about it for weeks and had to pretend everything was okay.

And if you are a business leader or owner who has to lay off great employees because the financials and forecast just doesn't support the headcount, you tell yourself it is just business but in reality, you know it is personal.

And it never ends. You're never safe no matter what role you're in.

So, what should you do?

1. Always have your resume and LinkedIn profile updated
2. Network - aka make friends and reach out to old ones consistently
3. Build relationships with headhunters
4. Make career decisions that keep you marketable, so you are viewed as a qualified candidate
5. Personal Brand - Share your expertise by speaking, posting on social media, writing articles, and being a guest on podcasts
6. Do not think of your current employer as a long-term play. You're a free agent.
7. Start a side gig - develop an income stream or two that you can do outside of your normal job so you have options.
8. Have an emergency fund
9. Invest in yourself. Hire a coach, get a mentor, go to therapy. Grow and learn. You can't lead others beyond the level you lead yourself.
10. Hire me to help you negotiate your next job offer and maximize it. Or I can help you ask for the promotion and get a sizeable pay increase because you took on more complex work and have a bigger workload. The money you leave on the table by not hiring me is your cushion for the next layoff.

What advice do you have for those impacted by layoffs?

#pay
#compensation
#layoffs
#humanresources
#jobsearch
#resume
#leadership