I was laid off from my full-time job recently, and given what's going on in the world right now, it's clear I'm not alone. I knew I would need a plan to manage this big change, so I was intentional about how I reacted and moved forward.
Based on my experiences over the past couple of months, here are the steps I suggest you take if you lose your job.
1. Save whatever work you can
If you can, gather examples of your work before you leave. Be sure to check your employment agreement first as it might include a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or be strict about taking samples with you. But unless you signed something that makes this a complicated move, projects with your name on them should be fair game, especially completed work that's been published or made public in some way.
If you have public-facing work, here are some tools that might come in handy:
For portfolios, I love using FireShot, which takes screenshots of webpages and then converts them into timestamped PDFs. Links are great, but after a while, they get moved, deleted, or edited beyond recognition, so I prefer those "hard copies" of my work.
I'm also a fan of pdfforge, which allows me to take separate screenshots of different pages and combine them into a single PDF—that's been helpful for more visual projects.
If your work isn't documented in some public way—maybe you're an engineer or a salesperson—take some time to document things yourself. Jot down your sales numbers or grab some code you wrote. And if you can't display your projects publicly (like on LinkedIn or in a portfolio), store them somewhere you can easily refer back to or share with potential clients or employers privately.
Now, I can hear you saying: "I lost my job out of nowhere—how was I supposed to know to save my work?" I get it. Sometimes when you get laid off, it's very rushed, and you don't even get a moment to say goodbye. In that case, you can always reach out to your ex-employer and ask if they're able to share specific things with you. If they won't, you'll have to rely on your memory, and it's a good reminder to save your work every few months at each new job.
2. Understand your finances and resources
Money is a huge source of stress for me, so that's what I look at first in any emergency. I want to make sure my finances are in order before making any big life decisions.
Here are a few questions to ask:
What do I have to work with? The first thing I look at is my resources for the next few months. When is my final paycheck due? Are there any severance or PTO payouts? Do I have any side gigs I can rely on?
What expenses do I have? Then I check my expenses for the same period. What living expenses and bills are coming up in the next few months? What new expenses will being unemployed add or change, like less gas used to commute or more expensive healthcare coverage?
What's left? Finally, I subtract my expenses from my income to see what I have to work with. If I have a little left over, I'll start a rainy day fund or treat myself to a longer break before my job hunt begins. If I don't have enough, it's time to fill some gaps.
I'm lucky because I continued to freelance on the side while I was working full-time. So when I was let go, I immediately turned back to freelancing, which gave me the breathing space I needed to take the next step. But if you find yourself in a dire situation, you might need to start thinking of ways to make your money stretch—and don't forget to apply for unemployment.
3. Schedule some time off
Losing a job is exhausting, and you need time to recover. I'm always in favor of a long vacation, but if you're short on funds or time, take at least a day or two to decompress. A break can give you time to come to terms with job loss, feel the feels, and then move on. It also offers you some space to think about what you want to do next.
Take stock of how your job has affected your life and what you might do differently next time. Before you jump back into the job search, set aside some time to review your experience at your former company. What went well? What didn't go well? What do you need moving forward? Maybe it was a dream job, and you're looking for something identical. Maybe you loved the people but not the work. Maybe you need something a bit more challenging, or a bit less.
The first couple of weeks after I lost my job, I focused on resting and reaching out to my network. This was made possible by my freelance savings and final paychecks, of course, but it helped me to prepare for what came next.
4. Update everything
Once you're rested and ready to get back in there, start by updating everything that potential employers or clients might look at.
Resume or CV
Add your recent job experience, any new skills or tools you learned, big projects you were a part of, certifications, training—anything goes. Are there skills and talents you developed at your recent job that would carry over well to other work? Did your job give you crucial experience in your industry?
Here are Zapier's picks for the best AI resume builders that can help speed up the process.
LinkedIn profile
Once you have your resume, your LinkedIn profile should be simple. But don't skimp here—some recruiters will only look at LinkedIn even if you submit a resume. (If you're not on LinkedIn, now's the time to join. Here are some tips for how to make a great LinkedIn profile.)
Make sure everything is up to date, and add that #OPENTOWORK banner on your profile. To do that, go to your profile, then click the Open to button, and select Finding a new job.
Here's what it'll look like once you set it up.
Portfolio
If you were able to save some projects (and can share them), add them to or create a portfolio. If not, consider "white labeling" your previous work, or explaining the project but leaving your employer's name and information out of it.
Any free website builder will let you build a portfolio (and honestly, you could just host it in Google Drive), but you might want to look for one that'll really help showcase your work. For example, Adobe Portfolio can be great for designers.
5. Talk about it with your network
No one likes to admit they're out of work, so this might not be your favorite step, but it's a crucial part of a successful job hunt. Here's what I suggest:
Post about it on LinkedIn. If you've been on LinkedIn in the past few years, you've seen these posts. Tell people you've lost your job, be authentic about how you're feeling about it, and then let people know what you're looking for next.
Talk about it on other social media platforms you're active on. If you're active on other social media networks, you can post there, too, but don't start posting on an account that's been inactive for a while or it'll come off as inauthentic.
Reach out to your professional network. Think about your professional network. Who will be your reference from your former job? Are there former coworkers you can reach out to? Other industry contacts? Make a list of anyone you know—friends and family included!—who might be able to help, and don't be afraid to make that list long. Then contact them on LinkedIn, email them, or send them a text, depending on your relationship with them.
Find new professional contacts. Take some time to find new folks on LinkedIn who might be able to help guide your job search. Don't ask them for work—that will put people off—but every conversation can help with the process, and you never know when a new connection will lead to something concrete.
I posted on LinkedIn the same day I found out I was laid off, and I received a lot of goodwill and even some leads.
Once you're ready to begin the job search again, start with any responses or leads you got from your network. Hunting for a new job can be overwhelming, so every little bit helps.
6. Dream big
Now my favorite part: time to dream. What's next for you?
Most of what you brainstorm here won't be realistic, but think outside the box. Here are some examples:
Going back to school for a degree or certification
Starting a side hustle or transitioning your existing side hustle to a small business
Switching industries or pivoting to a different job title
Traveling around the world as a digital nomad
Part of the brainstorming process is thinking about your last job. What went well and not well? What can you learn from that? Once you have your data points, you might drop them into an AI chatbot like ChatGPT and see if the robots have any ideas for you.
Most importantly, don't rule anything out. We often hesitate to make a move or chase a big opportunity. Maybe it seems out of reach, or you're not sure if you'll like the company, or you're positive you won't get the job. But you can always say no if that chance pays off. And who knows? It could be the start of something great.
7. Start applying
Assuming you've decided to stick with full-time work, now you're ready to start applying for new jobs. Here are a few resources to help you in that process:
Best of luck to all of us!
