Is there any ‘good’ in layoffs? 

It was a long time ago. I was working for a cable TV company. Internet was booming in Poland. I started to learn Linux and wanted to change my job. The opportunity came as my company bought the Sun Microsystems server. I called my director, and full of enthusiasm, I explained why I was a good candidate.
In response, he bluntly asked me: do you know how expensive this computer was?

Finding good in bad

A few weeks later, I worked for a hospital where I was responsible for many stations running Linux, and I was lucky to be able to install one of the first optical networks in southern Poland.

I’m glad that this director rejected me. The frustration and anger I felt then, gave me the power to apply for an aspirational role. It worked.

Being rejected or being subject to layoffs always hurts. However, as Stoics say, it’s up to us how we react to our emotions.

It’s not about you

The way companies work is that they need to be profitable. On the one hand, there is revenue. It comes from items sold, margins from services and so on.
On the other side are costs. There are many costs that companies need to pay to run a business. One of the highest costs is people.

Sometimes the only option on the table is to reduce the workforce. Brutal but true.
Sometimes you are unlucky to be one of the affected “assets “. It’s not about you; it’s about the economy and business.

It is about you

Having said this, there was some meeting, some excel sheet where your name was put and mentioned.
It is another harsh realisation. Leadership is hard. Someone evaluated a lot of factors and made a conscious decision.

So it’s all my fault? No, not at all. It’s a lot of factors. You influence a minority of them. It could be a business unit that is not profitable. It could be the project that needs to be parked. Finally, it could be your experience or performance.

What can you do?

Get to terms with the new situation

It’s not you. Work should never define you. Yes, it’s a massive part of your life. It should never be all of your life. Connect with loved ones. Surround yourself with people that support you.

Network

That brings me to the next point. Make sure you maintain valuable connections. Check your LinkedIn contacts. Refresh some relationships. Offer some help to others who may be in need.

Train yourself

Spend time reevaluating who you want to be and what you want to do. What brings you joy? Make a plan, roll your sleeves, start training, look for courses, etc. There is a ton of free valuable materials out there on the interwebs. Here are the courses I recommend.

Regroup and attack with new power

Start to think about the next steps. Make a list of the companies that you would like to work for. Reach out to people who work there. Maybe some of them are in your network already? Prepare yourself to apply for the new job.

But how?

Glad that you asked.

I’ve prepared something for people who would like to (or have to) change the job.

The mini-course consisting:
✅ interactive checklist, to guide you step by step,
📘 e-book with knowledge and tools necessary in this process,
🗞️ newsletter with many additional tools and information.

I prepared a process that will help you to get your new job! 🎯

Everything in a form of the mini-course containing:

☑️ interactive checklist, including information on how to:

• prepare your LinkedIn profile, including photo, headline, about section, and other important components 
• structure and edit your CV, including examples of the “executive summary“ 
• prepare for the interview, including the questions examples and how to check a startup condition and your new role 
• check your future employer thanks to tools and articles I included 
• connect with experts, thanks to my recommended list of people I follow 

📘eBook compiling all sections from the above checklist to get a coherent view of all the information and knowledge 

🗞️ newsletter to have access to all additional materials

📌 You will gain

🕰 Time! I spent a lot of hours digging the interwebs to gain this knowledge. My list aggregates everything for you.

✅ A step by step process to follow to land your dream job. It will walk you through. All you need to do is perform all tasks.

🛠️ A list of tools that will help you to tick every task easily. 

🌐 A list of websites that you should check as a part of your research and preparation, including salary negotiation, employee feedback for a company.

🤝 A list of people you should follow to learn, connect and network while you are looking for your dream job.

📧 Access to the extra information: book reviews, podcast recordings and newsletter updates.

And… 🥁… a few presents

🌱 Contact to a professional career coach with a 10% discount

🔧 Discount for a GTD ™️ tool that you may want to use (it works for free, but if you want to up your game, I have you covered)

🎓 Access to a session for a mock-up interview, entirely free (subject to popularity and availability :))

You can access the checklist and download the eBook for free, just type “0“ in the price field.☕ Just to let you know, my favourite coffee is Black Americano, and it’s £3 🤎