Impacted by a RIF? Here’s some advice to keep you keeping on
Yes—the times have changed—and while the majority of the workforce seems as though it will remain virtual for some time —many of the basics of job hunting remain.
However, after another week of conversations with those impacted by RIFs, and Talent Acquisition leaders who are gearing up to hire remotely for the foreseeable future, I wanted to share some insights to help job seekers shine online.
So while many companies have put their hiring plans on pause, or even laid off folks in response to the economic uncertainty, let's remember that a) there are still companies hiring and b) the ones who aren’t hiring right now, are most likely still engaged in building their talent pipelines for when they do ramp up again (especially in IT).
Let's get this job search journey started...
First and foremost, I hope you have updated your LinkedIn! Yes, that’s right, if you haven't go straight to your LinkedIn profile; turn on “Open to Opportunities” in your profile settings and invest time into crafting your Profile Summary. Think of it as your elevator pitch highlighting how the culmination of your experience makes you the woman (or man :) for the job. Update your latest accomplishments, paying special attention to using the keywords that reflect the type of position you want. This may seem obvious, but keywords are key, so we highly recommend combing through the job postings of interest to identify which keywords you should include throughout your profile to describe your experience. Don’t forget to add a picture that shows your confident smiling self:-) Next, ask a colleague to review your profile to ensure it clearly communicates the experience and value you bring to an organization and that it is void of spelling mistakes. This is also the time to connect with an experienced recruiter to solicit their input.
Now it’s time to dust off your resume. Once again, update your Executive Summary (lose the career objective statement) and update your recent accomplishments to communicate how you delivered value for your organization (no need to rattle off your job description). Please make sure your font is MINIMUM 11!! You will be penalized far more for trying to shrink your resume to 2 pages by using 9 font than you will for adding another page. Triple-check you can be reached. Did you include the best email and cell phone number along with your LinkedIn URL? Creating tailored versions of your resume to showcase your relevant experience per position, will pay off far more than firing off a stock resume to a million barely-related roles. Fancy formatting, however, may not. Be advised, many applicant tracking systems, DO NOT handle fancy formats well, so it’s best to go with simple formatting in good old-fashioned word or pdf (tables are not your friend). If you are a Creative UX, Web or Mobile Developer – include your portfolio link. If you are a Full Stack Engineer, a link to your GitHub is helpful, and for those of you content kings, link to your blog.
When targeting companies to pursue— take your research online and I'm sure you will discover companies that you have never heard of, doing interesting work. Head back to LinkedIn, follow the companies of interest, check out Glass Door, and of course visit company websites. As we know, relationships are key, so connect with former co-workers-managers-to assess the situation they are in—to see if they could use your help in any way or in the future. The majority of companies leverage their employee referrals, so research who within your target companies you know. Get out of your comfort zone and broaden your job search to include out of state opportunities. Many companies are evaluating the benefits of continuing to leverage remote workers in the new world of work, so my money is on companies leaning into remote workers on an-ongoing basis.
The ideal position may not be immediately available so you may need to consider a stopgap position that provides income to pay the bills until the market returns. At times of economic uncertainty, we typically see contracting opportunities increase. While contracting may not be your first choice, it's often a faster way of engaging with a company, and can often lead to a permanent role. Many contracting firms (such as The Talent Source :) can also provide you with a full suite of Health Benefits, so you may be surprised to find joining the gig economy a great option, particulary now.
Post your resume on the major job sites-in addition to your complete profile on LinkedIn.
Consider your urgency
If you are one of the lucky ones and currently employed—I strongly consider waiting it out. In the meantime, shift your mindset to that of a Senior Exec or Company Owner, and figure out how to make yourself indispensable. It may be as simple as offering to take on additional responsibility. This is the time to become more visible within the organization and think about how you can best add value.
If you are not working—it’s also time for a mindset adjustment. Be prepared that your next position may not be your dream job, but be open to something short-term that may lead to more. Seek companies that are still hiring and be ready to explore a less than ideal position to reduce your employment gap and keep connected to the workforce. You may need to take a step back or sideways to go forward.
Networking Online
You may already be "webinared "out, but there is some great content out there that may help you engage with your employer of choice, so go ahead and schedule yourself for some more. Sign up for Virtual Events being hosted by industry associations & consider hosting a Zoom meeting with your network (6-8 people is ideal so everyone can share their situation).
Whip out that virtual Rolodex and get reconnected with your LinkedIn contacts—send everyone a personal note. Let your contacts know you remember them & seek their thoughts on the job market and their personal situations. It’s not the time to be embarrassed, your colleagues can’t help, if they don’t know you need it.
Join online professional groups and add to the conversation with posts, and comments to make yourself visible. Post relevant articles and demonstrate your expertise on topics that are worth sharing.
Prepare for a virtual interview.
Time to shake off those “Video On” nerves and practice with a colleague. If you are able, record the mock interview so you can reflect on areas you can improve and gather feedback from your friend. Learn how to position the camera correctly (place your laptop on some books so your camera is at eye level) and ensure your volume is set properly. Chose a professional background with nothing distracting in the background (no blaring windows or laundry behind you). While you may also be “zoomed” out, it’s a free and user-friendly tool to practice with, so no excuses. Ask the interviewer which platform you will be using and be sure you have downloaded anything required well in advance of your interview. Nothing will throw your interviewing mojo off more than struggling to connect. And if you are like many, sharing your internet bandwidth with streaming kiddos, politely ask everyone to get off-line during your interview if it's possible.
Follow up on any interviews you may have had before the company imposed a hiring freeze.
Check-in with the interviewer via email—& connect through LinkedIn inquiring that you would look forward to reopening the conversation once it makes sense for the organization.
Demonstrate a thoughtful attitude that you understand the circumstances and perhaps share your own experience of working virtually and what you have been accomplishing in the downtime to improve your skills. Inquire if there is any way you can be of assistance indicating that you have the interests of the company at heart.
Make sure you follow them on LinkedIn and comment to postings that resonate with you.
Gather Intel
Do your research—learn about company culture-follow them on social media-look for press releases and learn what they are doing during this crisis. How are they treating their employees—allowing remote work—any layoffs or financial information about the firm?
Set up Google alerts for the companies you are interested in. When the opportunity to interview arises, you will have a better understanding of the companies direction and what's important to them.
Learn a New Skill
Take advantage of your time & learn a new skill or review your knowledge in an area that you haven’t used in a while. It’s also a great way to build your resilience, a skill we all need now more than ever.
There are plenty of free online courses including MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), EdX classes (free courses from MIT and Harvard), free Microsoft training and tutorials along with very inexpensive courses from online providers such as Udemy. On most days for $9.99 you can immerse yourself in a million new skills.
Be thoughtful with your social media posts
I’ve seen some incredible posts by candidates announcing their recent job losses that are done with grace, noting how lucky they were to work with such amazing talented colleagues and how they look forward to working together, doing great work again soon. I’ve also winced as candidates have over shared their disdain for their prior employer. No matter how disappointing and stressful a layoff is, we need to take the high road and remember what we tell our children….” if there is nothing nice to say…. “
So as you keep-on-keeping-on with your search.. take some deep breaths and think of the Long-term. Be patient as we are all trying to figure out what the new “world of work” will look like. Reach out to me or my team at The Talent Source as we are here to help you ensure your LinkedIn profile shines, your resume roars, and your zooms zoom.