The Key to Job Searching After Being Laid Off
One of the first things companies do to cut costs and try and stay afloat during an economic crisis is to implement layoffs. If you’re one of the 20 million Americans who are out of work right now, you’re most probably feeling some anxiety, maybe even panic, around how to make ends meet after your sudden loss of income. Try not to go down the worst-case-scenario rabbit hole, though. There’s a way you can stand out amongst the very crowded candidate pool right now and it’s by using something you’re likely already logging hours on every day — social media.
Here’s what to do:
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Create a professional Instagram profile.
First things first, dedicate time to maximizing your most effective tool for job searching — LinkedIn.
Here are 5 ways to give your LINKEDIN profile a makeover
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Add a banner: Having no banner tells recruiters you don’t care about LinkedIn and only do the bare minimum.
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Maximize your headshot: Plug your existing headshot and 2 other options into Photofeeler and get objective feedback on which shot makes you look the most professional, managerial, and trustworthy.
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Write Recommendations: Every day, pick 5 people to write recommendations for. They can be past colleagues, bosses, co-workers, clients, or recruiters. They will be pleasantly surprised at your generosity and will most likely return the favor. It will also bring you front of mind for any potential job leads — without coming off as spammy or desperate.
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Add an “I am” statement in your headline: This will tell recruiters immediately what you do and why you’re a rockstar. It will appear in your profile summary, so it will catch recruiters’ eyes in even the most basic searches.
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Become an “All-Star””: Increase your SEO by checking all of LinkedIn’s requirements to become an “All Star” profile and you’ll show up higher on the results page above your non-All Star candidate competitors.
Next, turn your attention to Instagram
Here are my 4 steps to leveraging the ‘gram to land your next job:
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Create a “professional” public IG profile: Add a hyperlink to your resume and LinkedIn to show strategically crafted content for recruiters and HR managers to see.
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Put on your HR hat: Examine past posts and edit anything that isn’t “on brand” or that tells recruiters you have an amazing work ethic. Replace with strategic posts (see step #3)
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Create your personal brand: Posts should be of you: exercising, attending past professional events, traveling for work, hanging with co-workers (but no pics with alcohol unless you’re in that industry) or any other “wellness” themed pics.
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Add a link tree: Link to past accomplishments and LinkedIn profile via BIO.fm, Linktree, etc.
Being laid-off is never easy, and it can feel doubly stressful amid a global pandemic, but if you can keep your spirits up and take small steps forward each day — you’ll soon be prepping for interviews and seeing your lay-off as a nudge towards something better.
ABOUT ELIZABETH PEARSON
Elizabeth Pearson is a professional life coach, spiritual seeker, writer, wife, and mother. Elizabeth specializes in getting women “unstuck” so they can achieve their highest goals in all aspects of life. Throughout her 13-year sales career, Elizabeth has built brands such as Vitamin Water and Coca-Cola, as well as managed national accounts such as Amazon, Target, Whole Foods, and others. Elizabeth parlays her corporate and entrepreneurial success into her coaching of Powerhouse women in C-suite level roles. Be sure to follow Elizabeth on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook for more business tips and badass content!
