Navigating A COVID-19 Layoff
Shireen Jaffer, EDVO CEO, Answers Your Most Asked Questions Regarding How To Navigate A Layoff.
The struggle that everyone is going through right now is very real. Whether you went through a layoff, furlough, or were looking for new work before this pandemic happened — we’re all experiencing this together. Lucky for us, we welcomed Shireen Jaffer, EDVO CEO, to our Webinar series to help us learn how to best strategize a recent layoff.
Shireen Jaffer, is the CEO of EDVO, a tool that exists to empower people to think for themselves and wild better lives. They provide the tools for a life full of meaningful learning, critical thinking, and better results. Shireen has always been passionate about aligning people with meaningful work — especially with women of color — and has helped over 50,000 people find meaningful work so far. She’s also in the Forbes 30 Under 30 club. Yeah, she’s that cool.
We asked Shireen your most asked questions regarding steps, tips, and resources that can support us — and she delivered.
Q: How should I approach the job search?
Start by asking yourself “what is the most effective way for me to get a job that I want, quickly?” Contrary to popular belief, it’s a lot more than just beautifying your resume again.
The best way most of the time is networking. It’s internal referrals. That’s how companies choose to hire and that’s how you actually get to go for jobs that you genuinely will want and you don’t have to settle. Networking is number one.
Recruiters are overwhelmed with the amount of resumes they are having to comb through right now so you know what they’re doing? Reaching out to people like Shireen to ask “can you just send a couple people my way who you think would be good for these open roles we have right now and I’ll consider them?” Recruiting teams have been downsized now too! Maybe they went from a team of six recruiters to two. Now they’re that much more bombarded. So, they are relying on internal referrals and people they trust in the industry to recommend people for them.
Now, if you heard me say networking and it immediately made you cringe — it’s okay! The truth is you’re probably thinking about networking in a way you don’t align with.
Sometimes our cultures tell us that asking for help is not okay. This ingrained perspective can translate over to our dread of networking or our belief that networking is asking for favors. It’s not. Networking is building genuine relationships.
Shifting that perspective will determine how you approach networking. Our suggestion? Simply start with “how are you doing?” and stop there. It will lead to a conversation based on genuine connection, which will inevitably lead to getting some help. Approach it in a way that you are trying to build a meaningful connection. Optimize for people wanting to help you and you wanting to help people.
As you start networking, you’ll notice that it takes time. However, it yields better results than applying online does. Know what your time is going towards and the result of that time. Start with your strategy, know what questions to ask, and don’t just default to revamping your resume. Spend your time doing the things that work.
Q: How should I talk about a layoff in an interview?
So many people are going through layoffs right now. This is not a normal situation. If your interviewer does ask, you can simply say, “I was unfortunately impacted by a COVID layoff. But, here’s what I was doing during my last job. Here are the projects I was contributing to. Here is how I can contribute to you. Here is what I’m excited about.”
Research the company you’re interviewing for and know what they’re working on. If you’re networking, learn about the projects that company is doing from the inside! You’ll be able to do this via networking in a very real way (more than a Google search would ever give you).
All that to say, it’s totally okay to answer this question in an interview. By the way, if someone is not empathizing with what’s going on to thousands of people right now… might not be the best place for you to work.
Q: What are some resources that can support me?
Finding support right now, during this time, is really important. The job search, no matter how you cut it, is draining and lonely. You’re constantly being judged and rejected for reasons you don’t know about. So know that this is part of a process that is already meant to feel… not the best. So the best thing you can do is identify support.
EDVO has an extensive resource library and sends out a resource list with current events, guides, tools, and more every Thursday! There is even a Job Tracking Template to help keep you organized. Check out EDVO’s FAQ and find more COVID navigation tools here.
This may sound counterintuitive but another great way to find support is by offering support. Identify communities that are truly supporting things you care about and find ways to get involved. Helping others can make you feel powerful right now! If you can swing it, it does more for your overall energy than you might realize. Volunteer, contribute, offer help.
You can watch the full webinar recording here.
This post was adapted from our webinar lesson with Shireen Jaffer. Shireen is a Forbes 30 Under 30, CEO of EDVO, Investor and Advisor who has created a life and career around helping people find meaningful work.
