Job Search Methods: How I Landed a New Job After Being Laid Off

• JT McCallen secured a brand new job 5 months after he was laid off final yr.
• A profession coach helped craft a résumé and canopy letter which may bypass AI bots scanning candidates.
• He added that staying social and having a aspect hustle helped his psychological well being and checking account.

This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with JT McCallen, a 37-year-old account supervisor who lives in Memphis, Tennessee. The next has been edited for size and readability.

A few yr in the past, I had an inkling — between how issues have been going with the job and firm — that issues weren’t wanting nice. So I began casually searching for work. Round early August, the layoff I had been anticipating lastly got here.

I used to be instructed I would be receiving three months of severance pay, however there was no point out of the outplacement providers I knew corporations generally included — which offer entry to numerous job-search sources. I requested my supervisor if considered one of these providers could possibly be included in my severance package deal, and whereas I used to be cleansing out my workplace, I discovered my request had been granted. I would have entry to a service for about three months.

Earlier than the layoff, my search usually consisted of looking job boards like LinkedIn, Certainly, and Monster and establishing alerts for the forms of roles I used to be all for. I had been working as a listing management supervisor for a medical gadget firm, and I hoped to land the same position within the provide chain distribution trade.

Once I received laid off, I received way more severe about my search. The very first thing I did was attain out to each recruiter I would beforehand linked with and arrange a 30-minute name to debate any job leads and their perspective on the hiring panorama.

They instructed me I would must discover a solution to bypass the AI bots that some corporations use to filter candidates. In addition they stated to be cautious of job postings that corporations aren’t actively hiring for — however sustain partly to give the impression they’re hiring. A posting may look good, however it may not truly be legit.

The general takeaway: My job search may not be simple.

My profession coach helped me get on monitor

Once I began making use of for jobs, I felt like I used to be throwing rocks within the ocean, and I struggled to land any interviews. I hoped the outplacement service, Randstad RiseSmart, may assist me flip the tide. In September, a few month and a half after I used to be laid off, I began assembly with a profession coach as soon as each few weeks.

My profession coach helped me enhance my résumé and canopy letters — and cater them to the particular job I used to be making use of for. They really helpful I perform a little research on each firm I utilized to and embrace particulars like their mission assertion, location, and the precise job title they have been hiring for in my cowl letter. The hope was that together with related key phrases in my résumé and canopy letter would assist me get previous the AI filters and land cellphone display screen interviews — the place I may discuss to an precise individual and talk about my experience.

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I used to be additionally instructed to message individuals on LinkedIn who labored on the corporations I utilized to and say, “Hey, I simply utilized for this job. Can you set me in contact with the hiring supervisor, the recruiter?” Most likely 99 instances out of 100, they’ll ignore it, however possibly you get via to a few individuals. It was one thing that had labored for a few of my profession coach’s shoppers prior to now.

After having virtually no luck with my purposes earlier than I used to be laid off, issues began to show round. I went from getting possibly one cellphone display screen interview between Might and August to getting 5 – 6 between September and December. I received to the second interview spherical for 3 or 4 roles and made it to the ultimate spherical for 2 of these. On Christmas Eve, I acquired an official job provide that I finally accepted.

In January, I began my new job as a key account supervisor at an organization in the identical trade as my prior employer. The position is a little more client-support-focused than my previous one, however a lot of the data and expertise from my earlier job has been transferable. My new job would not pay fairly as a lot as my previous one did, however it’s inside the wage vary I used to be searching for.

My recommendation for job seekers

I would suggest different job seekers take the time to enhance their résumé and canopy letters — and take into account searching for out skilled assist for no less than a short while if they don’t seem to be positive how to do that.

I would additionally suggest that folks take into consideration how they could be capable to usher in some earnings whereas they search for work. Shortly after I used to be laid off, I used to be capable of get employed by an organization to wash swimming swimming pools and do water chemistry upkeep: I had some expertise with this work from managing my at-home pool. I labored between 20 and 35 hours every week, and whereas the $20 hourly pay was properly under what I am accustomed to, it helped me keep away from digging into my financial savings. My spouse works full-time, which offered a further earnings stream.

Lastly, I would suggest taking good care of your psychological well being. I attempted to have lunch no less than as soon as a month with a few individuals I used to work with. These lunches made me really feel like I had individuals in my nook supporting me — and helped me keep present on trade tendencies.

My therapist was additionally very useful. They stated they’ve helped many different individuals cope with life modifications like layoffs, and it was good to have that reference level of, “Hey, others have been via it, it is going to be OK. Listed here are some methods we will preserve you shifting and motivated.”