You've been laid off. Now what?
327 | Sat 03 Aug 2 p.m.–2:25 p.m.
Presented by
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Mike Jang
@theMikeJang
https://ai-techwriter.com
Mike is a Principal Technical Writer for NGINX (part of F5) He creates clear and engaging documentation for developers and sysadmins. He's created authoritative content in Linux, security, and Identity Management. He's also a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE v5) and an enthusiastic speaker at industry events.
He built a docs-as-code documentation practice from scratch at Cobalt.io, where he also developed a voice and tone style guide for user experiences, taught non-writers to create better UI text, and set up a paid open source documentation contribution program. At GitLab, he guided the documentation efforts for the Manage Stage and developer content. At ForgeRock, he gained seven years of experience writing about Identity Management.
Mike's mission is to share my passion for new software and to help users achieve their goals with the rigor of a technical writer.
Mike Jang
@theMikeJang
https://ai-techwriter.com
Abstract
I've survived two layoffs. I've also found jobs while employed. While I've announced my availability, I've never used the LinkedIn "Open for Work" banner. After my last layoff (March of 2024), I submitted 15 serious applications in under 40 days and had a 40% success rate getting interviews. Too many of us in tech are not working. So many more of us are at risk.
I want to share my lessons learned, "Best practices after a layoff." I've split this talk into the following sections:
• Negotiate your layoff terms
• Apply for unemployment
• Regain focus (avoid anger)
• Don't just ask for help (Tell potential future employers what you can do for them)
• Find hiring managers in your network
• Customize your application (and cover letter, and thank you note, etc.)
• Share your schedule
• Extra work (demonstrate what you can do for your target company)
• Prepare for your interview (spoiler: prepare a "closing statement")
• Follow up
• The offer
For the record, I'm happy where I'm working now, and I hope to stay there for many years into the future. This is a difficult economy. While my methods may not work for everyone, I hope they can help people who need a different approach to their job searches.
I've survived two layoffs. I've also found jobs while employed. While I've announced my availability, I've never used the LinkedIn "Open for Work" banner. After my last layoff (March of 2024), I submitted 15 serious applications in under 40 days and had a 40% success rate getting interviews. Too many of us in tech are not working. So many more of us are at risk. I want to share my lessons learned, "Best practices after a layoff." I've split this talk into the following sections: • Negotiate your layoff terms • Apply for unemployment • Regain focus (avoid anger) • Don't just ask for help (Tell potential future employers what you can do for them) • Find hiring managers in your network • Customize your application (and cover letter, and thank you note, etc.) • Share your schedule • Extra work (demonstrate what you can do for your target company) • Prepare for your interview (spoiler: prepare a "closing statement") • Follow up • The offer For the record, I'm happy where I'm working now, and I hope to stay there for many years into the future. This is a difficult economy. While my methods may not work for everyone, I hope they can help people who need a different approach to their job searches.