The layoff beast discovered me.

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Effectively, as a lot as I attempted to keep away from it, I used to be hit by a layoff. Right this moment, my place was eradicated.

I am dreading the longer term a bit however attempting to maintain my chin up. I am additionally searching for sources that might be finest to make use of for job looking!

Any leads could be nice, or any recommendation from anybody who’s gone via this is able to be significantly appreciated.



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6 thoughts on “The layoff beast discovered me.”

  1. Hit up your network!

    Strip down your resume for who is going to read it, a computer! Simple, clean. Save the design chops for the portfolio, give just a peek on the resume.

    If the job description says “proficient in Creative Cloud”, use that exact wording on your resume. To a computer, or HR screeners, “Adobe CC” isn’t the same.

    Check on LinkedIn to see if your network has connections to the job yer applying for!

    Have someone else proofread your resume and cover letter. Twice.

    Good luck!

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  2. Get ready for rejection after rejection after rejection, all by greying, middle age, white male Executive Creative Directors with 3 kids who only know how to use Adobe Flash and think U2 is a cool band.

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  3. Having been through layoffs twice (both times the company did go out of business later), my advice would be to not let up.

    It’s very easy to fall out of a good routine, and justify doing so.

    Maybe you take a week or so to unwind, but it will never really be relaxing with that weight over you. Only do so if you have the discipline to get back into it quickly.

    Treat finding another job as a job, where you get up at normal times, have a routine, keep track of what you check and where you apply. Check everywhere that can have job postings, and set up alerts under multiple keywords and titles for any site allowing you to do so. Ensure you reach out to colleagues and other relevant network contacts to check in.

    Treat M-F like a workweek. Even if you are done applying by midmorning or it’s a slow day with no relevant postings, use the time to identify weak areas in your portfolio or resume, and focus on improving that work, developing new work, or learning/building skills that make you more appealing. Maybe it’s just getting to a working knowledge level in certain software that lots of postings mention and you aren’t familiar with.

    Keep the weekends for yourself, like you would if working. That’s where you can preserve some balance and unwind.

    If your job search drags on past a few months, it’s likely you *will* start to be depressed, even be angry and frustrated, even if you’re a generally positive person. It may start to eat at you and impact your self-worth. Ensure you have a good support network around you, whether it’s a partner, family, friends, etc. Always keep your feet moving and be oriented on improving your appeal and your skills, do not let yourself fall into the trap of feeling like you don’t have value or are unwanted.

    —–

    Something that was really shocking to me was when I eventually ended up on the hiring side, so maybe that will help a bit.

    Last time I was looking for myself, I had a lot of situations that kind of stung. I had jobs that on paper I was perfectly qualified for but never even got a call. I had one where both a colleague from the former job and I both applied and interviewed for, but only they got an offer, which they declined (it was too corporate for them). I figured I’d be next in line, given we had two of the same jobs on our resumes, so lots of identical experience and work from the same projects, but nope. They just liked someone better.

    Through the 8 months it took me to find something, I had assumed though I was just up against a lot of tough competition. And maybe I was, but when I actually hired designers (non-interns) for the first time, I was *amazed* at how terrible the applicants were. Around 60-70% I would never call, and even among those in that top 30-40% to which I gave interviews (more the top 20% based on work), many were terrible in the interviews, couldn’t properly talk about their work, had sloppy presentations, and every single time I hired there was at least 1-2 no-shows. Just no call, nothing.

    Not that my work or portfolio was mind-blowing, but I finally had more of a reference for what I would’ve presumably been competing against in my area, and I was definitely in the top 10% or even 5% based on what I was getting, however it also did highlight for me some mistakes I had made (which I try to pass on to others here). For example, I realized how despite my work, I could’ve or should’ve had a better portfolio presentation.

    Even in picking who to hire, I remember I had one guy who had great work, showed up in a suit, had very suave materials, but at the same time, he screamed “agency” to me. Being a small in-house department, it didn’t seem like the right fit, and I could easily see him moving on within 3-6 months for something more in line with his goals. Maybe I was wrong, but in hiring you have to make those kinds of choices. The person I chose instead ended up being here 2+ years and only left for family reasons.

    Point being, even if you are struggling, keep in mind that how people decide who to call is not just based on merit, even in aspects where it should be, or may be based on very specific preferences or details, and often times you don’t know if the person making that decision has any qualifications or any idea what they’re doing at all. Sometimes the job may already be filled. Sometimes you don’t check the right box. Sometimes someone else just seemed like a better fit for that workplace culture (which probably means you wouldn’t have maybe liked it anyway).

    Get feedback on your work and portfolio, always go 10-20% beyond what you think is good enough, maximize your odds and apply to as much as you can, but be sure to learn about the role and you’d be working with.

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