Layoffs. They happen.
What can you do to survive being laid offand even thrive in the process.
Career Coach Karen Van Liew Creek and host Danna Redmond discuss this on The Career Cue.
Karen is the owner of Abet Consulting Services and experienced in providing career services and coaching to empower professionals for success and fulfillment, both on an individual basis as well as within organizations. Her passion lies in building trusted relationships and partnering with people to be intentional, strategic and effective in their careers.
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Today on the show, Danna takes a call from career coach Karen Van Liew Creek to talk about layoffs and how you can get through one and even thrive in the process. This is The Career Cue. The podcast focused on helping you navigate the signals in your career to keep growing and moving forward in business and in life. Here's today's host, Danna Redmond.
Karen, I'm so excited to have you on The Career Cue today. Thank you for coming on.
Thank you for the opportunity, Danna.
Today, we're going to be talking with you about layoffs and really how an individual can get through that layoff. And ideally, you know, thrive after this experience. So thank you for being willing to share sort of your knowledge and your experience with our listeners.
I'm pleased, too. Thanks.
You know, layoffs are unfortunately a common occurrence in today's work world. Companies merge, companies downsize, and someone can find themselves without a job. And it can really come as a shock, I think. Right. One day you're going to your job and the next day you've been laid off.
Can you tell me, like, how can someone really get through that emotional side of a layoff?
Well, I think you're absolutely right that there's always emotional aspects to this. Sometimes when I'm working with companies to help deliver those notifications, there's even people who come in who are sincerely happy and almost relieved to be getting a notification that they're leaving the company. That's not often the case, however. And whether or not an employee has expected that news or whether they feel that they might be better off outside of the company at some level, he or she always feels hurt by that separation. I'll never forget the time when a few years back, I was laid off in a year ago. But I always have that sense of that, what it felt like in my gut when I got that news. And same thing when my husband was laid off once in his career. That separation feels like just lose every sense of stability. And even in that moment doesn't always last. And hopefully we hope that people can regain confidence sooner than later. But at that moment, it really feels like there's been a disrespect to some degree.
People feel often that anything they've accomplished is just out the window. It minimizes everything that they've worked hard for. So it really does have a huge effect on people. And I have found that the more time that people have been in an organization, the deeper the commitment that they've had to that company or to their role.
It often has a greater impact on them, takes sometimes longer to recover from it. But I think understanding that there's just a natural process that people go through and learning how to cope with this is important so that people don't feel isolated as if they're alone in feeling this way and then just recognizing that it's going to be important to see what are the ways that they can handle that emotional side of the layoff. There's the uncertainty, there's a loss of control, and then there's the stress that comes with all of that. So I think, you know, being able to deal and cope with that uncertainty, if people can start remembering all that they've accomplished, the experiences that they've had and start building an inventory of that, that kind of helps them start feeling like they're getting back in charge of things. With regards to gaining control, I think first things first, people really have to sit down as much as they often dread it and get their head around their financial situation, because that gives them a better sense that. How much time do I have to do this? How imminent is it that I have to get out there and search immediately? And then to be able to develop a plan of action really does give people control back means no longer do they feel like the victim, but now they're in control of their own destiny again.
And that really is empowering. I think dealing with the stress of this, people have different avenues that work for them. Certainly physical exercise is a positive outlet to deal with the stress. But I would suggest to clients that every day they try to build at least a little bit of time into finding the opportunity to bring joy back into their lives. In some cases, it's people just getting lost in a good book. In other cases, it's just escaping reality and going to the movies, whatever it is. I think it's important that people find little ways to have joy every day to help minimize that stress and get their head out of the job search. And again, just learning how to rely on people. This is a time where it's not important to be independent. It's important to lean on others and to find strength in others and to get reassurance from others. So avoiding isolation is critical. Isolation isn't healthy for people who are in job search.
Right. Right. I mean, we've heard so much about just even, you know, the networking and the need to networking in this would be a time when I think people should think about relying on their network or at least reaching out.
Right. And to start start with the emotional healing process as well as on some of that professional job search process.
Yes. Yes. And in your experience, sort of you know, I can imagine the that emotional reaction. You know, it's almost like a gut reaction that you would first have.
How long do people generally take, you know, to sort of be able to cope with that? Is there. Is there a time frame that you would advise for people to sort of let themselves feel the emotion before they sort of start a new, you know, sort of start a new on a job search or what's that timeframe normally look like?
I wouldn't say there's a typical timeframe. Everybody seems to be different. It is. And it really is dependent upon past experiences. Sometimes it's dependent on how that notification was delivered to them as ways of delivering that in a more positive aspect than others.
And some people can rebound pretty quickly and other people just need to take the time. And I think, again, having a good sense of what's your financial run way so that you can give yourself as much time as might be needed, it will serve you better in the long run. But not everybody has that luxury. And some people just rebound quickly because they know that they have to get a job to survive. They have mortgages to pay. So they're able to get their heads around it sooner than later. But it doesn't mean that they necessarily get the opportunity to be quite as intentional, maybe about identifying what they really want to do. Sometimes they have to just go for the low-hanging fruit and kind of maintain the status quo of the roles they have been in in the past.
Got it. Got it. Well, someone has just received the layoff notice what would be your, you know, sort of advice for them to think about first thing.
I think first thing, you know, and I'm taking it out of the emotional aspects now. But first, things are just kind of take care of those loose ends as they're leaving. If they have personal information on a work computer would be important to capture that. So they don't lose it. I hear that all the time from people. I just didn't stop to think about what I took for granted before. And I lost a whole lot of important personal information that I left on a computer. So that's important saying goodbyes.
There are some companies that at the time of notification will actually just say, you know, if somebody is packing your desk as we speak, we're going to escort you out of the building.
That's really difficult for people having the opportunity at least to say some goodbyes starts bringing closure. And so I advise that sometimes people aren't mostly in a place where they're ready to do that and that's OK. But I see that they need to make sure to circle back and do that as soon as they feel comfortable in doing so.
They would want to take copies of your personal performances so that you have that record of your work, so that you have the reminder of the accomplishments and even some of those metrics that will be useful when you start selling yourself. And any contact information from your colleagues and the people that you've worked with so that you're able to stay in touch. And then again, to maintain that network that can be so important for you in your job search. And there's certainly people don't want to burn bridges. Right. That is often hard to do for some folks, but it's critical. It's a smaller world than we ever recognize and moments like that. So you want to keep those relationships intact. And then again, as as much time as people are able to give themselves some just right away to say I'm giving myself permission to take a week. I just need a week to start processing this and start getting my head around what's happened. And when they're able, I think that reminder to folks. It's important to remember that with every challenge, there's always opportunities. So as soon as people are able, if they can start focusing on moving forward, all the better. And then to remind themselves two of the times in their life when they've been through other challenges and to remember how resilient they were in those situations so that they can draw on that strength and those successes to help him get through this one. I think people need to give themselves permission to just invest in themselves as soon as they're ready to be intentional about what they really want to do next. They deserve it. So if they can give themselves that opportunity of a better for success down the road, you know, I love that where you said, you know, sort of give yourself permission to be intentional.
Yeah. I think that for some people, that might be the harm. They might think, oh, I've got a jump right into my next thing. Are there some stressors around the finances or stressors around? How does this going to impact my career? But, you know, I love that thought of, you know, giving yourself permission to take a little bit of time off, sort of as much time as you can to make this a positive things that you can come out and think about as an opportunity. Absolutely.
Interesting. You mentioned, which I, you know, had never really thought about that piece of sort of losing some of your personal information or your contact information, sort of depending on how long somebody has been in a job and what type of role it is. They may very well have blended their work life and their home life very well so that they have one computer or, you know, one if it's the corporate phone that you have. Right. But there's lots of personal, you know, your personal contact information in there. And even, as you mentioned, those colleagues that you worked with that you would want to come back around and circle back around with at some point. But thinking about how can you get that information and take it with you so that it's not lost?
Yes. I've even had clients who have said, wow, I didn't even think about it until months later. I realized I had pictures of my kids growing up on that computer or, you know, personal documents that they may need down the road.
So it's important to try to think of those things, even though in the moment it's really hard to think of those things.
One, it's almost, as I think about it, sort of a word to the wise of, you know, as as you're just going through your career, be sure you are short of separating some of that out as much as you can because, yeah, you sort of never know when when that layoff notice might happen.
So it's important to think about that ahead of time, too. Wow. Okay. Yeah.
So what would you say about sort of the operational aspects of a layoff or the corporate aspects like severance packages or continued health insurance?
How can someone go about finding out what their company is offering and are really negotiating for something if there isn't much offered upfront?
Sure. I think if people are hearing rumors often there's that long anticipation stage because there's rumors floating around in an organization and concerns. I think that's a time to be proactive and start looking into things like check out the employee manual. Is there information there about what the company typically offers? Are there policies around layoffs so that people can anticipate what that might look like and that can help set them up for what they sign a clear head? Maybe I need to negotiate some things. I think it is important to also remember that companies are under no obligation whatsoever to provide a severance package or continue health insurance. And in fact, most don't. But in those cases where a person is fortunate that they get to receive a generous package like that, typically H.R. does a pretty good job of outlining all those details and they present those at the time of notification. If they don't. And then I think I would advise people, you know, check and ask for that to be put in writing to you, because it's difficult to process information during the notification conversations.
And so people often get caught off guard and just be mostly charged. And they are not able to remember the details or even ask the right questions. So having it in writing and to learn who can I circle back to, you know, once time out these doors, if I have questions about that, who would be my contact for that? So you always have that opportunity to check back and get things straight.
Now, if there's negotiations that could happen and I always believe it's worth asking. You never know until you ask.
Then I think again, learn as much as you can about historically what has a company done. And those people that, you know, went through a riff earlier in time, you might check in with them to see if they receive some kind of severance so that you have that to leverage. You know, they come you can point out the company has set precedents and would they be willing to honor that for you? But I think you have to go into it knowing that there is no obligation on the part of companies. So you can't be disappointed or even more upset if it doesn't happen for you, right?
Right. Yeah, that's an interesting that, you know, they really are under no obligation. And but especially if there has been some precedent set and you can know that and sort of try to negotiate something than any kind of a severance package, really just take some of that financial burden or questions, you know, the immediate pieces off of you for a for a little bit. They can then give you that time, right. That we talked about to give yourself some. Permission and time just to able to, you know, be intentional about your, you know, what you want to do next.
Yes. And I've even had clients who maybe didn't necessarily need it from a financial standpoint, but from an emotional standpoint, it still made them feel better as they walked out the door that the company was acknowledging what they had contributed over the years. And and having that little victory made a big difference for some folks.
Right. Right. I can imagine.
So, you know, do you have advice for people like what would you say are the next steps for someone before they start their job search for a new job after a layoff?
I'm really glad that you brought that up, Danna, because I think it's so important to take the time again to get your ducks in a row before you get yourself out there.
And there's a huge list of reason.
I recommend. Let's hear them.
And to be as intentional as as you can. So, you know, first and foremost, just define your professional objective. Take the time to really step back and assess where am I in my life? What are my current values? What's going to be meaningful to me in the work that I do next? So that you've really defined a professional objective that's going to both bring you fulfillment. And usually those things that we care about the most are also those things were places where we're going to be more successful. So I think that's first and foremost. And then secondly, to develop a value prop, you need to know your strengths and so that you can sell yourself and really define your brand. You know, again, that gives you control over how are people going to view me? How do I want to be seen? What is it that I want to emphasize about that expertise that I have to bring as opposed to letting other people define that brand? And once people have accomplished that, then it's a matter of updating the resume aid so that you're writing a résumé that's really going to reflect that professional objective. You've got this target in this focus now for your future.
And so rather than looking in the rearview mirror now, you're going to be writing a resume that's going to showcase the right information to help projected to that next great place in your career.
And I guess in conjunction with that is having a consistent communication strategy and message so that you have a LinkedIn profile. Also, that is going to be consistent to what you're putting in your resume and be identify identical. But certainly there should be a consistent message about the brand and the expertise that you bring. And that LinkedIn profile is so important. LinkedIn has revolutionized job search in these last few years. And for networking purposes, critical for people who are introverted and are really uncomfortable and face to face networking conversations, having a LinkedIn a profile is important so that you can stay in touch with people.
But also recruiters are using that. On a day to day basis. So why not let that work on your behalf to have people find you as well. And then I think important to develop and very advantageous to create a marketing plan that really outlines your core competencies and the skills that support those.
Once you're in job search, you're the product. So it's important to be able to identify what are your key features and how are you going to speak to those.
That marketing plan also could include a list of target companies so that you get to build infrastructure into your search with those.
And also, it just allows you then to be more strategic in your networking. Now, it's not just random networking. Now it's identifying people who are within those organizations so that you have the opportunity to do your due diligence around those companies. And then you also have the opportunity to go in to an employee referral program through that right portal.
So you end up in the short stack of people who came through the doors with credibility versus being in that huge stack of all the unknowns that just applied online.
Right. Right. Yeah, I like that. The employee referral stock is is a little it's a little shorter and smaller. Right. And recruiters can dip into that pool more easily and often go there first when they're looking.
Yes. Plus, it just gives you that opportunity through your networking to get maybe some additional intel around the company and their challenges so that when you do get the opportunity to go in an interview, you are more in tune to what's going to be important to them.
And you can be able to leverage that in the responses and the information they provide them. And then I think networking plan, you'd mentioned that a few minutes ago, Danna, and it is critical 60 to 80 percent of people in today's marketplace find a job to networking. And so identifying your network and taking advantage of that.
And I don't mean taking advantage in a bad way to network is just going to be a good exchange back and forth of how can I help you, how can you help me?
Kind of a thing. But relying on that network again, just so you're even doing good due diligence in knowing what am I getting into if I decide that this is a company that I want to work for? Knowing jobs or strategies would be something else that I would recommend so that you are more effective. You're spending greater period of your time focusing on those strategies that are going to bring greater results than just being behind a computer and applying online.
And then I guess, you know, gotta be prepared for the interview. So doing that work. I think the other thing to be geared up for is just to know what you're in for. And to be patient and realistic about what that job search is going to look like, because finding a job in today's marketplace is a full time job in and of itself.
And sometimes if people aren't realistic, then they get discouraged fairly early on. And it's hard to maintain that same momentum to their search when that happens. I guess the other thing I'd recommend is that if people feel like they haven't done this for a long period of time or they're confused about where to find some of the best resources and best practices, they might look into finding a career coach just so that they have those and they have somebody who can provide support and accountability through the process.
Right. I mean, that is an interesting that last point about, you know, finding a career coach or some kind of a coach that can help you through this. I think especially if people haven't had to look for a job in a while, some of this might be more all new or if they've been in the same company, we're able to move around. They really were relying more on an internal network than like an external network and understanding. Oh, no. I've got to sort of brush out brush up on my external network and, you know, get those contacts back going. And then how do you do that? Right. Because, you know, your your plan had sort of you know seven or eight steps into it. So how do you you, as you know, a new job searcher out there. You don't put all that into place. So having somebody that can help you be accountable for it.
Sounds like a great idea. That the people who have that accountability and really recognize what are best practice around all of the pieces of it. Definitely. I mean, studies have shown a much more effective.
And the other piece to that, too, is finding somebody else, you know, partnering with somebody. Having someone else that's maybe going through a search that you can work with so that you're holding each other accountable.
Yeah.
Again, avoiding isolation and recognizing it's not me that's just tough. There's other great people out there who are in the same boat. It really does help people take it less personally. But then also, you know, just to be able to feel like I'm helping them and they're helping me, there's there's some great support that comes from that as well.
Right. That's a great idea. Research, job search. But a year, the job search, networking group, right people can come together and sort of share their own experiences, you know, and get support. And, you know, sometimes it will be they need the pat on the back. Sometimes they'll need the cheerleader, you know, that kind of thing that can really help by having a partner or a colleague in that with you.
Yes. And studies have found that people who have a group or a partner assets are 25 percent more effective in their job search.
Interesting. Just having that level of support can really bolster people that I love that. Yes. I liked you know, you started by saying you to define your professional objective.
Can you talk to me a little bit more about that?
How do you how does somebody go about maybe they've been successful in their career, but it's got to be more of a job and maybe they're looking for a change at this point. How does that go about that? How does that work for somebody or have you seen that work for people?
I think it comes down to really stepping back and doing some soul searching, assessing, you know, as an individual, what can I do? We all have various things that we can do based on our education, our experience, our skill set. What am I willing to do? And sometimes that's the easiest thing for people to identify as well.
I don't ever want to do that again or that again.
So take that off the list. And also identifying what is the right culture for me, what's the right fit? What type of management style do I react to best? And and then doing the research to find it kind of where those come together. Those three primary pieces often defines for people what that next professional objective is. And part of that process sometimes can mean that you have to identify where your skill gaps and what do you need to do to fill those so that you can make yourself more marketable and being recognized and then rebranding yourself to it so that people don't see you stuck in that same box because people will tend to do that. That's who they've always no need to be. But being able to sell yourself and talk to, here's the aspects of what I bring now and where I know that I can be most impactful for an organization. That's usually how it happens. And it's not an easy process. It can be very difficult for people, especially if they want to make a major change, but they're not sure what that's about. And then it just really requires some research, talking to folks, finding out what are the roles that are out there that can tap the skills that I still want to utilize. And that can help them find some new opportunities.
I love that. And it does take some time for them to sort of a way. Out. You know what? What are they interested in what? And even to the point that you meant. Right. What did they not want to do again? Or some of those things that they, you know, can do. Possibly. But don't love doing. And just getting really clear on that as they move forward to help define that professional objective.
Yes. Sometimes the gift that comes to people through this process is the opportunity to really step back and reset. I sometimes talk about the this analogy that it's kind of like a pinball machine.
Now, when we're young, we get out of school. You know, we shoot ourselves out with that goal in mind. I know exactly where I'm gonna go at the top of this ball.
And somewhere along the way, you know, companies re-org, you get recruited. Somebody makes a recommendation that you do great at doing this. And pretty soon you're stuck in the middle of the pinball game just bouncing around wondering like, how did I end up here?
Right. Right.
And so this just provides the opportunity for people to step back and really identify who am I today? I'm not the same person I was when I started crafting my original career. And what is important to me and you get to reset and start over and shoot yourself out again, re-energized for the next phase of your career.
I love that analogy. Right. Of you can sort of stop being pushed around a bit or pinging from one thing to the next, which is comeback reset and say, I'm going out again. I'm going to make it to the make it to the extra points.
I don't know my pinball analogy. It is empowering to to get to take control of your career again.
Right. Right. I love that. Well, Karen, let's take a break. And when we come back, I want to jump in to talking about the interview process after a layoff.
Thanks for listening. Be sure to check out the show notes at theCareerCue.com, where you can also subscribe to the podcast and sign up for our newsletter.
Welcome back. We are talking with Karen today on The Career Cue, all about layoffs and how somebody can, you know, get through them and ideally thrive after the experience.
Karen, I want to talk a little bit about the interview process after a layoff. And really, how can someone go about talking about the layoff then being laid off during a job interview and or really answer that question, you know, why did you leave your last job, which I think always comes up in an interview, always comes up in an interview and comes up always in networking and the most random times.
So I think it really is critical to inadvance define for yourself what's my exit statement? And I think that exit statement needs to be prepared and well rehearsed. I advise people practice saying it out loud, get comfortable with it so that nobody ever reads into it. There's some apprehension behind the scenes of what really happened. It really does allow you the opportunity to avoid that emotional trigger that occurs for a lot of people. You don't want to be caught off guard and have somebody ask you and all of a sudden your head starts spinning in your view on kind of ugly about it. So you just want it to be presented as a short, factual and positive statement, again, being well rehearsed, but not sounding like a robot. And it does allow people to control the situation and be able even to move it forward. I advise clients that as a given that this statement to talk about, I'm excited for the next opportunity where I can utilize my skills. And it could be an example in a networking opportunity where you might say something to the effect of no, I was excited to learn about this layoff. Now I get the opportunity to utilize my skills in such and such. In your networking, you could always say to people, I'm excited because there's some really fun companies that I'm targeting and you can lay those out so that if people have a connection there, then they have the opportunity to provide an introduction in an interview. It always comes up. And again, I think it gives the opportunity to put a real forward positive face on that conversation and also to sell yourself. Because at the end of that statement, you can say, I was excited to see the opportunity with your organization. I have a great skill set that's so aligned to that. I know I can make a great impact on your company. So, again, just being able to nip it in the bud, but also to use it to sell yourself both to your network and to your potential employer.
That's an interesting way to think about that is how do you put that positive sort of opening piece right so you're talking about? This is how, you know, the last job ended and you know, the why of it or how you your exit statement you're talking about. But then putting that opening, you know, you're asking for the next thing you're, you know, opening up your next opportunity. I like combining those two together. That's an interesting idea.
It does help people see you moving forward. And there's just so much change that's going on within all kinds of industries in today's marketplace.
I think easy explanations and anytime that people can give a number, even, for example, you know, I was involved in a recent layoff where 700 people were impacted in our organization or my entire team was restructured. And the majority of us, you know, our jobs were not replaced. Things like that. And in those instances where people are fortunate enough, again, to have a severance package or get some kind of outplacement services, that would be another thing, too, that puts that positive piece on it. The company gave me a fabulous severance package. They provided me outplacement services to help me move forward in my career. That also just helped set down any thoughts that somebody might have about it being based on performance.
Because companies don't provide those things to people who weren't performing.
Right. Right. Well, we started out our conversation talking about how common layoffs are.
So you've had instances or seen instances where maybe somebody who's been through a series of layoffs, you know, from different jobs. And does that impact how they talk about them or what would you say for somebody that's maybe gone through two or three layoffs at different companies?
And yes, I do see that. Fortunately, I actually have one client when she just said nobody's going to hire me because they're going to think I'm the kiss of death. Everywhere I go, it happens.
And we laughed about that. But do we you know, we crafted a statement and part of that was just around the industry that she was in. You know, there's just a lot of changes.
And again, putting the focus on the positive so that she could always point out she was still proud of the impact that she had she was there or the additional skills that she was able to acquire in that last job. And I think that that helps rectify that. Most people who are, again, themselves in tune to what's going. Now, within their own industries will recognize that that is just a part of reality. Change is happening, you know. Trends in the marketplace. Customer concerns, whatever it might be. That creates a business case for change within those organizations, happen on a day to day basis. And I don't think that's going to go away. Change is the norm. But I think if you can always put that positive spin back on it, then that helps move the conversation forward.
Right. Right. And you're right. So much of it is dependent on industry.
And some of it maybe, you know, the size of companies somebody is targeting that type of thing that, you know, really can put them more in the path of possible layoffs than, you know, than other careers or company choices for sure.
You know, yeah, I've often heard from people who once they have gotten through, I've been laid off. And these are a come out the other side that, you know, it really ended up being a very positive experience for them.
You know, have you seen that with some of your own clients?
Absolutely. Absolutely. People tend to get comfortable. They tend to get settled in with their roles or companies. And because change can be very difficult, even if we choose it and the uncertainty could be scary. People often will stay if even if they're bored, if they're unhappy, even if they're coping with a bad situation. So I often meet clients who state right at the onset of this search that being laid off was a push that they needed so they could be able to get out there and start looking for something better. Even for those people who didn't feel that way when they got notified of their layoffs.
Most of them will say that even and they usually don't say this through the job search, it comes at the head.
Even if the job search was stressful and difficult, it really again gave them that opportunity to be able to tap back into who they are and to really assess what they want out of their careers and their lives and feel empowered to be able to strive for that, as opposed, again, to just being at the mercy of what's happening within an organization. Most do come back and say they end up in better situations.
I really think the big takeaway from all of that for most of my clients is that they feel like from here on out they're going to be much more proactive about their networking. Number one, because they recognize how critical that was in their search and they're going to be much more proactive about managing their careers.
Be aware of the signs that might be happening within their organization. And always just being mindful about what do I want to do next? And what do I need to do to achieve that as opposed to getting kind of stale and settled into their roles like they maybe did in the past.
Right. I mean, that's it's interesting to think about it can help people just continue to be more proactive and more engaged in through their own professional development in all of that, from their networking to their skills to sort of keeping an eye on what their professional objective is. And and then, you know, that they probably wouldn't have thought of when they first got the news about being laid off, that this could be a very positive thing for them.
Yeah. Yeah. In most cases, people report back that they feel like it was wonderful.
Well, Karen, thanks so much. I would love to sort of transition us into some of the traditional questions we always like to ask our guests here just so we get to know a little bit more about you in your story. So, Karen, what was your first job?
My first job was as a box girl at Safeway.
I was the first box girl in my hometown that was high as fuck, but big claim to fame. I love it.
Is there anything that you think you learned there that you still use today?
Absolutely. I think in that role, I really learned about good customer service as part of the role. I learned how to listen to what people want and how to deal with a variety of people and lots of different personalities. Because when you're working with the public, everybody everybody comes through the doors is different. And that has stayed with me.
I also learned early on that my dad was right about having a strong work ethic and that having one allows you both to be recognized for sets and you get more opportunities as a result, but also just allows you to take more pride in your work.
I love that right the strong work ethic, and especially if you are when you're working with the public, you know, being willing to to do what it takes right. To make the customer happy or to get your job done. It's so key in every role in our first job and, you know, in professional career. So I love that you've been able to carry that with you.
Well, it also does help me recognize how much I loved working with people and the variety of folks just was so intriguing to me. And to this day, I'm still, you know, blessed to get to have that opportunity.
Right. Right. Helped helped open your eyes to sort of that you being in a customer facing or public facing role.
And, you know, your dad was right. So there's always that knowledge you can take with you.
So have you read or listen to anything lately that you would recommend to others?
A couple of things that have really resonated with me recently that I've run across that I think are important just because of what I do and the clients that I work with in job search. It was shortly after the first of the year, just a random interview that I happened to walk through my living room that was on television and I stopped for a minute to listen to. And one of the people who is on this panel said it's really true that what you think about you bring about.
And that just really hit me and resonate with me because it aligns so much with how strongly I feel about people being intentional and vocal on their professional objective and what they want out of things and then building a plan to get there because that focus. You know, you have to have a plan to get there. But I know the folks that I work with who sometimes respect the longest they get caught up in thinking about what happened to them vs. being able to think about, okay, what are the opportunities and how am I going to move forward?
So that really hit me. And then just last week, even, Danna, I saw a little quote that came up somewhere from a gentleman named Joel Osteen. And it said, The life in front of you is far more important than the life behind you. And those two together really speak to the importance of being focused on being able to move forward after you've been through a job loss. So, again, rather than dwelling on that lost, focusing on what you have, the leverage in your experience and your skills and to think about those opportunities that lie ahead and how you're going to get there.
Right. Yeah. And so relevant, as you know, to our topic about, you know, getting through a layoff and sort of coming out the other side and thriving after that. And that people can focus on the what's in front of you need to give yourself some time, as we talked about, to get through what with what's behind you. But then really that focus on and that attention on what's in front of you, it's what's going to help you thrive in the future. I love both of those. I love those.
I would say as a coach that sometimes with specific clients and a good percentage of them, a lot of the work is more around just helping people kind of get back on their feet and helping people be able to start looking forward and building the confidence to get out there and do it.
Because until you get past those emotional aspects, you're not in any shape to be out there looking anyway.
Right. Right. Because you don't want to throw yourself out there too early. Right. Well, you might still have some of these raw emotions that could come up and sort of color your answers or color the way you come across. Right.
Right. Or just not bringing your confidence in not bringing that best self forward.
So, Karen, what would your ninety year old self say to you?
I can't wait to make it tonight that work.
But secondly, I think my nine year old self would say, wow, look at how blessed you are. I think my ninety year old self would say, you know, thank goodness you continue to honor your values. You followed your heart and you were willing to take the risks that led you to that perfect career for you. And just how lucky you are that you have the honor of helping people during sometimes what is really the most vulnerable times in their lives, or at least at the moment it feels like that to them, helping them through those difficult times and assisting them in finding clarity, helping them build an effective plan, help them build their confidence back up so that they are able to move forward and find success and fulfillment in their careers.
I love that. Right. Just the recognition for you that, you know, you've been blessed and are in a great spot and that you have found a career that you are passionate about, which is helping others, you know, find their passion in their career. So that's great. It's like a lovely little circle there.
Oh, thank you. I am blessed. Good, good.
Well, Karen, thank you so much for coming on. The Career Cue today. And if our listeners would like to get in touch with you or learn more about you, what's the best way for them to do that?
Couple of avenues they can look at my LinkedIn profile under my name, Karenn Van Liew Creek. They can e-mail me directly if they choose in this contact information is also on my LinkedIn profile.
But it's just Karen, period. Van Liew Creek, that's V as in Victor A N L I E W C R E E K at G-mail dot com. And I am just opening up a Facebook as well. It's going to be under a Career Coach Karen that people can access.
And I know all of our guests will be eager to get in touch. So, Karen, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your wealth of experience and knowledge in this area that can be so challenging for individuals as they're going through it. So, so happy to have you on today.
Thanks for listening to today's episode. Be sure to head on over to The Career Cue dot com where you can get more information, show notes and related articles to various topics. Also, you like what you're hearing head over to iTunes, subscribe to the podcast and make sure you leave us a rating and review. We'd love to hear feedback. Thanks again.
The Career Cue podcast is produced by Lens Group Media and recorded at Mohair Studios in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood.
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Show Notes
Layoffs are common - How can someone get through the emotional side?
Getting laid off and losing a job is unfortunately a common occurrence and there are ways to come through a lay off and thrive afterwards. First things first is handling the emotions about being laid off. Whether an employee expected it or not, there will be hurt feelings, questions and possibly anger or shame. Feelings of loss of stability and disrespect are also common. Understanding that there is a natural process that needs to occur to sort through those feelings will help lesson the feelings of isolation. Listen to the episode to hear Karen recommends ways to help your self through the process like:
Build an inventory of all that was accomplished
Get a sense of your financial situation
Find a little bit of time to bring joy back into your life
It's time to lean on others and not be independent.
How long do people generally take to recover from being laid off?
Everyone is different and an individual has to give themselves enough time that is right for them to recover from being laid off. Timing can depend on how the lay off message was delivered - did it come as a complete shock, was the message something that had been rumored about or was it something that well known. A person's financial situation also impacts the recovery time. Listen in as Karen and Danna discuss other things to consider about recovering from a lay off.
First things to consider when you get the lay off notice
It might be hard to have your wits about you when you first hear the notice because emotions could be running high. But be sure you put your business hat on and take care of things while you are on site. In this episode of The Career Cue, Karen describes a good list of things to handle when you first hear of the lay off such as:
Get your personal information, files and photos from computers
Say goodbye … if possible
Get copies of performance metrics
Get contact information of colleagues
Tactical parts of a layoff
Be prepared. When you hear the rumors of a lay off start looking around for what might be available. Find the person in the company that you can contact to ask questions about the lay off. Many times there might be leaks in the media or your colleagues might start talking about what they have heard. Take those early warning signs to heart and see what you can find out so it isn't a totally shock and surprise to you.
Next steps before finding your next job
So how do you find your next job after being laid off? It is always a good idea to keep your resume updated and your LinkedIn profile updated with your latest experiences. But don't fret if you haven't kept everything up-to-date because on this episode Karen provides step by step action plan for looking for a job after a lay off, those steps include things like:
Define your personal and professional objectives
Define your value prop
Update your resume
Update LinkedIn info and status
Identify your network and make a networking plan
Prep for interviews
Find a career coach, especially if you haven't been job searching for a while
Defining your professional objectives
As you start to define what you want to next, be sure to assess what you CAN do and what you WANT to do. You will find the most success in your career search when you can find the sweet spot where the "CAN do" and "WANT to do" intersect. Ask yourself what is the right culture for you - what types of organizations do you want to work for, what environment do you work best in.
How to talk about a layoff during an interview
It can be tricky to talk about being laid off because of the emotional response you have about it. But remember there is no shame or guilt in it - you can and should get back out there and find a job that you love. In this episode of The Career Cue, Karen recommends saying to it loud, get comfortable with it. Be excited for your next opportunity. Listen in as Karen and Danna discuss more ways to answer questions about being laid off in an interview.