Creating a Post-Layoff Action Plan w/ Marlo Lyons #980
May 7, 2025
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Marlo Lyons, a seasoned career coach with over 20 years of experience and author of 'Wanted: A New Career,' shares invaluable advice on navigating today’s uncertain job market. She discusses the emotional and financial impacts of layoffs, emphasizing the need to reassess your worth and explore new opportunities. Marlo highlights the importance of networking and aligning job searches with personal values. Additionally, she offers practical steps for creating effective post-layoff action plans and adapting financial strategies for future success.
Creating a post-layoff action plan is essential for individuals to regain control and confidence in an uncertain job market.
Marlo Lyons emphasizes the importance of viewing unemployment as an opportunity for self-reflection and realignment with career aspirations.
Networking is crucial in today’s job market; personal connections often lead to opportunities that online applications cannot provide.
Deep dives
Navigating Post-Layoff Challenges
The podcast discusses the importance of creating a post-layoff action plan to address the anxiety individuals may feel after losing their jobs. It highlights that many people are now hesitant about job security, particularly those who believed their positions were stable, like government employees. Career coach Marlo Lyons emphasizes the need for immediate action, urging individuals to reflect on their skills, emotional well-being, and future aspirations while confronting the daunting job market. This approach helps empower those facing instability to regain control of their career paths.
Transforming Setbacks into Opportunities
Marlo Lyons shares her personal experience of being fired early in her career and how it became a catalyst for self-reflection and growth. Instead of viewing unemployment negatively, she encourages individuals to see it as a chance to realign their goals and assess what they truly want from their careers. Recognizing the need to transition from job security to fulfillment, she highlights how this pivotal moment pushed her to pursue law school and, eventually, a fulfilling career in HR. By reframing setbacks as opportunities, individuals can foster resilience and proactively seek paths that resonate with their passions.
The Importance of Networking
The discussion elaborates on the necessity of networking, especially in a tight job market where applying for positions online is not enough. Marlo encourages listeners to make connections by attending coffee meet-ups and social events, emphasizing that personal relationships can open doors that job boards cannot. She explains the importance of effectively communicating what you are looking for in your job search, enabling others to assist you in finding opportunities. Utilizing LinkedIn to showcase expertise and engage with others also enhances visibility and creates more chances for job seekers.
Harnessing the Power of AI and Resumes
Marlo presents insights on using AI tools strategically when applying for jobs. She advises against fully relying on AI to generate resumes, as they may lack personalization and relevance to specific job descriptions. Instead, utilizing AI to extract keywords from desired job listings enhances the effectiveness of resumes during automated screenings. By tailoring resumes with essential skills and demonstrating how past experiences align with future roles, applicants can significantly improve their chances of being noticed by employers.
Seeking Fulfillment versus Competence
The conversation emphasizes the critical distinction between pursuing jobs based on what candidates can do versus what they genuinely want to do. Marlo encourages individuals to identify their passions and values, which ultimately lead to fulfilling careers. This introspective method allows professionals to discard the idea of merely leveraging past experiences and instead focus on aligning future roles with their true interests. By approaching job searches with clarity about their aspirations, seekers can find positions that genuinely excite them and provide long-term satisfaction.
Gone are the days of constantly job hopping in order to rapidly boost your salary! Remember when perusing new job listings during your lunch break while WFH led to a 10-30% pay bump?! Now, with the uncertainty we’re experiencing in the overall market, it’s not just the new hires who are a bit nervous about hanging onto their jobs. Even government workers who thought they had fairly secure positions might be on the chopping block. Long-time employees are experiencing job insecurity! Which is why we’re glad to speak with career coach Marlo Lyons, because not only does she have over 20 years of experience in the hiring and firing field, but she has personal experience and a unique perspective having been fired herself. Marlo is the author of “Wanted: A New Career” where she goes in-depth on pivoting to a new career, she has a new book out about landing that first job, and she’s host of the Work Unscripted podcast. Listen as we discuss the shifting job market, focusing on “can do” jobs vs “want to do” jobs, three steps that everyone looking for a job needs to take, and plenty more during this episode!
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