What do you do if your IT skills and experience aren't enough to land a new job after a layoff?

There are no two ways but to upskill yourself. No experience goes waste - so if you are Sielbel/JD Edwards professional and finding it difficult then upskill yourself in MSD/ Salesforce/Zoho etc. The good news is there is no age bar and you can upskill yourself in any technology anytime and you have the domain understanding of CRM. The only limitation is you and your biases itself. So come over it, upskill and win it all over again!

" The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Landing a job isn’t about ticking boxes on skills checklist. So, while you refine your technical skills, also nurture your storytelling abilities, explore adjacent knowledge domains, and maintain a growth mindset. Your unique blend of experiences will make you stand out in a crowded job market. Clue Card “T” Skillset : While depth in a specific area (the vertical bar of the “T”) is essential, don’t underestimate the value of breadth ( i.e. explore adjacent domains / Technology skills) - Learn from Adjacent Fields : Look beyond IT—into fields like psychology, marketing, or even philosophy. These disciplines offer fresh perspectives.

Skill audit is important. Skill audit should how ever be done with the consciousness of direction of things in the global space or environment where the person is. This will ensure identification of skills the individual has and what gaps there are to be able to land desired jobs on available or relevant areas. It will also help the individual to identify how to get those skills as quickly as possible

In my experience, "heatmapping" is a great tool to identify gaps, especially for skills. If there's a particular role you are interested in, identify the core skills from the job description, then list them out. Give each skill a value of 0 (no experience) to 5 (very experienced). You can also add color coding to quickly see the skills you need to improve. Next, beside each skill where you want to improve, list out a few things you can do to grow in this skill (training, course, book, etc.), and then list the *very next step* (action) you will take. One final tip: Don't just focus on "hard" skills, but list out soft skills as well (communication, leadership, active listening, humility, etc.)

Being laid off can be a setback, but it's also an opportunity to re-evaluate your career path. Here's what you can do: Self-Assessment: • Reflect and Recharge: Take some time to process the situation. Allow yourself to feel the emotions, but don't let them hold you back. • Strengths and Weaknesses: Identify your strengths - are you analytical, creative, a team player? Recognizing your weaknesses is also crucial. Can you improve communication skills, or learn a specific software? • Transferable Skills: Identify transferable skills - problem-solving, critical thinking, communication - that are valuable across industries.

More and more organizations understand the power of the growth mindset individuals vs those that have deep experience in an area but show no growth or evolution. Highlighting your history of learning, applying and mastering new skills, teaching or enabling others, and continuing to grow will grab the attention of the right employer. Want to really get noticed? Be open to a lower base salary and tie a bonus to your performance. Makes it pretty easy to say yes to peeps willing to bet on themselves.

It is very simple "be industry-ready always". Even when you are in a good job, be prepared, attend interviews to see where you stand. This helps a lot as most of the time we tend to be in the comfort zone. We should try to come out of the comfort zone by constant learning.

We live in a time where there are many ways to improve our skills. I work in Cybersecurity space, and the threats we face are always evolving.

In my experience, continuous learning is essential to stay relevant and successful at any level. After all, ultimate building block in IT is software and understanding the software, scale of adoption translates to application in several roles in IT.

En IT la tecnología avanza tan rápido que siempre te vas a encontrar que hay cosas nuevas que aprender Abrazar el cambio, formarse de modo continuo y entender que todos estamos en el mismo modo. Me hace gracia cuando dicen ahora, este es un "experto" en IA...jajajaja si acaba de empezar hombre!.Se estará especializando y formandose, tendra las capacidades y la actutud. Tu TAMBIEN puedes hacerlo. Hay un sector de innovación constante y una gran oportunidad para cualquiera que quiera aprender. Si no encajan tus capacidades a la posición, comprueba que es lo que tu esperas y la empresa espera. Si ha habido un malentendido y no interesa, cuanto antes liquidar la relación, sin perjudicar ni al empleado ni a la empresa perdiendo su tiempo.

Targeted networking with recruiters in the industries in which you are seeking roles is very important. The recruiters have a lot of contacts and a lot of jobs that are not always published on job sites. Recruiters are very helpful in improving your image in front of hiring managers with tips for resumes, skills assessments, and general hiring process advice. And remember to to keep in touch with the recruiters; calling them with updates and inquiring about placements. Contacting recruiters once is not enough, build relationships with the best recruiters in your chosen industry.

Be strategic in networking. Connect with Industry Leaders to gain knowledge of industry trends, Mentors to seek guidance, and peers to gain experience on how they landed the job by connecting with professionals in your field through social media, attending industry meetups, and participating in forums or webinars. These connections can offer valuable insights, advice, and even job leads.

Skill audit and networking is important skill for finding a job. Being at the right place at the right time is an underrated skill for many. Being good at something is important but blowing your own trumpet a bit is equally important.

I'm guilty of not staying in touch with my network as often as I should. Mindful connections with key collaborators in your network helps stay current and top of mind.

Updating resumes can be a real game changer. Often times when people are not actively looking for new opportunities, skills gained over the years may not have been documented or captured. Updating resumes will allow the candidate to capture their capabilities and present their strong points to potential employers. Updating CVs could actually be a critical part of the skills audit process. Updating CVs will give indications of additional roles the candidates can apply for or give indications of possible opportunities as well

Keep your resume updated all of the time. Keep it lean as you add more experience or skills. You never know when or how quickly you might need it but in updating it regularly, it can be the equivalent to a skills audit also.

In today's challenging job market, it's about leveraging your experience & expertise and aligning with the targeted opportunity. Speak to what you do have - your skills, abilities, results and impacts delivered. If you're working on a specific skill gap, be sure to include this in your resume, too. Highlight your ability to deliver results. Highlight your ability to provide value - to the team, the department, the company and to clients. Demonstrate how you've solved problems and how you think. Most resumes don't clearly demonstrate these characteristics. Do this and you'll already stand out from other applicants!

Upgrade and certify for additional skill, learn what has caused layoff, improve available skills, practice peace of mind to enhance collaboration

Noch ist Open-Hiring nicht in Europa in der Breite angekommen. Dein Lebenslauf muss nicht toll, sondern stimmig und authentisch sein.

Three effective ways of certifying your skills are: 1. Problems solved: on the job skill involvement in solving bespoke incidents. 2. Solutions created: on the job (or in the community) skill involvement in creating adaptive solutions that solve problems (not just incidents) regardless of the environment. 3. Subject knowledge: on certification platforms for assessing skill levels. Let me emphasize that it is beneficial to be involved in communities so that you can raise your awareness to other use cases and approaches where your skill sets are applied.

Acquire the right certifications that will help you keep relevant and in demand. Certifications will help you to be more reliable and sustainable. Certifications will give you an edge.

Certifications proof your abilities beyond yourself. It is a validation by a 3rd party that you know what you say you know and that you have proficiency to a specific level that the certification attests to. Typically certifications are the starting point for short listing in some job areas especially technical roles. So it is helpful to have certification to skills by candidates. I would however like to note however that certifications do not carry equal value. So my recommendation is to look for the top body and top certification for the area of desired work and get the certification. An example is PMP for project management would be a desired certification for a project manager role ..if the candidate is in UK prince2 may be better

Certifications are a great way to stay relevant! Get them and list them on your resume. Just make sure you have a focused area of expertise.

Identify Skills Gap: Utilize Wardley Maps to assess your current skill set and identify areas where certification could enhance your qualifications. Research Reputable Certifications: Explore industry-standard certifications relevant to your career path and job market demands. Prepare and Pursue Certification: Enroll in certification programs, study diligently, and earn recognized credentials to bolster your resume and increase your competitiveness in the job market.

Along with volunteering, lookout for internships in the area of your interest. In a bad market relevant experience counts and it becomes difficult to pivot if you haven't got any. So network with people who have travelled that path before you and understand the transition. This will help you to build your profile and present a case while approaching companies for the roles that you aspire.

Volunteer work can be very fulfilling. I volunteer to help my local community. Since my interests are aligned to STEM field, the volunteer activities also help me learn new things in the process!

Where you have lost your job and finding another job, take a few days or weeks to rest and rejuvenate. But get yourself into work as quickly as possible and one of the best ways to keep busy and showcase your skills is by volunteering. Contribute your skills, knowledge and expertise to a good cause. The experience you gain via volunteering could become the difference between where you are and your ability to get your dream role. Volunteer with purpose to build your resume and give back to society

This is a tricky one because I don’t recommend free volunteer work when you are unemployed. Instead I recommend starting a business as a consultant and offering discounted services instead. It’s technically volunteering since you can discount your rates in comparison to the local or near chore dev shops in your area so you are volunteering some of your time value. However you will have some source of income to keep the lights on hopefully. There are a TON of mom and pop shops, churches, community centers, etc where you can provide your expertise

Consider volunteering for IT projects or initiatives within your community, non-profit organizations, or professional associations to gain practical experience, expand your network, and demonstrate your dedication to the field, even during periods of unemployment.

Take any job. Literally any job, at any level. Even in a completely unrelated industry. Having been through a few layoffs in my careers, there is nothing more disheartening than doing job searching as your "job". It is filled with rejection, avoidance or worse no response at all. This takes a hit on confidence and creates a bit of anxiety and desperation. Not great for interviews for jobs. Having some sort of employment gives you purpose and ability to deal with any rejection. Also any income (if not volunteer work) will reduce the financial stress in this period. And "breaks" in career are always queried by recruiters if not intentional making you less appealing as a candidate.

Personal branding is key to marketing yourself and your career as a brand. It's an important strategy for career development. It helps you stand out in a crowded market, build trust with your audience, and attract opportunities that match your strengths and passions.

Great insights in this section from the previous contributors. You need to know that this ends well! I have been in this position together with a team of 5 people. The journey is tough, but it ends well. Start journaling your experiences because there are lessons to be learned but more importantly some time in the future you will have the privilege of walking along side someone who will need your support.

I guess that one of the great thing about IT is that you can develop your skill set yourself. It is not like being a Chemist or a Biologist where you would need a lot of resources to experiment. With IT, you just need a computer that you, most likely, already own. Tons of blogs, tutorials of any kind on any topic are available online and can help to gradually build your portfolio of additional experiences

Well, it is always a question of what kind of IT job will be focused? Sales, not a problem - Technology, definitely more complex without qualifications, but the more innovative, lower hurdles will existing and it is easier to jump in the pool which filled water than an empty one 😅