Keith Tode, MBA’s Post

LAYOFFS AND FEELING INVISIBLE Where are you? I can't see you. When you get laid off, you lose a lot of things. Your job, your paycheck and your sense of belonging. You also lose yourself. No longer a member of working society and draped in self doubt and a loss of confidence, there is a tendency to withdraw from everyone and everything outside the warm embrace of your family and home. There is a modicum of security and a cloak of safety from the curious and pitying eyes of friends and strangers alike as you hole up in your house. You become slightly agoraphobic, wanting to go out to live a somewhat normal life, but are reluctant to do so and retreat into a prison of your own making. Day by day, you withdraw even more. Like Boo Radley, you exist in the shadows, never seen and only spoken about in hushed tones by your neighbors and formerly close confidants. Dealing with the initial shock of getting laid off is bad enough, but with each passing month and with every rejection and ghosting, your light and self worth dims. You feel invisible because, in many respects, you ARE invisible. Especially, to potential employers. You're not invisible to me. I see your struggles and your bravery. I applaud your quiet victories of getting a handful of applications out the door when it's the last thing you want to do today. I cheer you on on interview days, and celebrate the small victories of a call back and moving on to the second round. My heart breaks with your disappointment and my ears hear your stories of setbacks, fear and uncertainty. You're real. You're alive. You're seen. You're not invisible. You're human. I see you all and you see me. The outside world may not understand how turbulent the job markets are, but we do. As long as we see each other we've got a chance to survive the storm. You're not invisible. You're very much seen. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AS MUCH AS I BELIEVE IN YOU! #LINKEDINKEITH

LAYOFFS AND LOSING INTEREST There are days I just don't care. When you first get laid off, you typically dive headlong into a job search almost immediately. You're fueled by anger and despair, but you're somewhat optimistic you can find something quickly and double dip a new salary with your granted severance package. In a normal market, not only is this possible, but probable. These aren't normal times. As weeks of searching for a job turn to months, and months bleed into a year, your attitude shifts. Your will to grind things out dissipates and any motivation that you once had is as diluted as iced coffee in August. You're numb to rejection and just assume that any application you submit will disappear in a vast abyss of nothingness. When all you want to hear is a yes and some indication that your skills are valuable and wanted, the never ending torrent of rejection is soul sucking. Why bother looking at all? This is especially true during the summer doldrums when the air is thick with humidity and no one is moving especially quickly. With vacations, short staffing and a job market that has cratered, it just seems pointless. You get bored with having the same, repetitious calls with recruiters that lead nowhere. If you're lucky enough to get an interview, you hope that it isn't on a Friday afternoon because the last thing a hiring manager wants to be doing is speaking with you. I don't blame him. Who wants to deal with an interview when a summer weekend is only 45 minutes away? You know you should be looking, but you just don't want to today. Or tomorrow. Maybe even next week. It won't make a difference. Even if something intriguing came along and you apply for it 14 minutes after it posts, the stark reality is that you'll be applicant 214 and your CV will never be read. So, walk away and disappear for a bit. The job market, recruiters and hiring managers will never know you're gone. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AS MUCH AS I BELIEVE IN YOU! #LINKEDINKEITH

Helping others truly fills my cup. ☕ Here are some examples that came up over the last few weeks via DM's! "your posts have been life-saving for me. I've been struggling with being active on here because the search for a new job is overwhelming on its own, then adding life to the mix. However, seeing your constant positivity has been very encouraging and something I strive to be more like. I appreciate you posting your list of companies that are still hiring, I plan to run through those shortly to see if I can follow in your footsteps" "just wanted to say how much I appreciate your posts. They've saved me a lot of time looking for new companies, but also have kept my spirits high throughout this process." "I’ve seen your posts and love your spirit. Keep up the tough fight." Share your journey with others- even if it is ugly friends. 🙈 If you can give people hope, joy, or a boost in their day, do it! Linkedin has always been one of my favorite places to make connections and build relationships and it has helped me find roles after layoffs now TWICE! Reach out a helping hand to others and you will see a positive return every time.

Lately, I have come across lots of #laidoff posts. Their unfortunate situation of having a hard time supporting their families deeply moved my heart. Mostly, at the very best, what's in my control is to like, comment, repost, or get that post to the notice of someone in my network. But here's what I think could be a win-win for all: 1. An organization that laid off a person due to a lack of projects/ financial constraints/ team restructuring, etc. can mention the same in his/her relieving letter to help him/her verify the authenticity of the situation in their future job trials. 2. Now, there should be a way for the person to signal to the large professional community (like LinkedIn) that he/she is 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬 at his/her past company (but 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐭). LinkedIn, How about a badge like 'Laid Off' (similar to 'Open to Work')? 3. This way, prospective employers would save time finding the right talent, and the people would also get past such a tough phase as soon as possible. PS: This is an idea with the intent of giving back to this wonderful LinkedIn family. I look forward to know any details that I might have overlooked and your help in enhancing/tweaking this idea to get to its best. #givingBackToCommunity #DealWithLayOffs

The job market is tough right now. Many people are either overwhelmed with work or searching for new opportunities. It's disheartening to see so many posts about layoffs on my LinkedIn feed. In times like these, empathy is crucial. Let's support each other and be empathetic. A cold or rude reply is the last thing anyone needs right now. We all lead busy lives with overflowing inboxes, but taking a moment to respond kindly can make a significant difference. Together, we can get through these tough times. #empathy #support #inthistogether

It can be hard to read LinkedIn right now. Pre-pandemic there were more posts about accepting new positions and getting promotions and now almost all you see are posts about the stark realities of trying to find jobs in a bizarre, and almost dystopia-feeling, job market. Of being ghosted, hours upon hours of interviews and assessments, and rejection after rejection. It can be hard to read about the layoffs and frankly, the desperate situation so many find themselves in. For those of us with jobs, or who have been recently promoted, or who recently have found jobs, don't turn away from others pain. Even if all you can do is sit with them in it, that compassion could make the difference in their day. For those in this situation, while I know I can't do much other than offer encouragement that feels as if it's far too weak to match your pain, please know I see you. We see you. You aren't alone and if you don't feel this lately, you matter. Your situation doesn't mean you are bad or awful. Change will happen. That is the one constant of life. #compassion #jobmarket #layoffs #pain #notalone #youmatter

The job search process is hard for many people right now, but remember that layoffs, rejections, failures don’t define you I have a friend who called me crying because she was laid off and has been on the market ever since. She shared her frustration with job rejections and ghostings There’s a lot happening in the world right now. For those of you looking for jobs, don’t give up on yourself. Leverage resources, update your resume, brush up some skills, and if you have to pick up a side hustle or something in the meantime to cover the bills, go for it. For those of you with hiring power, make things easier for candidates by drafting a good JD, do a careful review and choose wisely. For everybody else, let’s be of help. Let’s share resources, be a connector. Let’s not put others down when they share their experiences online. They already have it hard enough. Let’s do better. Let’s be better. We’re in the early stages of 2024 and thousands have been laid off. People are looking for jobs left and right. Jobseeker, recent laid off person, candidate: You’re going through a lot, but we’re hopeful a new opportunity will come your way. Your current circumstance don’t define where you will be. These layoffs, rejections, failures… they don’t define you. Let’s work on changing these - for the better.

If you want work, then work. If you want a specific position, then network. I have seen so many posts on LinkedIn talking about the mass layoffs, the job market struggle, and don't get me wrong, it's a super long process that can be really deflating at times. People are really struggling and it's heart breaking. I'm in your same boat! I have the green banner and I work on applying and networking everyday. But if you're going to blast how bad your situation is on a social and professional platform, then be willing to take what comes up. A few years ago, I found myself in a position where I had $0, a brand new apartment on my own, 2 kids, and no job. And let me tell you, I took whatever I could get. $13/hour phone job? Fine. I will take it. Because it's more important to get a job and have some money coming in than being picky about the title or pay rate. I see SO many posts talking about how bad people's situations are and I am proud to say that LinkedIn RALLIES for these people! Is it the dream position? No. Does it make enough to cover your bills? Maybe not, but it's not a time to be picky it's a time to hustle!! I am not saying I agree with consistent "hustle culture" but being too proud to accept the help when it's given to you, isn't going to help you in the long run. That phone job taught me SO MUCH about work, what I liked, what I wanted; it taught me about customer service and it was beyond satisfying when that company kept promoting me. Little by little, my hard work was paying off. I look back at my struggle with so much pride. Yeah, I was willing to start at the bottom. Yeah I worked my BOOTY off to get to where I am. Is it perfect? Not yet, but I'm still proud of myself. How I handle myself, how I hustle, what I have learned, and the asset I will be to my next company. So moral of the story, stop focusing on the struggle, take whatever you can get to keep your lights on and learn while you're in it. NO ONE who is at the top had an easy path to get there. One step at a time. Perseverance. You got this. #jobseeker #hustle #rockbottombecamethesolidfoundation

Why do only layoff posts seem to steal the spotlight on LinkedIn? 🤔 We often see heartfelt posts on this platform supporting those impacted by Layoffs (and rightfully so!) But, let's face it, while empathizing with those facing job cuts is crucial, shouldn't we extend that same compassion to everyone trying for their dream jobs during these tempestuous times? It's time to shift the narrative! Yes, layoffs are a painful reality, but so is the silent struggle of individuals quietly seeking opportunities, updating resumes, and networking tirelessly in pursuit of better roles. Let's make empathy universal and champion not only those laid off but also those bravely putting themselves out there, seeking new paths and challenges. After all, every story deserves to be heard, acknowledged, and supported! #EmpathyForAll #JobHunting #exploringopportunities #fridaythoughts #equalopportunities #lookingforopportunities

Something I've realized after being laid off for almost two weeks now is that everyone and nobody has tips and tricks on how to navigate this job market. I saw two posts earlier this morning. One was how to spruce up your resume to break into any job you wanted. The one right after was about how resumes aren't as useful as we think they are and taking extra time on your LinkedIn page was the way to go. There is so much back and forth, everyone has a hot tip or a neat trick, but it feels like 99% of job searching nowadays is just sheer luck. Hoping the right person will see your resume, or see your profile. Hoping the right person will get you in contact with the next right person. It all just becomes a jumbled mess. While I'm doing my best to remain hopeful my job search won't last too much longer, I also realize how many layoffs there have been and how many other people are searching and hoping for the same thing. Here's to hope and luck. #jobsearching #laidoff #jobsearch2024 #opportunities