Your game plan today (and arguably beyond)
From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend - Narrator
Different people have different ways of coping with job loss, and I hope you were able to take some time on the weekend for yourself to reset.
I don’t know how you feel exactly, as I’ve not experienced a layoff in the traditional sense. I mention this not because it is some badge of honor - but layoffs, in particular, are shocking because they come as a surprise. That’s an additional layer of trauma I’ve not experienced yet, but I know it will happen to me. I want to acknowledge that I don’t know how you feel, but I know it feels terrible.
However, I’ve certainly been jobless for long periods. Perhaps like some of you, I still wish I had a job at Recharge. Critically, I am very familiar with the feelings of uncertainty and the bouts of self-doubt you will inevitably experience.
In truth, I have the dubious distinction of having bouts of under-employment in my 20s, 30s, and now 40s. If you count the fact that I was the world’s worst “sandwich artist” in my teens, I’ve been perenially under-employed my whole life!
I’ve been under-employed during every significant economic downturn in the last 30 years, starting in the 90s (dot-com, 2008, and now this)! I was also under-employed in the years leading up to my joining Recharge. All of this is to say I consider myself an under-employment expert, and I hope the tips in this note will be helpful to you. It may be the most crucial message in this series.
Netflix, but don’t chill
When tomorrow comes around, and you find your calendar clear - it may feel liberating to some of you and scary to others. Turning on your game console or television might be tempting. I get it; you want to chill.
You should relax and find ways to decompress, but my strong suggestion is to time-box this so that you don’t end up chilling all day. Perhaps you might not be the Netflix type, and you’ve decided to fix things around the house. Again, do that, but don’t let that be your main thing.
In 2003, when I first experienced under-employment - I spent weeks chilling. But as the days wore on, what felt like a dreamscape became depressing. The danger here is that if you spend too much time relaxing, you will start to feel lost. Maybe you didn’t choose your current circumstances, but if all you do is slack right now, you will turn a bad situation worse.
I use the term under-employment versus unemployment intentionally - you are not unemployed. You have a job, and that’s to figure out what you will do with the rest of your career. If you’re earlier in your career, think of this as practice, you will experience this over and over again because you’re never going to get this nailed - times are constantly changing. You’re always figuring it out. Today will happen again. That’s okay! This is practice.
The current environment could be worse, but not great
We’re in the Fall, heading into Thanksgiving, and close to the end of the year, running into a probable recession. Companies are acting like we’re already in one, even if we’re not in a recession. Unfortunately, if you don’t land a position by Thanksgiving, it won’t be easy to land a role until February next year, when budgets are finished, and people come back from the holidays. If part of your process for figuring out what you will do with the rest of your career is to travel, then be realistic about when you’ll likely be back on the grid.
I know this sounds like a lot of doom and gloom, but there are two great reasons to be hopeful!
While businesses that touch a consumer are tightening (D2C, C2C, B2B2C, etc.), my executive recruiting contacts have consistently clarified that there are many businesses, particularly in the B2B space and finance worlds, that are unimpacted. There are also green shoots in industries that cater to SMBs due to persistent labor shortages worldwide.
Businesses hiring right now are unusually strong. They are either not impacted by macro factors or are great at operating. Either way, they will benefit from hiring top talent because they can pick the best in the labor pool right now. In the long run, companies that are strong through downturns become juggernauts when times are good - I’ve seen this repeatedly for decades. You could work hard your entire career, but if you’re not at the right place at the right time, you could still have an average career. This could be the opportunity that will take your career to the next level, and in looking back at mine, my career has always gotten to the “next level” during these moments. My LinkedIn work history proves this to be true. Some people are familiar with my Steve Jobs reference: You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect the dots looking backward. I hope that in the near-distant future when everything is wonderful, you’ll realize that what happened was a dot in this journey.
My recommended plan for you
We’ve established that sitting on your butt is not good for your long-term mental health, and there are reasons that you should seize the moment. What does that mean in practice?
I have a 5 part daily plan that I’ve used for years that’s worked well for me, so well that I maintain many of these habits when I am employed.
Plan your day
To stay on task and productive, I recommend you plan your day. When you’re intentional about what you want to do each day, you will end each day fulfilled. Part of your plan should involve some leisure time, and I would also recommend that your plan is bounded by your usual 9 to 5 schedule. Remember, you still have a job and meetings, except that some of those meetings are with you during this time.
You can read about my planning process here if you don’t know how to start.
Exercise
To compete at a high level at work, it’s critical to maintain your energy. Perhaps, work has been so tough lately that you’ve not had time to invest in your energy levels. This is a great opportunity to reset that trend.
In your plan, I recommend you block off at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, including the time to get ready for the workout and the time it takes to transition to the rest of the day.
Your workout shouldn’t be intensive every day, and perhaps every other day, it is low-key, but you’ll find that the routine will keep your spirits up and help you maintain high energy levels. If all you do is take a walk, that counts too! Make it a thing, and maybe make it a thing with friends.
You won’t be able to maintain this level of consistency when you’re back at work, but you’ll find that by developing this habit now, you’ll have an easier time maintaining it when you’re back in the saddle.
Network
Invest time in your network. I spent the first 10 years of my career ignoring this because I am awkward and shy. While several things have impacted my career since, the single biggest change I made was my thoughtful investment in my professional network. Adam Grant, the author of Give and Take, argues that so-called weak ties in your network are the greatest asset you can have professionally. You’ll also feel less isolated as a benefit. For a synopsis of his argument, you can read Adam Grant Says This Is the Powerful Tool for Success Most People Aren't Using.
In practice, this means the following:
Reaching out to people you’ve worked with for advice, mentorship, and to locate opportunities
Actively looking for and inviting people to connect on LinkedIn that you’ve worked with before
Researching other opportunities that you can engage professionally with other folks in your chosen field
Writing and soliciting LinkedIn recommendations from former colleagues
Search and apply for work
I’ll get more specific about how to use LinkedIn throughout the week, so stay tuned for more.
Sharpen the saw
The unfortunate truth is that being in software, especially if you’re in product and engineering, is a young person’s game. In my field, heads of product and engineering are rarely in their 50s, let alone their 60s. I’ve noticed that over the years, the half-life of people who do what I do seems to be about every 5 to 10 years.
I’ve been surrounded by decidedly smarter people than me my whole life. But I have managed to stay in the craft longer than many of them, and a big reason is that during my under-employment, I went back to the woodshed and trained like I was Rocky in Rocky IV.
I wrote a social network when modern social networks were coming into existence, I taught myself mobile programming soon after the original iPhone was introduced. I’ve worked on countless failed projects over my under-employment years that have helped me understand how modern engineers do real work at scale.
If you’re questioning if you’re even in the right field, now is a great time to revisit what you might want to do next.
One way to approach this is to invest in LinkedIn Premium, which will give you access to LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda). 10s of thousands of courses cover everything from interview skills to software tutorials and even general topics like what a modern-day revenue operations program looks like. If all you did was commit to using LinkedIn learning for an hour a day, you’d be ready like Rocky when it comes time for your next interview.
Netflix, but don’t chill
Remember, even if you’re under-employed, you still have a job, and you need to take a break. Permit yourself to do something fun as a reward for doing everything else in the 5 step plan.
Your career is a journey - it’s a marathon, not a race. In business, there’s always a sense of urgency, but as the CEO of your life, you will need to pace yourself, so you don’t burn out both when you’re working and when you’re looking for work.