Layoff Journal Week 9 - Things You Love
For those laid off by Indeed in March, today marks the two-month anniversary of Indeed being without you (and me.) The time has flown by in some ways, and in others, it has crawled past. I continue to hear stories of more and more ex-Indeedians who’ve found their next role (congratulations to you all!) and heartbreaking stories of ghosting, black hole applications, and worse (I’m sorry, and I’m right there with you.)
As for me, May has been a bit of a wash. Between the flu, caring for family with the flu, and now COVID, I’ve been out of commission more days than I care to count. But beyond that, I’m doing something I love. I’m leaning into a couple of startups that I’m excited about. All of them are pre-funding, which is terrifying and new for me, but it is also an excellent opportunity to help shape them into something extraordinary. Not just monetarily but genuinely building a culture that rivals the Indeed I miss. Getting my hands on code again and helping bring something out of nothing has been invigorating. Hopefully, we can raise some funds and honestly give this a go full-time soon.
On another note, our family has a tradition of attending BoardGameGeek’s Spring convention in Dallas over Memorial Day weekend. If we can stay healthy, we’re incredibly excited to spend the weekend with good friends, good board games, and the official start of Summer. Contact me if you’re attending or in the area; I’d love to catch up! Let’s get to the newsletter.
Looking Back - Embrace Innovation
It’s not a shock to anyone who knows me that I’ve always enjoyed innovation. My whole time at Indeed was marked by it. We were developing new product ideas and building the engine for iterating on those ideas simultaneously, which was a different type of innovation. Even before Indeed, my work in startups for the ten years before was also marked by innovation. I also love and hope to continue doing it in my next career step as well.
I’m unsure if any of these innovative ways of catching an employer's eye are right for you or me, but I love the inspiration. (4 min read) The key takeaway is not to give up hope, to keep thinking of new ways to reach your target audience (hiring employers) and leverage your strengths.
Looking Forward - Finding Love At Work
Obviously, many people have found romantic love at work (startups are often fertile ground for dating and marriage, in my experience,) but that’s not what I’m talking about today. I’ve touched on some of these topics before independently, but finding a way to love the work you’re doing (or going to be doing) is vital to the enjoyment of that work and feeling fulfilled. This FastCompnay article breaks down several approaches to finding, aligning, and leaving jobs in search of roles you are passionate about. (6 min read)
I’ll warn you, though, that their last point about lowering your expectations is both realistic and very disheartening. I’m not sure I wholeheartedly agree with it. The key to me is that love is a verb. It’s an act of give and take. You put your efforts in, and the company responds, obviously monetarily, but hopefully also with praise, recognition, and maybe even a chance to see the impact of your work in the world. But this is where the parallels of love and marriage begin to break down. You’re not committed for life to this company. They should continue to “woo” you through compensation, benefits, growth, and impact. I hope you each find a company that’s as excited to have you join them as you are to join.
Today’s Tip - Time For A Breakup
I’ve used this tips section for a lot of guidance on using LinkedIn over the last two months. And honestly, LinkedIn has been handy for one thing in particular – staying connected to colleagues in the field. Unfortunately, as I mentioned last week, it has not yet produced progress toward job interviews. So, my suggestion this week (and I’m saying this so that I will also take this advice) is to branch out. If you’ve been using one job search site this whole time, it’s time to try another. I will give Otta.com a chance and share my results in the coming weeks, but for others, maybe that’s giving LinkedIn, Indeed, The Ladders, or something else a shot.
Fun Stuff
https://bird.makeup/users/briansolis/statuses/1657611794473717760 (48 second video, and worth it for the pure joy.)
Final Words
If I can help with your search, please get in touch with me. Please give me feedback on what you like or don’t care for in this newsletter, and I’ll adjust. For total transparency, I have no affiliation with any of the tools, companies, or resources I share. These are my impressions, not tainted by any outside influences.
https://onlynewmistakes.com/
Hi RC. I'm stopping by to say I enjoy your posts and find much in them that resonates. I'm glad you're feeling better, I had the covid recently too.
I prefer to use several job search engines because I often get additional listings. Linkedin I find generally sends the large Corp listings, while Indeed is balanced with smaller companies and contract opps in the mix (organic only I assume). Otta seems better at zeroing in on my focus and sends the same results as others, but quicker. I have two or three searches runing on Indeed. I read a lot of listings because sometimes there's an interesting surprise. That's how I joined Indeed originally-an unusual opportunity that I took a chance on.
The fast company article resonated because I had become excellent at work I loved with a team I care about, and had a wonderful manager. I found purpose I my work and still feel aligned with Indeed’s mission. My search is about finding that employment partner again, even if it takes a while.
Mark