11 Essential Interview Tips After a Layoff
No matter how many times we look at the data and acknowledge that the unemployment rate in the US is still historically low, the reality is that tens of thousands of workers have been unceremoniously booted in just the first few months of 2023
Whether you are one of the unlucky hard-working professionals who received their pink slip this year or watched as your colleagues were let go and you were spared, anxiety around layoffs and unexpected employment are understandably swirling.
I've been there in more ways than one. Not only have I personally been let go during a layoff before, but I have also been one of the “lucky” survivors. I know the strange combinations of emotions that can stir up – on the one hand, you’re grateful but also feel guilty for being spared. On the other hand, you may feel resentful of being saddled with new duties and responsibilities when your team is suddenly short-staffed.
If you've ever heard me speak at one of my live master classes, you know my philosophy when it comes to career changes. Anxiety and stress come from the feeling of lack of control. And the best tonic from my experience is focusing on what we actually can control.
I know so many of y'all are already investing in your professional brands and your networks so that if or when the worst happens, you won't have to start from scratch. You can immediately start using your connections to find your next opportunity..
But then comes the second most difficult part of job searching — landing and nailing the interview!
So here are some tips to keep in mind just in case you find yourself back in the interview process sooner than you might have hoped.
#1 It's okay to talk about your layoff during an interview.
In fact, you might as well get the elephant in the room out of the way as soon as possible. The key here is to really own the fact that you were let go and to be able to share the story with the recruiter or the hiring manager and explain that was perhaps a bigger part of a larger company wide layoff and wasn’t performance related at all.
#2 But keep your tone upbeat and optimistic.
Now’s the part where you quickly pivot away from the sad layoff story and say while you were obviously disappointed and will miss your colleagues, you’re also re-energized because it's offered you a unique opportunity for a fresh start somewhere new. Tell the hiring manager all the reasons why you are excited to be chatting with them and what most attracts you to their company.
#3 Don't spend the entire conversation talking about your “ex.”
So often I use dating analogies when I talk about the job search process because, well, they are so alike! You don't want to go on your first date after getting dumped and spend the whole time moaning and groaning about your ex. No matter how justified you may be in complaining, the person at the other side of the table is just going to be left with an impression that you're still stuck in the past and not ready to move forward.
#4 Show off your knowledge of their company and the team you’re vying to join.
You want to walk into an interview knowing as much as you can about the company that you're interviewing for, and — even better — the people you're speaking with on the other end of the phone. No matter how dire your situation is, hiring managers and recruiters are not in the position of passing out charity to whoever seems the saddest and most depressed about their unemployment. They genuinely want to find people who have the energy and the talent that they need to succeed on their team.
#5 Get in the right headspace before you start aggressively interviewing.
Shame and anger are totally understandable feelings to have after a layoff. Give yourself a couple of weeks to decompress and face what has just happened to you. If you immediately try to put yourself back out there and start interviewing, you may not be able to bring your best self to the table. Book an extra session with your therapist. Commiserate with your family, friends or other colleagues and blow off steam. Take a staycation and avoid social media for a few days. Do whatever it takes, because you need to walk into the interview feeling cool, confident and enthusiastic about a new opportunity.
#6 Space out interviews as much as you can.
Yes, it is important to strike while the iron is hot and find your next opportunity. But you just don't want to land yourself in a situation where you're not bringing your strongest self to the table and you miss out on an opportunity to shine.
Don't feel guilty about avoiding LinkedIn or not responding to people's emails or texts for a couple of weeks while you practice some self care. If you have anxiety about not responding to those messages or sending some of your own to people who may be able to find you your next opportunity, then it might make sense to go ahead and send those messages and email responses. But just don't commit to any interviews or phone screens right away.
#7 Get ready to show and tell.
Put together 10 examples of great stories you can tell that demonstrate your accomplishments. Choose some great achievements but also illustrate times when you faced challenges at work and be ready to talk about how you overcame them. Read up on the S.T.A.R. method for more.
#8 Research your market rate in today's world.
Don't base your salary expectations exclusively on what you were earning previously. Maybe this is the first time you've interviewed in several years or more. If that's the case, you may be underpaid for someone with your experience in the market today. To start doing your market research, you can look for job postings in states where they have salary transparency laws in place that require companies to provide a salary range. You can also get in touch with peers and colleagues who may be able to offer insight into what they are hearing from the job market. Then, of course, there's publicly available sources like Glassdoor and payscale.com.
#9 Yes, you can still negotiate.
Just because you’ve been laid off doesn’t mean your intrinsic value as a professional is lost. Lean into leverage like other job offers that might be on the table to see if they can offer more or match them. It’s true, you will lose the ability to use unvested equity grants and unvested 401k matches as a means to bargain for juicier signing bonuses or perks from your new job. That's because you'll lose access to those immediately if you are let go.That being said, it doesn't mean that you can't still ask for a signing bonus or additional equity or other perks once you get an offer and start negotiating.
#10 Take interviews even if you may feel overqualified or are not extremely excited.
You may stumble or fumble some of your answers in low stakes interviews, and it's better to make those types of slip ups for a job that you don't want than wait to have your first interview with your dream company and blow it.
#11 Practice, practice, practice.
If you're really rusty on interviewing, find someone you trust who's familiar with your industry and the types of questions that are asked in interviews and ask them to do a 20 minute mock interview with you. It might feel a little bit awkward but again, it's about stumbling in a low stakes environment so that you feel more confident going into the real thing.