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FutureProof You is a team comprised of: Career Pivot Expert Dan Yu, Recruiting Master John Lovig, and AI Consultant Aaron Makelky. Listeners will hear discussions of job trends, career advice, and actionable tips for making sure their careers are future proof!
EP 22 FPU Layoffs 12.15.25 #fu
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[00:00:00] Intro
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[00:00:00] Aaron: Welcome to this episode of Future Proof Use Go F Yourself podcast. Today we are [00:00:10] talking about layoffs and if you don't feel it in the air, as John said, there are some frosty hiring and cold corporate practices [00:00:20] going on during the winter of 2025, and we decided to bring you everything you need to know about layoffs.
[00:00:29] Aaron: What's going on in the [00:00:30] job market? Who's laying people off? What to do when you see some of your friends or coworkers get laid off, or if you've been laid off especially for a while, [00:00:40] what are some steps you can take to get control of your career? I am joined by my host Dan Yu and John Lovig. Thanks for joining, guys.
[00:00:48] John Lovig: Hello, hello.
[00:00:49] Body
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[00:00:49] Aaron: Dan. [00:00:50] Yeah, Dan, let's start with you. Give us the pulse of what's going on in 2025 a time. We're recording. We're a week away from the winter break here.
[00:00:59] Dan Yu: [00:01:00] been,
[00:01:00] Aaron: see in the job market?
[00:01:01] Dan Yu: a momentous year. Um, you know, just in 2025, according to the latest job numbers, uh, there's been [00:01:10] over a million, about 1.1 million layoffs in 2025. Um, that's a year over year jump of 54%, [00:01:20] it's looking like it's the worst since COVID in 2020 and the financial crisis of 2008 to 2009. [00:01:30] Um, and so, there's been this kind or this size of, uh, disruption in the job market six times since [00:01:40] going back to the recession of 1993. Um, and if you look at the government provided data, um, that's really, uh, the Jolts number, the, uh, [00:01:50] really that's a, a very key marker of, of the job markets. Um, they actually project a higher number. they've recorded, I think it's 1.9 [00:02:00] million as of the end of October.
[00:02:08] Aaron: I mean, one of, one of my [00:02:10] questions for John is what numbers should we pay attention to? Like there was a big ordeal around. The government's own numbers on layoffs and hiring, being [00:02:20] wrong, and the formulas, what's, what's a source that you trust or somewhere that we should give credence to on that topic, John?
[00:02:27] John Lovig: I mean, it's tough. The, the, [00:02:30] the government, um. You know, always wants to try and curry good looking numbers. I think, uh, ADP's report is usually pretty solid as [00:02:40] well. Um, and some of the other, uh, payroll providers run reports on a quarterly or or monthly basis that is good to look at. And [00:02:50] they'll ring pretty similar to the government numbers.
[00:02:52] John Lovig: There'll be discrepancies, but. They'll still have something similar and you know, they're extrapolating from [00:03:00] thousands of data sets, including their own payrolls, so it's a little bit easier for them. They're providing the actual pay.[00:03:10]
[00:03:10] Aaron: Yeah. Dan, what about with some of these specific companies or industries we're hearing. You know, most layoffs and, and [00:03:20] biggest waves since the recession, but things like tech, uh, the federal government, now that it's been funded and opened for about a [00:03:30] month now, what do we need to know by industry?
[00:03:33] Dan Yu: with, uh, with the disruption in the federal market for federal government. Um, you know, that's been going on, you know, [00:03:40] since the new administration's come in. But the trickle down. You know, effect has really been across industries, right? So we've seen the biggest numbers in tech, uh, [00:03:50] telecom, uh, retail airlines, even, uh, even food, you know.
[00:03:55] Dan Yu: So, um, you know, you just look at, uh, some of the biggest companies that are out [00:04:00] there. You know, Amazon, Verizon, IBM, Starbucks, right? Uh, meta Microsoft, um, UUPS, right? [00:04:10] So if, if a company like UPS, which really is a kind of a bellwether for, you know, for online retail delivery, if they're laying off, maybe they're seeing [00:04:20] that there's just less demand.
[00:04:29] John Lovig: Well, [00:04:30] you see this also. And we don't have it in in the numbers here, but the seasonal hiring far lower this [00:04:40] year than in past years by I think about half, Isn't a good sign for consumer spending. Um, you know, and consumer spending always [00:04:50] goes up around now anyway, just because people spend during the holidays.
[00:04:54] John Lovig: So of course people will use those numbers as, as proof, but like, you know, like Black Friday [00:05:00] numbers were up. Yeah, of course they were up, that's when the deals were happening. The means people have no choice but to buy when there's really good deals.[00:05:10]
[00:05:10] Aaron: Yeah, so how about. When you see your colleagues get laid off, which all of us have experienced some more recently than others, [00:05:20] what are some of the tips like how should somebody respond to the empty desk next to them or the person they, you know, used to work with closely is no longer at [00:05:30] the company? Dan, this is really your area of expertise.
[00:05:33] Aaron: What are some tips for people who see this happening around them?
[00:05:36] Dan Yu: you know, thank, you know, thank your lucky stars that you are part of [00:05:40] that round, but also be aware that it could be a trend, right? That's the first thing. And knowing that it could be a trend given the. The [00:05:50] overall state of the market. Um, there's definitely some things you can do to prepare yourself should that happen, so you don't get caught, you know, in, in a, in a bind.
[00:05:59] Dan Yu: And, [00:06:00] uh, one of the main things that I recommend to people that, um, if you see that your college is getting laid off or if you get laid off and you still have [00:06:10] some time before you are asked to leave, one of the main things is you gotta download all your contacts. Right. I mean, and, and, and really connect to, uh, [00:06:20] everyone, you know, both internally and externally. Uh, that's gonna be the basis for, you know, how you find your next job, right? You know, we, [00:06:30] we've discussed here many, many times and we've taught it in our classes, that networking is by far the best way to find your next role, [00:06:40] uh, not applying online, right? You want to, you want to get out of that big pile of applicants, and the best way to do is networking.
[00:06:47] Dan Yu: And so your contacts. End [00:06:50] up being the best resource for you. Um, another thing that, uh, uh, that you can do is download your performance reviews, right? [00:07:00] Or, you know, if you can't really download them, take screenshots of your performance reviews. That's gonna have hopefully your KPIs, right? The, [00:07:10] your, uh, really meaningful numbers that you, uh, saved X amount of money you made, you know, y amount of money. those [00:07:20] are things that you're gonna wanna have on your LinkedIn profile. John, I know that you've got, you know, a lot of, uh, good insights on this as well. [00:07:30] Hmm.
[00:07:32] John Lovig: Yeah, I mean, in my mind it's also time to start networking in general, right? Put feelers out because [00:07:40] you don't wanna wait till you don't have anything before. You know, the wall gets pulled or the carpet gets pulled out from underneath you, and so. Definitely start [00:07:50] reaching out to your network, coffee chats, take someone out for a drink or just, you know, have a warmup conversation with people. have to say [00:08:00] you're actively looking. You could just say, oh, you know, just thinking about what's next. There have been a lot of layoffs, not sure where things are gonna go. Let's face it. most [00:08:10] times when people, when companies have layoffs, it, it's kind of interesting 'cause layoffs are for performance to improve performance by slimming down and, [00:08:20] and, uh, creating less costs.
[00:08:21] John Lovig: But typically you see dips in performance after layoffs because people, uh, lose interest. There's some quiet quitting. I'm sure that happens. [00:08:30] Um, and you know. I, I know if, if I were to see layoffs happen, uh, a company I was working for, I would probably start to say, why do I owe these people anything [00:08:40] right?
[00:08:40] John Lovig: That clearly they don't care about my wellbeing. And so you, you probably start to see that happen in, in org. So, you know, definitely start reaching [00:08:50] out to people, have conversations, you know, reach out to some recruiters in your, in your specific space. Make sure you're posting content pretty regularly. [00:09:00] So that getting, uh, yourself out there and priming yourself for the next thing.
[00:09:08] Aaron: Yeah, I mean my mental [00:09:10] test is what if that was me? So say. Someone in your department or a whole department got laid off, it wasn't you. Well, if it was, what would you wish you would be doing right [00:09:20] now? What would be the first thing you do when you got home or logged off that day? That's what you should do.
[00:09:25] Aaron: And just be glad that you weren't on that list. I also think there's a huge [00:09:30] difference between the reach out message we've all gotten these, you guys more than me, the re the reach out message of, Hey, I got laid off. Do you have any jobs? [00:09:40] Versus, Hey, how are you? I see you're doing this thing, just checking in, and the person isn't actually looking for a job.
[00:09:47] Aaron: There is. This [00:09:50] filter, I think in our DM inbox and in our brains that those are two totally different messages. One of 'em is purely transactional. One of 'em might be, but it at least gives [00:10:00] the appearance of being personable and human and emotionally intelligent, and nobody wishes their first message in a year to a former boss or colleague is the, [00:10:10] I'm looking for a job.
[00:10:11] Aaron: So don't let it be. Just send them one right now and just say, Hey, what are you working on? How are things over there? I'm over here doing this. And then if you get laid off, it's like, oh, remember [00:10:20] when I texted you three weeks ago? I'm not just looking for a job, but I got laid off.
[00:10:25] John Lovig: Yeah. I think also these are behaviors we personally [00:10:30] feel you should be doing regularly anyway. You know, you should have every week one or two top of mind people you want to check in with, who you haven't talked to in a while. [00:10:40] You know, just catch each other up on how things are going. Before Dan and I started doing this. He would call me pretty regularly. I would call him pretty regularly. We [00:10:50] even just set up like a weekly, Hey, how's everything going? Just to, to have a touch base and say, Hey, how can I help you? How can you help me? Do you need just to [00:11:00] run ideas by each other, even just to celebrate each other's wins.
[00:11:03] John Lovig: Especially at the time we were both solopreneurs,
[00:11:05] Dan Yu: Yeah.
[00:11:06] John Lovig: so you know, it's good to do that in [00:11:10] general.
[00:11:10] Dan Yu: you're doing it as a team in, in, in any, in
[00:11:13] Aaron: Yeah, and does.
[00:11:14] Dan Yu: having an accountability partner is always helpful. Right. And now I, I actually go [00:11:20] back, um, gotta be 15 years when, uh, one of my clients got laid. And uh, this is back when I was still in Wall [00:11:30] Street and uh, I called them up and I just said, Hey, you know, anything I can do to help, you know, please don't hesitate to ask. And they said, okay. You know, great, thanks. [00:11:40] Thanks for checking in. I called every three to four weeks my former client and then they got another [00:11:50] job and it took them quite a long time 'cause they were pretty senior. It took them about 17, 18 months. But 17, 18 months of me just checking in every few weeks, [00:12:00] they said at, when they finally got another job, they said, you were the only, I was the only one who called regularly [00:12:10] every other salesperson and, and, and trader and broker. They kind of fell off the radar for them. And so that first. [00:12:20] Month that they were in the new seat, they gave me business right away. They said, you know what, you're the only one, know who checked in. And, [00:12:30] you know, I'd never expected any business from them. Right? 'cause they were just, you know, a former client and I had no relationship with their new firm. But, so you never know where [00:12:40] it's going to gonna, uh, end up. Um, uh, I actually also had a boss that got laid off. uh, many years ago, and [00:12:50] that same day I took him out for a drink and I said, Hey, you know what? If you haven't gone home yet, let me take you out for a drink. [00:13:00] And they said they'd never forgot that.
[00:13:02] Dan Yu: And so, um, you know, that's a, that's a piece of advice that I'd love to, you know, pass on. You know, if you have a boss [00:13:10] that gets laid off, take them out for a drink. 'cause they're gonna be. A potential safe spot for you, a safe landing spot for you when you know potentially you need to make a [00:13:20] change. Yep.
[00:13:26] John Lovig: Or even just introduce you to someone you know at the end of the day.[00:13:30]
[00:13:33] Aaron: And what about some other tips if you're seeing colleagues getting laid off, Dan, besides [00:13:40] downloading relevant files, KPIs, graphs, analytics, whatever things you can use. To showcase your work to potential future employers. What else should people be thinking about as they see
[00:13:49] Dan Yu: [00:13:50] um, you know,
[00:13:50] Aaron: happening around them?
[00:13:51] Dan Yu: your LinkedIn profile, right? So there's no time, uh, there's no better time than when there's a [00:14:00] change at your firm. Any kind of change, positive or negative, actually right to revamp, edit, you know, [00:14:10] streamline your LinkedIn profile. There's no better time. I think that's, that's a, that's a key thing that I think people ignore. Um, you know, but [00:14:20] anytime there's change, right? There's a, there's a reorg. Just a reorg. You know, people moving from one department to another, right? No, not even if there's a layoff. But if there's a reorg, [00:14:30] update your LinkedIn. Right.
[00:14:33] Dan Yu: Download, download some, uh, performance reviews or, and actually that should be a regular exercise, right? Where you download your contacts, your [00:14:40] performance reviews, even, uh, kudos emails if someone gives, gives you kudos saying, Hey, great job doing this. [00:14:50] Download that email, right? And, and, and keep track of that stuff.
[00:14:59] Aaron: Yeah, which [00:15:00] besides helping you get the next role, if you are in that boat, I actually keep a whole file full of thank yous and I had a mentor tell me, you'll [00:15:10] have days where. That will be the thing that gets you through the day is just open the drawer and pick up a random thank you. Note that a, a colleague, a [00:15:20] leader, whoever you worked with, just drop those off, uh, on your desk or in your inbox and keep those for, you know, mental health purposes.
[00:15:29] Aaron: And [00:15:30] when you're feeling the layoff fatigue, which we're gonna get to next, that can be a very powerful thing, not just a way to. Brag about your skillset. Um, so speaking [00:15:40] of layoff fatigue, we're giving John our co-host here, credit for coining the term based on our search. We couldn't find anyone using this in the way that he has been with us [00:15:50] internally.
[00:15:51] Aaron: John, what is layoff fatigue, first of all.
[00:15:54] John Lovig: Yeah, so it's sort of the set of psychological and emotional, [00:16:00] you know, the feelings and, and thoughts that you process as you've been going through a layoff, whether it's, um, in my mind it's twofold. It's either [00:16:10] whether you're someone who's been laid off and you've been going through that process for a very long period of time.
[00:16:15] John Lovig: Right. That's where people start to get the imposter [00:16:20] syndrome. Am I even good anymore? Why can't I get a job? And they fail to see how it's not just them, right? as well as people who [00:16:30] are in a layoff heavy environment, fearing layoffs, experiencing layoffs. Um, in-house and then getting the burden of, of being both the [00:16:40] survivor, but also someone who's probably taking on more work. And so in both instances, I think it's very daunting because it creates a pressure for yourself [00:16:50] that might not be realistic and or not be functional for you to be able to. Be the best version of yourself when you're trying to find a new job or [00:17:00] trying to excel at your job. I think for people who've been enduring the layoff period for a long period of time, it's really [00:17:10] reminding yourself. What you're good at reducing the amount of imposter syndrome that you're experiencing. we kind of always go [00:17:20] back to this when we talk about this in the Acce interview even. have to find ways of, of, of creating joy in your life outside of work, right? We create such a huge [00:17:30] thing about work is so much of who we are, but your coworkers know even though it's 80% of the time that you spend on this planet. [00:17:40] They only get 20% of who you are as a person, My coworkers are always surprised by random tidbits about my life that they didn't know about [00:17:50] because we are multifaceted beings, and so find things that give you joy to reduce that stress. Um, because that stress can be very [00:18:00] paralyzing and it comes up, rears its head in interviews, rears its head, um, when you're trying to be resilient and, and [00:18:10] go day in and day out, not hearing something. And because the application process is so broken, it magnifies this tenfold. So you need to find ways of, [00:18:20] of combating it, reassuring yourself, uh. I always recommend, and Dan, I think, uh, you're a huge proponent of this too, is some layoff [00:18:30] buddies and not people who you're just gonna commiserate to eat with each other.
[00:18:33] John Lovig: You're going to proactively hold each other accountable for taking steps to [00:18:40] get your next job, uh, and you're gonna celebrate wins. You're gonna commiserate loss, you know, losses, but you're gonna have a partner who's gonna help you be accountable and [00:18:50] meet once or twice a week.
[00:18:51] Dan Yu: Networking is, is really the, you know, such a powerful thing uh, in every aspect. And so it's probably a good time to plug one of [00:19:00] our classes. You know, it's, uh, it's called networking at Scale with Content. You can find out more information on the class at our website, [00:19:10] future proof dash y u.com. And, uh, we're, I'm gonna plug in, uh, I'll plug our, uh, holiday coupon code. If [00:19:20] you plug in holiday 2020, uh, 25 holiday 25, you will get 53% off all of our downloadable classes. So [00:19:30] back to your point, but back to your point though, um, networking with colleagues.
[00:19:34] Aaron: Yeah.
[00:19:35] Dan Yu: Start a corporate alumni networking group on [00:19:40] LinkedIn. Right. And, um, that's a great place to start because everybody should be on LinkedIn, but if you kick it off there, um, you might actually [00:19:50] be known as, oh, you're the, you're the, um, head of the alumni group for our company. Which actually happened to me by accident [00:20:00] for my first company.
[00:20:06] John Lovig: I mean, some of us might feel like we'd be creating survivors groups based on [00:20:10] some of our past employers,
[00:20:12] Aaron: Yeah,
[00:20:13] John Lovig: not alumni
[00:20:13] Aaron: I was gonna say alumni or refugee group. What are, what are we calling it here? [00:20:20] Yeah, I, one of the thoughts that I have, you guys tell me 'cause you're the recruiters, can you pick up on layoff fatigue?
[00:20:28] Dan Yu: yeah.
[00:20:29] Aaron: Coming [00:20:30] through a Zoom or an interview, you know, regardless of resume and skillset and all of the things that make 'em proficient, technically.
[00:20:37] Aaron: Can you two minutes into a [00:20:40] Zoom with a candidate, go like, this person is defeated. They're, they're sunk in, they're lost. Is that, is that something that emanates even through a, a zoom.
[00:20:49] John Lovig: [00:20:50] Yeah. Yeah. It's, they, you could, you could feel cynicism oozing from them. You can tell that like. I've had [00:21:00] people, I mean, sometimes they're literal, literally just obvious about it. Like, oh, this is the a hundredth conversation I've had with a recruiter, so I'm not expecting [00:21:10] much. And when someone gets to that point, I've had a conversation with someone where I said, listen, I understand that you're, you're dealing with a lot right now, and I [00:21:20] know that this is just a recruiter conversation, but if you're wondAarong what's. It's be a barrier. If anything, any part of this [00:21:30] conversation is showing through in your interviews, it's the problem. And he is like, well, how can you expect me to be upbeat and friendly in an interview? Like, that's [00:21:40] not my job, my job's to do this. And I, I said to him, I was like, it's your job to make sure people want to work with you. And if you're not a friendly. [00:21:50] Engaging, high eq, person, they don't wanna work with you. be Debbie Downer and nobody wants to work with that person.
[00:21:59] Dan Yu: [00:22:00] uh, uh, one of my first questions for, for interviewing a candidate it, I, I'd love to hear from you what inspired you to [00:22:10] respond to my note and schedule time for this, and, uh, you can get it immediately. You get immediately. Well, you know, [00:22:20] I got laid off and or I just, I just really need a job. you could just hear their tone. [00:22:30] And I will recommend if, if they're qualified for the, for this job, and I wanna push the, you know, I wanna submit them to the, the client, I will say, [00:22:40] listen, you know, let's, let's get ready and we will prepare for this interview. But one of the things is, you know, I'm gonna be here for you, so I'm gonna support you. As you go through these [00:22:50] interviews, and so it's not just on you. I'll be here for you, but we really need to treat this kind of like a dating process, [00:23:00] And know, you have to be a sexy candidate for, for the client. And bitter and angry, and sad, and [00:23:10] despondent is not sexy. And, uh, we have to get that out.
[00:23:14] Dan Yu: So if you are, if you're not feeling you, you know that, uh, very positive complain to me. [00:23:20] Right? But don't bring that to, to the interview.
[00:23:25] John Lovig: Yeah, it's, it's like, have you ever gone on a date and the [00:23:30] first thing someone says to you is like, Hey, I just really need to get married and have some kids. My clock's ticking. Does that go over well? [00:23:40] No. So why would it, why would it go over well in an interview?
[00:23:49] Aaron: Yeah, [00:23:50] something tells me, John has actually heard that before. I don't know that I have, but uh. Yeah, and one that I, one that I think about a lot, I'll use [00:24:00] a, a person in my network. They got let go from a job. It wasn't a performance thing, it was just a, a difference of opinion between them and their boss.
[00:24:09] Aaron: [00:24:10] And they were a little bit gun shy. And then two and a half to three years later, they got let go again. It wasn't a performance thing, and they had this belief, and [00:24:20] this is where layoff fatigue comes in, where it's like, Ugh, the industry, the thing, and they externalize all of their problems. Like it's impossible.
[00:24:29] Aaron: [00:24:30] And sometimes you need to be this person for someone else, but you might need. Someone in your network to give you this talk is just kind of grab 'em and say, Hey, is it possible that you're still good at [00:24:40] your job and you should stay in this field? Or you know, whatever it is. And you just have had two bosses you didn't get along with or had different visions like you can create [00:24:50] dissonance space between the fact that you've been let go or been looking for X number of months.
[00:24:55] Aaron: And you're still really good and talented and should stay. So [00:25:00] if that's you, you might have to create that dissonance inside your own head. But if you've seen that with other people, you know what I'm talking about, where you kind of have to be that voice of reason and say, Hey, [00:25:10] uh, for me right now, one of the most talented people I've ever worked with is currently unemployed and looking, that doesn't mean that they're bad, it just means.
[00:25:17] Aaron: There's an inefficiency in the market and the [00:25:20] right employer hasn't found out that they're looking for that type of a role. They will just didn't happen right away. And that doesn't mean it's a reflection on them or their [00:25:30] skillset. So being able to, you know, not take all of that personally, might be able to help a little bit with the layoff fatigue.
[00:25:39] Aaron: [00:25:40] Um.
[00:25:40] John Lovig: it definitely boils down to this concept of locus of control, right? It's my favorite in in psychology 'cause a lot of times. A lot of mental [00:25:50] health issues stem from either an overly external or overly internal locus of control. It's your sense of how much control you have over a certain phenomenon. [00:26:00] A lot of people put way too much internal, meaning they have a lot of control over their outcomes with their job search. [00:26:10] There are so many external factors that impact your ability to get a job. don't internalize things that, that you [00:26:20] can't internalize something an interviewer does. The only thing you can, you can hold yourself accountable for is, am I taking enough activities to try and have the [00:26:30] right relevant conversations with the right people?
[00:26:32] John Lovig: And am I doing it in a creative. An empathetic way that will engage with others around me. the [00:26:40] best that you can do. can't sit there and go, oh, I guess I'm just not good at my job anymore. It just doesn't work. You were good up until a certain point, so I [00:26:50] don't understand what what will change.
[00:26:51] John Lovig: It's just like you just have to find ways of having conversations to tell people why you were great to begin with.
[00:26:59] Aaron: [00:27:00] This is where I hear the little voice of Dan on my shoulder saying, and of all those things outside of your control, the biggest one is timing, and you can't make the job [00:27:10] happen or make you be the right person today. But you can take those actions that are preparing you for when the timing lines up. The way that I think of, [00:27:20] you know, what John is saying, is you're just increasing your surface area for the good things to happen.
[00:27:26] Aaron: You know, every post is a small percent in your favor. Every networking event, [00:27:30] every reach out message is. You know, like a little lotto ticket and the only way to make sure you don't win is buy no tickets. Your odds go up the more you buy. So just create [00:27:40] a lot of surface area for those things that are gonna help you.
[00:27:43] Dan Yu: yeah, right.
[00:27:44] John Lovig: And if you can do so, do it before you're
[00:27:46] Dan Yu: Do do it
[00:27:47] John Lovig: looking.
[00:27:47] Dan Yu: for Sure. One
[00:27:48] Aaron: yes.
[00:27:49] Dan Yu: people can [00:27:50] do is, uh, make, uh, give recommendations on LinkedIn. It's like little lotto tickets that have a extra [00:28:00] juice there. It's a little bit extra juice than just a post because the recommendations on LinkedIn, they really do stay up. [00:28:10] Right, and a regular post will actually disappear into the feed. But a recommendation that you give to somebody else, you never know. [00:28:20] It might actually come back with, the person might come back with a recommendation for you. And that kind of give and take. I would never ask for one, but [00:28:30] if you could give one, you never know when you're gonna get one. But it also creates that social proof. We talk about social proof here on the show, uh, a bunch. [00:28:40] Having social proof that you worked with somebody and they did a good job in supporting your success, right? Creates that subliminal social proof [00:28:50] on LinkedIn, just like having, you know, all of your KPIs out there.
[00:28:54] Dan Yu: I so.[00:29:00]
[00:29:00] Aaron: Yeah. And finally. Yeah. Finally, without placement, what should our listeners know or expect in terms of [00:29:10] on the way out the door? What should they be doing or what services should they be pursuing?
[00:29:15] Dan Yu: depends on the company, whether or not they've contracted with an outside firm [00:29:20] help former employees land. Right? If you're lucky enough to have worked for a company. That provides outplacement. [00:29:30] Know that the outplacement service, it's kind of a misnomer, They're, they're not trying to find you a job, they're [00:29:40] trying to set you up so that you can find a job. Right. That's the first thing I would say is that the, the, the, it's a bit, it's a bit of a misnomer. Um, we actually have a, [00:29:50] uh, an article that, uh, we've written about outplacement services. It's a primer on outplacement services that, uh, we could put into the show notes, but you can also find it on our [00:30:00] blog@futureproof-yu.com. Really, each service is gonna be slightly different. Right. So ask [00:30:10] certain questions, right? And we have a lot of questions you can ask. One of them is what kind of services does that outplacement firm provide, right? [00:30:20] Is it coaching, is it access to business databases? Um, I've seen it where personally, uh, I've seen it where [00:30:30] the firm has, uh, Bloomberg terminals.
[00:30:32] Dan Yu: So you can look up people. And look up their email addresses. It's kinda like having a, uh, a different aspect of [00:30:40] ZoomInfo, right? But, you know, uh, having a different view, uh, contact info is sometimes really valuable, right? If you can get past, um, past the apply button or the [00:30:50] easy apply button and find the hiring manager, um, you know, see if they, uh, see if they have that. Um, 'cause that could be much more valuable than just any individual or [00:31:00] group coaching. So that's another question is have, do they provide group classes or coaching, or do they provide individual, um, John, [00:31:10] uh, any other, uh, questions that you would have outplacement?
[00:31:17] John Lovig: Usually, usually those, a [00:31:20] lot of them also provide like the resume and cover letter, writing packages and interview coaching. I think the main thing is just like, what's the success rate of [00:31:30] people who go through your outplacement services? Because it's not a high success rate to find a new job, you may have a better time asking your company [00:31:40] to pay for an alternative resource that might be better positioned to actually help you.
[00:31:44] Dan Yu: thing, you know, this goes back to timing. And you know, my, one of my favorite topics is that [00:31:50] everybody forgets about timing and without placement services. Some of them will allow you to turn off the service and then turn it back on because they're gonna be contracted [00:32:00] for a, a certain amount of time, three months, six months, whatever it is. And if you can kind of extend your usage. 'cause if you're not gonna use them every day, why [00:32:10] have the service be turned on? And so see if you can, you know, turn the clock off and then turn the clock back on. Mm-hmm.
[00:32:19] Aaron: Yeah, the [00:32:20] holidays would be the perfect example of that. You know, why would you use up two weeks when there's no hiring going on, and you'd rather have those two weeks in the spring?
[00:32:29] Outro
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[00:32:29] Aaron: Yeah, so [00:32:30] really in summary, layoffs are not fun, especially when it happens to people in your team or at your organization or family members and friends.[00:32:40]
[00:32:40] Aaron: It's worse when it's you, but having a mindset of here's what I can do to help prepare myself, can really lessen the blow, and [00:32:50] also help you manage that with some of your colleagues as you see them get laid off so you're not blindsided if you are looking for a job, trying to make [00:33:00] a career pivot. Not that us three know anything, uh, about that topic given our.
[00:33:05] Aaron: Personal 2020 fives, uh, because we've all kind of gone through different versions of that [00:33:10] ourselves. Our website is futureproof-you.com. We also are very active on LinkedIn under our personal handles and our [00:33:20] company page. Future Proof. You, we just want to help you take control of your career and not feel like, you know, you have that layoff fatigue, or you're floating, or you're stuck and there's no other [00:33:30] options.
[00:33:30] Aaron: Send us a message. Comment on one of our posts, and we would love to talk to you and help you future proof yourself. So, uh, thank you [00:33:40] Dan and John for joining us for this podcast episode on layoffs and the cold corporate practices that we are all navigating during the holidays [00:33:50] of 2025. I hope your holidays are not cold nor corporate, but if they are, at least you have this episode.
[00:33:57] Aaron: Thanks. I'm Aaron Makelky. We'll catch you on the next [00:34:00] one.