May 28, 2025 • 25 mins
If you’ve been laid off or are navigating a career transition, this episode reveals the 7 most common mistakes people make after job loss—and what to do instead.
Career coach Dr. Caroline Sangal shares practical insights on how resume rushing, panic applying, and desperation networking can sabotage your progress. Learn how to pause with purpose, rebuild confidence, and make aligned career moves that support your long-term goals.
Learn:
- Why your resume might be hurting—not helping
- How fear-based job search strategies backfire
- What to say (and not say) about your layoff
Download your free Layoff Reflection Workbook: https://nextsuccesscareers.com/the-pause
Subscribe to Your Next Success so you never miss an episode.
Watch full video episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NextSuccessMethod/
Learn more about Next Success www.nextsuccesscareers.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Caroline (00:02):
If you've recently been laid off.
Or you're staring down atransition, you didn't choose.
The pressure to act fast can beoverwhelming.
Update the resume.
Apply to jobs, reach out toeveryone, you know, take action,
any action, just to feel likeyou're doing something.
But here's the truth, mostpeople don't realize the urge to
(00:25):
act fast is strong, but mostpeople don't realize they're
setting themselves back withmistakes that feel productive,
but quietly sabotage their nextmove.
So if you've already startedscrambling or you're about to
pause, because what you do nextmatters more than your resume,
(00:49):
it shapes your confidence, yourclarity, and your path forward.
And in this episode, we aretalking about the seven most
common mistakes people makeafter a layoff, so you can avoid
the spiral and start makingpower moves instead.
Have you ever wondered, is thisit?
(01:11):
That question is the beginningof Your Next Success.
I am Dr.
Caroline Sangal, and thispodcast is your space to pause,
reflect, and create the careerand life you were made for.
We explore real stories,intentional transitions, and
(01:32):
practical insights to help youstep into alignment, purpose and
peace.
This This is Your Next Success,and I am Dr.
Caroline Sangal.
In this episode, we are digginginto the seven most common
mistakes people make after alayoff.
Mistakes that feel productive inthe moment, but can quietly
(01:53):
sabotage your confidence,clarity, and next opportunity.
You'll learn (01:57):
how to spot desperation disguising itself as
diligence.
Why resume revamp can backfireif done too soon.
The subtle mistake that made onebrilliant candidate seems shady
in interviews and how to coursecorrect now before you waste
time or settle for less Mostpeople think the first thing you
(02:19):
should do after a layoff is takeaction.
Update the resume, fire offapplications, get moving because
action means progress, right?
But what if that's the biggestlie you've been sold?
What if rushing into actionisn't actually smart?
It's a stress response.
(02:40):
What if all that doing isactually hiding the fact that
you don't know where you'regoing?
Let's call this what it is.
Panic productivity.
It feels like control, but it isfear disguised as motion.
It's like getting dropped into ahaunted maze.
No map, no flashlight.
(03:01):
Doors slam behind you.
Shadows move your chest tightensand your brain screams.
Go move anywhere but here.
And so you start running.
Left, right, backtrack.
And you try again and you hitwall after wall and you start to
feel it exhausted.
(03:23):
Lost no closer to getting out.
That's what post layoff urgencyfeels like.
You are not navigating, you'rereacting.
You are sprinting on instinct,hoping speed will save you.
And I say this with love becauseI've been there.
(03:44):
Here's the truth.
The layoff wasn't your failure,but what comes next?
That's the part that decideswhether you find the exit or
keep circling in the dark.
So what if the real power moveis to pause?
Not forever, just long enough torecalibrate, to ask better
(04:09):
questions, to understand whatactually happened and what you
truly want.
That's what this episode is herefor, to walk you through common
post layoff mistakes.
The ones that no one warns youabout, to help you pause with
purpose, so your next move isaligned, not panicked.
(04:29):
So before you apply to anotherjob out of fear, before you let
shame or stress drive the wheel,let's slow it down because this
moment right here might be thefirst step to choosing a future
you don't have to recover from.
(04:50):
Let's talk about the seven mostcommon mistakes people make
after a layoff so you can moveforward with clarity,
confidence, and a whole lot morepower.
Let's get into it.
Mistake number one, the resumerush revision.
What if revising your resumebefore reflecting is the very
(05:12):
thing keeping you invisible.
So you get laid off and you dowhat everyone says to do.
Update your resume.
You dig up your old file, theone that got you into the job,
you just left, and then you tackon your latest title.
Maybe you copy and paste a fewbullet points from your last job
description.
You know what you were supposedto do.
You tweak the dates, adjust theformatting, done right?
(05:36):
And then nothing.
Crickets.
Here's the hard truth.
Your resume doesn't justdocument your past.
It markets your value, and whenyou revise it from a place of
reaction instead of reflection,you end up reinforcing the
version of you that got laidoff, not stepping into what's
(06:00):
next.
That resume, it's safe.
It's expected and it'sforgettable.
Scott had been with the samecompany for 12 years.
Great title, solidaccomplishments, but when the
layoff hit, he went into resumeautopilot, updated dates, added
his title, dropped in HRapproved bullet points, and then
(06:23):
he applied to 20 jobs andnothing.
No callbacks, no interviews, notraction.
When we started workingtogether, I asked him if you
could do anything, what wouldyou love to do next?
And I also said, what do youwanna be known for in your next
(06:44):
role?
He paused.
That question hit him in the gutbecause he had never asked it.
He was trying to fix the past,not design the future, and once
he got clarity on the impact hewanted to make, we built a
resume from scratch that toldthe story of where he was going,
(07:06):
not where he'd just been.
He sent it to five jobs and heheard back from three, not
because he added more bulletpoints, but because for the
first time his resume reflectedwho he was becoming.
You can't write a compellingfuture story while you're still
stuck in the last chapter.
(07:26):
So before you reformat, realign.
Mistake number two, panicapplying and mass submissions.
What if sending 100 misalignedapplications is what's keeping
you from the one"yes" thatchanges everything.
The pressure builds.
Bills, expectations,uncertainty, shame.
(07:48):
And so you tell yourself, I justneed to get something, anything.
And that's how you fall into thepanic applying trap.
You start scrolling job boardslike it's your full-time job and
you hit apply now like it's aslot machine.
But you're chasing job titlesinstead of alignment.
You throw your resume at everyjob that feels familiar, even if
(08:09):
it's not actually right and youtell yourself, I could do
anything.
But deep down, you know, thisisn't how your next success
begins.
It's not strategy, it's survivalmode dressed up as productivity.
Colt was an engineer.
Smart.
(08:29):
Capable experienced.
But when the layoff hit, hepanicked and he applied to 85
jobs.
His only filter was engineer.
It had to be in the title.
He only had one screening call,that's it.
When I finally got him to slowdown, I asked, Hey, what kind of
engineering actually lights youup?
He realized something huge.
(08:50):
He was applying to jobs thatlooked like his past, not ones
that matched his future.
So we rebuilt his LinkedInprofile.
We rewrote his resume with aclear, intentional direction,
and that week he applied to onejob, just one.
He got a call within 48 hours,interviewed and landed the
(09:13):
offer.
Mass applying, creates noise,intentionality, cuts through the
noise.
Employers don't want more.
They want a match.
Mistake number three.
Desperation networking.
Networking doesn't work wellwhen it comes from a place of
(09:34):
panic.
It works when it comes from aplace of purpose.
You've heard the advice network,network, network, and I'll even
tell you that, but if youapproach networking with frantic
energy, people feel it.
If you lead with something alongthe lines of, I got laid off and
I really need a job, instead ofcuriosity about them or their
(09:55):
role, or here's the value Ibring.
It creates an imbalance.
It triggers doubt, and youeither end up oversharing too
soon.
I just got laid off and I'm awreck, or being too vague, just
wanted to connect.
Neither one opens doors.
(10:15):
Cliff.
He had been a biotech executive.
He was respected, connected andreeling from the blow of an
unexpected restructure.
He started reaching out toformer colleagues, peers,
acquaintances, but his energywas frantic.
He was pitching himself withoutpositioning.
He was vague about what hewanted and people could tell.
(10:38):
They weren't rude, they werejust evasive.
So we paused, regrouped and Iasked him, what's the core
message you want someone to walkaway with after talking to you?
And he said,"I know how to buildteams that deliver." And so we
(10:58):
built his networking aroundthat.
And when he re-approached peoplewith clarity, positioning
himself as the leader withvision rather than a candidate
with a crisis, everythingchanged.
Introductions came,conversations opened, and one of
those conversations led to arole that aligned with
everything he'd been hoping for.
(11:21):
People respond to clarity andconfidence, even when you're
still rebuilding it.
Lead with vision, not vacancy.
Mistake number four, gettingshady or shaky when you talk
about what happened, you don'towe anyone your trauma, but if
you get weird about your layoff,other people will too.
(11:44):
There is a fine line betweenoversharing and being evasive,
and most people understandablywobble on it.
You've just gone throughsomething hard.
There may be shame, confusion,even grief.
And so when someone asks youwhat happened, you either
default to vagueness,"I left toexplore new opportunities" get
(12:06):
defensive,"It wasn’t my fault;they restructured" or get
awkwardly cryptic, A certaincondition of employment wasn't
met." Here's the truth.
Clarity builds trust.
Vagueness builds suspicion.
And if your story doesn't feelsafe to you, it won't feel safe
(12:26):
to them.
John had been with a governmentagency for over a decade, but by
the time I met him, he wasworking at a university.
When I asked about thetransition, he said I was let
go.
Okay.
But why?
I asked gently, can you help meunderstand a little bit more?
He said I failed to meet acertain condition of employment.
(12:49):
I nearly choked in my head In0.01 nanoseconds I had already
imagined drugs, harassment,fraud, theft.
What was it?
Because that language, it's thestuff HR writes in legal memos,
not the stuff you say in a jobinterview or a networking call.
Eventually the truth came out.
(13:10):
John had gone through a painfuldivorce and the financial strain
caused him to lose his securityclearance, which was required
for the role.
We worked together to distill itinto one honest, clear, human
sentence.
A divorce led to financialstrain.
Part of the security clearancerenewal process was to check my
(13:32):
credit.
That was a requirement of myrole to have it.
And so I transitioned out andnow I'm focused on what's next.
Simple, true, safe, and nolonger shady.
If you can't say it in onehonest sentence, you haven't
healed yet.
Say the truth, then shiftforward.
(13:55):
Mistake number five,crowdsourcing and listening to
people who care but can't trulyguide you.
What if the reason you feel moreconfused is because you're
asking for direction from peoplewho've never been where you're
going.
After a layoff, people oftenturn to friends, family,
mentors, or old colleagues forguidance.
(14:17):
It makes sense.
You're hurting.
You want perspective.
But here's what happens.
People tell you conflictingthings.
One says it's a numbers game.
You have to apply to more jobs.
Another says, no, don't apply toa lot of jobs.
Take time off and relax.
Enjoy your severance, and thenjust ride out unemployment.
(14:38):
Someone else says, go back toschool.
Another, get a recruiter andsomeone else.
Whatever you do, don't trustrecruiters, they are snakes.
Use AI for your resume.
Don't use ai.
You'll sound like everyone else.
Start a business.
Don't start a business.
Just get someone to hire you.
Suddenly you're spinning becausenone of them really know you,
(15:02):
not your dreams, your fears,your potential, your thoughts,
your wiring, and what jobs suityou.
They don't know what will drainyou, and they don't actually
understand your pain.
A client of mine had over 20conversations post layoff with
well-meaning people who hadnever hired, recruited, or
supported anyone through acareer transition.
(15:23):
They all meant well, but theadvice was so scattered.
He stayed second guessing everystep, and he told me I started
applying for jobs that theywould want for me, not the ones
that I actually wanted.
Now once we cut that noise andcreated a plan that was rooted
in his own alignment, the foglifted.
(15:44):
He got a role that none of thosepeople would've pointed him to,
but that felt like home to him.
Just because someone loves youdoesn't mean they're equipped to
guide you.
Take in the input, but only acton advice from people who
understand where you are andwhere you want to go.
(16:05):
Mistake number six, notreflecting on what you really
want holistically.
What if the layoff wasn't adetour, but a divine
interruption asking you torealign?
Most people think of a layoff asa setback.
But it can be an invitation tostop, to reassess, to actually
(16:30):
get honest, not just about yournext job, but about your life.
Are you building a career thatfuels the life you want or just
one that pays the bills?
This isn't about privilege, it'sabout alignment.
Imagine what your life would belike if your career aligned with
(16:53):
who you are, what you do best,and actually fueled the life you
want.
At Next Success, we support allages and stages through career
transitions from studentsexploring majors or careers to
job seekers actively searchingor re-imagining their next move
to professionals committed toself-awareness and leadership
(17:13):
growth.
Stay connected and explorewhat's possible at
nextsuccesscareers.com andfollow nextsuccessmethod on
LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram,and Facebook.
nextsuccesscareers.com You arelistening to Your Next Success
with Dr.
Caroline Sangal.
Let's continue the journey toyour authentic success.
(17:36):
A client named Michelle came tome six months after her layoff.
She'd been doing contract gigsto stay afloat, but she was
exhausted.
She decided to learn more aboutherself and she took the
Highland's Ability Battery andthen proceeded with the Don't
Waste Your Talent Coaching.
She wanted to create a lifevision and then a vision for her
career that would fuel the lifeshe wanted.
(17:58):
Through this focused process,she then understood why her last
role had been so incrediblydraining.
The work she did routinelywasn't well suited for how she
was wired, what she did best, orwhat gave her energy.
Her role was counter to hernatural abilities, and while she
could do it, it took her asignificant amount of time,
(18:22):
effort, and energy, and then shehad nothing left for herself,
her family, or her friends.
The layoff hurt.
But because of it, she went on ajourney of self-awareness and
reflection, and it was the firsttime she felt free enough to
design a career that matched whoshe actually was.
(18:46):
She eventually landed a hybridstrategy role closer to home at
an organization she believed in,and she told me"it pays slightly
less, but I sleep better, laughmore, and I am not crying before
logging on." The job you lostwasn't your purpose.
It was one chapter.
(19:07):
Take the time to ask what youtruly want before you rush to
recreate the past.
Mistake number seven, giving up.
What if this low point isn't theend, but the moment your next
chapter starts to rise?
Some people spiral into inactionand they say, I'm too old.
(19:31):
The market's too competitive.
I'm just not cut out for thisanymore.
Maybe I should just takewhatever I can get.
Listen, grief is real, butgiving up isn't peace.
It's quiet despair.
Robert was laid off from asenior role and 18 months
(19:52):
passed.
He applied to dozens of jobshalfheartedly, got no traction,
and eventually he stopped tryingaltogether.
By the time we talked, hisconfidence was paper thin, but
we didn't start with jobs.
We started with identity.
Who was he?
(20:12):
What mattered now, what legacydid he want to leave?
That work reignited something inhim.
And he applied to three rolesthat actually matched his fire.
And he landed one within sixweeks.
And when he started that job, hesent me an email and said,"I
didn't realize how much I hadstopped believing in myself.
(20:35):
Thank you for reminding me who Iam." You don't need to be fully
confident, you just need alittle courage to take the next
step.
And then the next.
And then the next.
We've covered a lot today, andif you saw yourself in one or
maybe all of the mistakes,breathe.
You're not broken, you're notbehind, you're human.
(20:58):
And when humans experiencesomething as jarring as the
layoff or an unexpectedtransition, we try to fix it
fast.
We chase productivity, we cravecontrol.
We make moves, any moves just tostop the spinning, but now you
know what's really happening.
You see how survival modedisguises itself as diligence,
(21:20):
and you see how urgency tricksyou into repeating what's safe
instead of discovering what'saligned.
You see that the advice you'vebeen given, apply more, do more,
hustle harder, wasn't designedfor someone like you.
No one told you your resumeisn't the first step.
A hundred job applications won'tlead to clarity.
(21:43):
Networking can backfire if it'sled by fear.
Your language holds power andpeople can feel your shame even
when your words sound polished.
And sometimes the worst momentisn't a detour, it's an
invitation to design somethingnew.
So let me offer you a new path,a moment to pause, to recenter.
(22:08):
To tell the truth first toyourself, then to others, to
choose your next move withalignment, not anxiety, because
this is what most people skip.
This quiet, powerful space inbetween where you stop trying to
return to who you were and youstart becoming who you're meant
(22:30):
to be.
Okay, quick recap.
The seven most common mistakesafter a layoff, number one,
resume rush revision, updatingwithout reflecting and
reinforcing the version of youwho just got laid off.
Number two, panic applyingmistaking motion for momentum
and wasting energy on the wrongopportunities.
Number three, desperationnetworking, leading with fear
(22:54):
instead of value, and creatingdisconnection.
Number four, getting shady orshaky oversharing under
explaining or sounding sketchyabout what happened.
Number five, crowdsourcingconfusion, taking advice from
people who love you but don'tunderstand your goals or your
gifts.
(23:14):
Number six, skippingself-reflection.
Rushing into the next thingwithout asking what do you
actually want now?
And number seven, giving up.
Believing this low point is theend instead of the invitation to
rise.
If this episode resonated andyou're ready to stop spinning
and start rebuilding, be sure tograb the workbook linked in the
(23:37):
show notes.
It'll help you reflect on whathappened and what you want to do
next.
And if this made you thinkdifferently, feel seen, breathe
a little deeper, hit follow,share it with a friend and stick
around because this season.
We're gonna dig into whatactually works.
How to tell your story withpower, how to rebuild your
(23:57):
confidence, how to attractaligned opportunities instead of
chasing approval.
You deserve more than a job.
You deserve your next success onyour terms.
You're not starting over.
You're starting from experience.
You may feel like everything haschanged, but from where I stand,
(24:19):
you are not at the bottom,you're at the beginning, and now
you don't have to hustle foryour worth.
You don't have to chase someoneelse's vision.
You don't have to do this alone.
You've got truth.
You've got tools.
You've got time, and you've gotme in your corner.
(24:42):
Take a breath.
Take your time, and when you'reready.
Let's build what comes next.
Keep going.
You are not done yet.
Thanks for listening to YourNext Success with Dr.
Caroline Sangal.
Remember, authentic success isyours to define and includes
(25:02):
aligning your career to supportthe life you want.
If you've recently been laid off.
Or you're staring down atransition, you didn't choose.
The pressure to act fast can beoverwhelming.
Update the resume.
Apply to jobs, reach out toeveryone, you know, take action,
any action, just to feel likeyou're doing something.
But here's the truth, mostpeople don't realize the urge to
(00:25):
act fast is strong, but mostpeople don't realize they're
setting themselves back withmistakes that feel productive,
but quietly sabotage their nextmove.
So if you've already startedscrambling or you're about to
pause, because what you do nextmatters more than your resume,
(00:49):
it shapes your confidence, yourclarity, and your path forward.
And in this episode, we aretalking about the seven most
common mistakes people makeafter a layoff, so you can avoid
the spiral and start makingpower moves instead.
Have you ever wondered, is thisit?
(01:11):
That question is the beginningof Your Next Success.
I am Dr.
Caroline Sangal, and thispodcast is your space to pause,
reflect, and create the careerand life you were made for.
We explore real stories,intentional transitions, and
(01:32):
practical insights to help youstep into alignment, purpose and
peace.
This This is Your Next Success,and I am Dr.
Caroline Sangal.
In this episode, we are digginginto the seven most common
mistakes people make after alayoff.
Mistakes that feel productive inthe moment, but can quietly
(01:53):
sabotage your confidence,clarity, and next opportunity.
You'll learn (01:57):
how to spot desperation disguising itself as
diligence.
Why resume revamp can backfireif done too soon.
The subtle mistake that made onebrilliant candidate seems shady
in interviews and how to coursecorrect now before you waste
time or settle for less Mostpeople think the first thing you
(02:19):
should do after a layoff is takeaction.
Update the resume, fire offapplications, get moving because
action means progress, right?
But what if that's the biggestlie you've been sold?
What if rushing into actionisn't actually smart?
It's a stress response.
(02:40):
What if all that doing isactually hiding the fact that
you don't know where you'regoing?
Let's call this what it is.
Panic productivity.
It feels like control, but it isfear disguised as motion.
It's like getting dropped into ahaunted maze.
No map, no flashlight.
(03:01):
Doors slam behind you.
Shadows move your chest tightensand your brain screams.
Go move anywhere but here.
And so you start running.
Left, right, backtrack.
And you try again and you hitwall after wall and you start to
feel it exhausted.
(03:23):
Lost no closer to getting out.
That's what post layoff urgencyfeels like.
You are not navigating, you'rereacting.
You are sprinting on instinct,hoping speed will save you.
And I say this with love becauseI've been there.
(03:44):
Here's the truth.
The layoff wasn't your failure,but what comes next?
That's the part that decideswhether you find the exit or
keep circling in the dark.
So what if the real power moveis to pause?
Not forever, just long enough torecalibrate, to ask better
(04:09):
questions, to understand whatactually happened and what you
truly want.
That's what this episode is herefor, to walk you through common
post layoff mistakes.
The ones that no one warns youabout, to help you pause with
purpose, so your next move isaligned, not panicked.
(04:29):
So before you apply to anotherjob out of fear, before you let
shame or stress drive the wheel,let's slow it down because this
moment right here might be thefirst step to choosing a future
you don't have to recover from.
(04:50):
Let's talk about the seven mostcommon mistakes people make
after a layoff so you can moveforward with clarity,
confidence, and a whole lot morepower.
Let's get into it.
Mistake number one, the resumerush revision.
What if revising your resumebefore reflecting is the very
(05:12):
thing keeping you invisible.
So you get laid off and you dowhat everyone says to do.
Update your resume.
You dig up your old file, theone that got you into the job,
you just left, and then you tackon your latest title.
Maybe you copy and paste a fewbullet points from your last job
description.
You know what you were supposedto do.
You tweak the dates, adjust theformatting, done right?
(05:36):
And then nothing.
Crickets.
Here's the hard truth.
Your resume doesn't justdocument your past.
It markets your value, and whenyou revise it from a place of
reaction instead of reflection,you end up reinforcing the
version of you that got laidoff, not stepping into what's
(06:00):
next.
That resume, it's safe.
It's expected and it'sforgettable.
Scott had been with the samecompany for 12 years.
Great title, solidaccomplishments, but when the
layoff hit, he went into resumeautopilot, updated dates, added
his title, dropped in HRapproved bullet points, and then
(06:23):
he applied to 20 jobs andnothing.
No callbacks, no interviews, notraction.
When we started workingtogether, I asked him if you
could do anything, what wouldyou love to do next?
And I also said, what do youwanna be known for in your next
(06:44):
role?
He paused.
That question hit him in the gutbecause he had never asked it.
He was trying to fix the past,not design the future, and once
he got clarity on the impact hewanted to make, we built a
resume from scratch that toldthe story of where he was going,
(07:06):
not where he'd just been.
He sent it to five jobs and heheard back from three, not
because he added more bulletpoints, but because for the
first time his resume reflectedwho he was becoming.
You can't write a compellingfuture story while you're still
stuck in the last chapter.
(07:26):
So before you reformat, realign.
Mistake number two, panicapplying and mass submissions.
What if sending 100 misalignedapplications is what's keeping
you from the one"yes" thatchanges everything.
The pressure builds.
Bills, expectations,uncertainty, shame.
(07:48):
And so you tell yourself, I justneed to get something, anything.
And that's how you fall into thepanic applying trap.
You start scrolling job boardslike it's your full-time job and
you hit apply now like it's aslot machine.
But you're chasing job titlesinstead of alignment.
You throw your resume at everyjob that feels familiar, even if
(08:09):
it's not actually right and youtell yourself, I could do
anything.
But deep down, you know, thisisn't how your next success
begins.
It's not strategy, it's survivalmode dressed up as productivity.
Colt was an engineer.
Smart.
(08:29):
Capable experienced.
But when the layoff hit, hepanicked and he applied to 85
jobs.
His only filter was engineer.
It had to be in the title.
He only had one screening call,that's it.
When I finally got him to slowdown, I asked, Hey, what kind of
engineering actually lights youup?
He realized something huge.
(08:50):
He was applying to jobs thatlooked like his past, not ones
that matched his future.
So we rebuilt his LinkedInprofile.
We rewrote his resume with aclear, intentional direction,
and that week he applied to onejob, just one.
He got a call within 48 hours,interviewed and landed the
(09:13):
offer.
Mass applying, creates noise,intentionality, cuts through the
noise.
Employers don't want more.
They want a match.
Mistake number three.
Desperation networking.
Networking doesn't work wellwhen it comes from a place of
(09:34):
panic.
It works when it comes from aplace of purpose.
You've heard the advice network,network, network, and I'll even
tell you that, but if youapproach networking with frantic
energy, people feel it.
If you lead with something alongthe lines of, I got laid off and
I really need a job, instead ofcuriosity about them or their
(09:55):
role, or here's the value Ibring.
It creates an imbalance.
It triggers doubt, and youeither end up oversharing too
soon.
I just got laid off and I'm awreck, or being too vague, just
wanted to connect.
Neither one opens doors.
(10:15):
Cliff.
He had been a biotech executive.
He was respected, connected andreeling from the blow of an
unexpected restructure.
He started reaching out toformer colleagues, peers,
acquaintances, but his energywas frantic.
He was pitching himself withoutpositioning.
He was vague about what hewanted and people could tell.
(10:38):
They weren't rude, they werejust evasive.
So we paused, regrouped and Iasked him, what's the core
message you want someone to walkaway with after talking to you?
And he said,"I know how to buildteams that deliver." And so we
(10:58):
built his networking aroundthat.
And when he re-approached peoplewith clarity, positioning
himself as the leader withvision rather than a candidate
with a crisis, everythingchanged.
Introductions came,conversations opened, and one of
those conversations led to arole that aligned with
everything he'd been hoping for.
(11:21):
People respond to clarity andconfidence, even when you're
still rebuilding it.
Lead with vision, not vacancy.
Mistake number four, gettingshady or shaky when you talk
about what happened, you don'towe anyone your trauma, but if
you get weird about your layoff,other people will too.
(11:44):
There is a fine line betweenoversharing and being evasive,
and most people understandablywobble on it.
You've just gone throughsomething hard.
There may be shame, confusion,even grief.
And so when someone asks youwhat happened, you either
default to vagueness,"I left toexplore new opportunities" get
(12:06):
defensive,"It wasn’t my fault;they restructured" or get
awkwardly cryptic, A certaincondition of employment wasn't
met." Here's the truth.
Clarity builds trust.
Vagueness builds suspicion.
And if your story doesn't feelsafe to you, it won't feel safe
(12:26):
to them.
John had been with a governmentagency for over a decade, but by
the time I met him, he wasworking at a university.
When I asked about thetransition, he said I was let
go.
Okay.
But why?
I asked gently, can you help meunderstand a little bit more?
He said I failed to meet acertain condition of employment.
(12:49):
I nearly choked in my head In0.01 nanoseconds I had already
imagined drugs, harassment,fraud, theft.
What was it?
Because that language, it's thestuff HR writes in legal memos,
not the stuff you say in a jobinterview or a networking call.
Eventually the truth came out.
(13:10):
John had gone through a painfuldivorce and the financial strain
caused him to lose his securityclearance, which was required
for the role.
We worked together to distill itinto one honest, clear, human
sentence.
A divorce led to financialstrain.
Part of the security clearancerenewal process was to check my
(13:32):
credit.
That was a requirement of myrole to have it.
And so I transitioned out andnow I'm focused on what's next.
Simple, true, safe, and nolonger shady.
If you can't say it in onehonest sentence, you haven't
healed yet.
Say the truth, then shiftforward.
(13:55):
Mistake number five,crowdsourcing and listening to
people who care but can't trulyguide you.
What if the reason you feel moreconfused is because you're
asking for direction from peoplewho've never been where you're
going.
After a layoff, people oftenturn to friends, family,
mentors, or old colleagues forguidance.
(14:17):
It makes sense.
You're hurting.
You want perspective.
But here's what happens.
People tell you conflictingthings.
One says it's a numbers game.
You have to apply to more jobs.
Another says, no, don't apply toa lot of jobs.
Take time off and relax.
Enjoy your severance, and thenjust ride out unemployment.
(14:38):
Someone else says, go back toschool.
Another, get a recruiter andsomeone else.
Whatever you do, don't trustrecruiters, they are snakes.
Use AI for your resume.
Don't use ai.
You'll sound like everyone else.
Start a business.
Don't start a business.
Just get someone to hire you.
Suddenly you're spinning becausenone of them really know you,
(15:02):
not your dreams, your fears,your potential, your thoughts,
your wiring, and what jobs suityou.
They don't know what will drainyou, and they don't actually
understand your pain.
A client of mine had over 20conversations post layoff with
well-meaning people who hadnever hired, recruited, or
supported anyone through acareer transition.
(15:23):
They all meant well, but theadvice was so scattered.
He stayed second guessing everystep, and he told me I started
applying for jobs that theywould want for me, not the ones
that I actually wanted.
Now once we cut that noise andcreated a plan that was rooted
in his own alignment, the foglifted.
(15:44):
He got a role that none of thosepeople would've pointed him to,
but that felt like home to him.
Just because someone loves youdoesn't mean they're equipped to
guide you.
Take in the input, but only acton advice from people who
understand where you are andwhere you want to go.
(16:05):
Mistake number six, notreflecting on what you really
want holistically.
What if the layoff wasn't adetour, but a divine
interruption asking you torealign?
Most people think of a layoff asa setback.
But it can be an invitation tostop, to reassess, to actually
(16:30):
get honest, not just about yournext job, but about your life.
Are you building a career thatfuels the life you want or just
one that pays the bills?
This isn't about privilege, it'sabout alignment.
Imagine what your life would belike if your career aligned with
(16:53):
who you are, what you do best,and actually fueled the life you
want.
At Next Success, we support allages and stages through career
transitions from studentsexploring majors or careers to
job seekers actively searchingor re-imagining their next move
to professionals committed toself-awareness and leadership
(17:13):
growth.
Stay connected and explorewhat's possible at
nextsuccesscareers.com andfollow nextsuccessmethod on
LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram,and Facebook.
nextsuccesscareers.com You arelistening to Your Next Success
with Dr.
Caroline Sangal.
Let's continue the journey toyour authentic success.
(17:36):
A client named Michelle came tome six months after her layoff.
She'd been doing contract gigsto stay afloat, but she was
exhausted.
She decided to learn more aboutherself and she took the
Highland's Ability Battery andthen proceeded with the Don't
Waste Your Talent Coaching.
She wanted to create a lifevision and then a vision for her
career that would fuel the lifeshe wanted.
(17:58):
Through this focused process,she then understood why her last
role had been so incrediblydraining.
The work she did routinelywasn't well suited for how she
was wired, what she did best, orwhat gave her energy.
Her role was counter to hernatural abilities, and while she
could do it, it took her asignificant amount of time,
(18:22):
effort, and energy, and then shehad nothing left for herself,
her family, or her friends.
The layoff hurt.
But because of it, she went on ajourney of self-awareness and
reflection, and it was the firsttime she felt free enough to
design a career that matched whoshe actually was.
(18:46):
She eventually landed a hybridstrategy role closer to home at
an organization she believed in,and she told me"it pays slightly
less, but I sleep better, laughmore, and I am not crying before
logging on." The job you lostwasn't your purpose.
It was one chapter.
(19:07):
Take the time to ask what youtruly want before you rush to
recreate the past.
Mistake number seven, giving up.
What if this low point isn't theend, but the moment your next
chapter starts to rise?
Some people spiral into inactionand they say, I'm too old.
(19:31):
The market's too competitive.
I'm just not cut out for thisanymore.
Maybe I should just takewhatever I can get.
Listen, grief is real, butgiving up isn't peace.
It's quiet despair.
Robert was laid off from asenior role and 18 months
(19:52):
passed.
He applied to dozens of jobshalfheartedly, got no traction,
and eventually he stopped tryingaltogether.
By the time we talked, hisconfidence was paper thin, but
we didn't start with jobs.
We started with identity.
Who was he?
(20:12):
What mattered now, what legacydid he want to leave?
That work reignited something inhim.
And he applied to three rolesthat actually matched his fire.
And he landed one within sixweeks.
And when he started that job, hesent me an email and said,"I
didn't realize how much I hadstopped believing in myself.
(20:35):
Thank you for reminding me who Iam." You don't need to be fully
confident, you just need alittle courage to take the next
step.
And then the next.
And then the next.
We've covered a lot today, andif you saw yourself in one or
maybe all of the mistakes,breathe.
You're not broken, you're notbehind, you're human.
(20:58):
And when humans experiencesomething as jarring as the
layoff or an unexpectedtransition, we try to fix it
fast.
We chase productivity, we cravecontrol.
We make moves, any moves just tostop the spinning, but now you
know what's really happening.
You see how survival modedisguises itself as diligence,
(21:20):
and you see how urgency tricksyou into repeating what's safe
instead of discovering what'saligned.
You see that the advice you'vebeen given, apply more, do more,
hustle harder, wasn't designedfor someone like you.
No one told you your resumeisn't the first step.
A hundred job applications won'tlead to clarity.
(21:43):
Networking can backfire if it'sled by fear.
Your language holds power andpeople can feel your shame even
when your words sound polished.
And sometimes the worst momentisn't a detour, it's an
invitation to design somethingnew.
So let me offer you a new path,a moment to pause, to recenter.
(22:08):
To tell the truth first toyourself, then to others, to
choose your next move withalignment, not anxiety, because
this is what most people skip.
This quiet, powerful space inbetween where you stop trying to
return to who you were and youstart becoming who you're meant
(22:30):
to be.
Okay, quick recap.
The seven most common mistakesafter a layoff, number one,
resume rush revision, updatingwithout reflecting and
reinforcing the version of youwho just got laid off.
Number two, panic applyingmistaking motion for momentum
and wasting energy on the wrongopportunities.
Number three, desperationnetworking, leading with fear
(22:54):
instead of value, and creatingdisconnection.
Number four, getting shady orshaky oversharing under
explaining or sounding sketchyabout what happened.
Number five, crowdsourcingconfusion, taking advice from
people who love you but don'tunderstand your goals or your
gifts.
(23:14):
Number six, skippingself-reflection.
Rushing into the next thingwithout asking what do you
actually want now?
And number seven, giving up.
Believing this low point is theend instead of the invitation to
rise.
If this episode resonated andyou're ready to stop spinning
and start rebuilding, be sure tograb the workbook linked in the
(23:37):
show notes.
It'll help you reflect on whathappened and what you want to do
next.
And if this made you thinkdifferently, feel seen, breathe
a little deeper, hit follow,share it with a friend and stick
around because this season.
We're gonna dig into whatactually works.
How to tell your story withpower, how to rebuild your
(23:57):
confidence, how to attractaligned opportunities instead of
chasing approval.
You deserve more than a job.
You deserve your next success onyour terms.
You're not starting over.
You're starting from experience.
You may feel like everything haschanged, but from where I stand,
(24:19):
you are not at the bottom,you're at the beginning, and now
you don't have to hustle foryour worth.
You don't have to chase someoneelse's vision.
You don't have to do this alone.
You've got truth.
You've got tools.
You've got time, and you've gotme in your corner.
(24:42):
Take a breath.
Take your time, and when you'reready.
Let's build what comes next.
Keep going.
You are not done yet.
Thanks for listening to YourNext Success with Dr.
Caroline Sangal.
Remember, authentic success isyours to define and includes
(25:02):
aligning your career to supportthe life you want.
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