Overcoming Professional Setbacks

Getting laid off was one of the hardest experiences I've faced, and it has had a lasting impact on me. As someone whose top strength is Achiever, I get a huge sense of purpose from work. So when I lost my job, it wasn’t just about losing a paycheck. It felt like I had lost a piece of my identity. I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I had just been better, if I had worked harder, maybe I would still have a job. Cue the shame spiral of not being good enough. But looking back now, I can honestly say that my layoff taught me some invaluable lessons. 1. Your job doesn’t define your worth. It's easy to tie your identity to your role, especially when you’re passionate about your work. But being laid off wasn’t a reflection of my value — it was a business decision. 2. Being strategic makes all the difference. At first, I applied to anything and everything that seemed like a fit. When I shifted to focusing on newly posted roles, prioritizing local onsite and hybrid opportunities, and connecting with recruiters directly, things changed. 3. Networking is powerful. Some of my best leads came from conversations, not just applications. Reaching out felt intimidating at first, but most people genuinely want to help if you approach them authentically. 4. Resilience is key. Job searching can feel defeating at times, but celebrating small wins like getting a positive response or securing an interview kept me motivated. 5. Your next role might be better than the one you lost. At the time, I couldn’t see how things would work out. It was difficult to be positive and hopeful. But I ended up landing a role that aligned even more closely with my skills, career goals, and lifestyle. If you’re currently navigating a layoff, I know how hard it can be. But you are not alone, and there’s a path forward — one step at a time.

As an executive recruiter, I've witnessed countless professionals transform unexpected layoffs into powerful career pivots. Here's your comprehensive guide for turning this challenge into an opportunity 📈 Immediate Actions (First 48 Hours): • Document everything from your termination meeting • Review severance package details thoroughly • Address healthcare coverage gaps • File for unemployment benefits • Archive important work samples and documentation • Connect with colleagues before losing access Next Steps: • Give yourself permission to process the change • Update your LinkedIn profile strategically • Review your financial position and timeline • Reflect on your career direction • Start networking with purpose Remember that a layoff is often more about company circumstances than individual performance. I've placed numerous executives who used their layoff as a catalyst for significant career advancement. This is your opportunity to: • Reassess your career trajectory • Target organizations aligned with your values • Build a more intentional professional network • Position yourself for roles that truly excite you The key is maintaining momentum while being strategic about your next move. Don't rush into the first opportunity - use this time to ensure your next role is a genuine step forward. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #careerresilience

I've recently suffered a major career setback. Since I teach about high performance and career growth, I want to share how I am addressing it. One day you will need this recipe yourself! My goal in my current "career" is to reach as many people as I can, and to help them achieve career success and satisfaction. For the last three years, the way to do this has been through LinkedIn. Unfortunately, LinkedIn recently made some unknown changes to their algorithm. Other Top Voices and I have noticed a drop of 70% to 80% in the reach of our posts. Since my goal is to share my knowledge with more people, that means my goal just took an 80% hit. In general, setbacks in performance are either due to: A) Something we did Or B) Something external, outside our direct control Mistakes, poor decisions, and missed deadlines are examples of A. They are in our control. Things like Covid, high interest rates, and reorganizations at work are examples of B, outside our control. LinkedIn's change is also case B, outside my control. When a setback comes from something in your control, you know clearly what you did wrong and what you need to change to restore your performance and progress. Fixing your own issues may take time and be difficult, but you know what to do. When the setback is due to something outside your control, you do not know how to fix the issue. So, how can we react when our performance is shattered and we do not know why? Here is my recipe: 1. Allow yourself a fixed amount of time to grieve (and complain if you wish). Emotions are real, and before you can move on you will need to sit with those emotions. But, do not get stuck in them. Curse your bad luck, pout for a minute, etc. Then, move to the next step. 2. Refocus on your core value. Whatever happened, go back to how you define high performance to ensure it is still relevant. I admit, I slipped into defining my own performance by how many people viewed my LinkedIn posts. This was a mistake. My mission is to help others, so getting views is a proxy, not a result. And, using LinkedIn is just a method for the mission, not the mission itself. 3. Adapt your core value if you must (if its value has decreased). In my case, the value of what I offer hasn't changed, the external delivery system has. 4. Once you adapt and/or increase your value, find new ways to deliver it if necessary. Luckily, I have other options for reaching people: my Substack newsletter, YouTube, etc. Since Substack has been such a good partner recently, I will start there. I have also refocused how I write on LinkedIn to make every post focused on my goal. 5. Test, measure, adapt, repeat! Really, this step is everything. Once you get past the grief, jump into action in this loop. Nothing can stop you if you keep working to refine, deliver, and showcase your core value. Comments? Here's my newsletter, which is my next area of investment: https://lnkd.in/gXh2pdK2

Advice for the laid off (from someone who’s been there): 1. Give yourself 24 hours to grieve. Get angry, be sad, process your feelings. Then flip the switch and let it go. 2. Your full-time job just became Job Seeker. Get to work! Spend 8-10 hours a day becoming the best job seeker the world has seen. 3. Blind applications are a waste of time but may be necessary to maintain your unemployment benefits. Do the minimum. 4. Work on your skills and certifications. 5. Spend time with your family and friends. 6. Work out. 7. Leverage your network. Your next job will come from people you know. Reach out and ask. 8. Minimize expenses. It can take months. 9. Don’t take a job out of desperation. You will only make yourself miserable and eventually wind up unemployed again. 10. Target the job you want precisely. Allow yourself one remove from that job as a practical matter. Don’t try to fit into every open role you see. 11. Have faith. Being unemployed doesn’t mean you’re unemployable. You’re between jobs. 12. Don’t be ashamed. You weren’t laid off because of what you did or failed to do but because of factors almost completely beyond your control. You were liberated from a sinking ship, not tossed overboard from a yacht. 13. Don’t make hasty financial decisions. You will regret them later. 14. Remember that you are not your job. Your job is simply what you do to pay your bills. The loss of a job is not the loss of a person or an identity. 15. Better days WILL come. Bet on it (and yourself). We’re all pulling for you!

I was embarrassed that I lost my job. I was angry. I was ashamed. While other colleagues got to stay, I had to leave. Why? And for awhile, I didn’t want to tell anyone I had been let go. My pride got in the way. I didn’t want people knowing. I waited too long to ask for help. If I could go back in time, here’s what my post layoff action plan would look like: 1️⃣ Accept the layoff news Stop wondering why you and what you could have done differently. Why did others get to stay? Accept the decision to start moving forward and begin the grieving process. 2️⃣ Create a new routine You entire day won’t be filled looking for a job. Take breaks. Make sure to eat and hydrate. Exercise. Read a book. Go for walks. Sit in the stillness and clear your mind. 3️⃣ Start updating your resume Focus on including metrics and key accomplishments. Cost savings, time saved, targets exceeded. Go through old performance reviews if you can. Ask a friend to review it and be open to the feedback. 4️⃣ Ask for help Tell your family, friends, neighbors, alumni network, parents of your kids’ friends- tell everyone you are looking. Cast a wide net. Let them know the types of roles you are looking for so they can recommend you and set you up for networking meetings 5️⃣ Use tools Use tools like Massive which helps you auto-apply for roles. It’s your own personal AI recruiter (Check out Massive in comments) to help you kick start the job search process. The job search is hard enough in this market. Create a support system and structure - ask for help. What advice would you add? #leadership #culture #MitaMallick #MassivePartner

The Silent Productivity Killer No One Wants to Talk About As we mark Stress Awareness Month, I'm calling out the elephant in the professional room: the toxic dance between #stress and #anxiety that's destroying our potential. Here are three radical ways to reclaim your mental space: ✅ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿. Constant availability isn't hustle. It's self-destruction. When you protect your time and energy, you're not being difficult - you're managing your anxiety and preserving your mental health. 👉 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Create dedicated focus blocks in your calendar where meetings are off-limits. This is your time for deep, meaningful work that actually moves the needle and provides relief from mounting professional anxieties. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵. Your value isn't measured by how quickly you respond or how many meetings you attend. Anxiety thrives in constant comparison and perpetual performance mode. 👉 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Carve out regular reflection time to review your genuine progress. Disconnect from the noise, challenge your anxious thoughts, and reconnect with your actual goals and achievements. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿. High performance isn't about endurance. It's about sustainable energy and protecting your most valuable resource - your mental clarity and emotional well-being. 👉 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal time. Create a shutdown ritual that signals the end of your workday, helps quiet anxious thoughts, and allows you to disconnect and recharge truly. -- Burnout does NOT make you stronger. Anxiety does NOT define your worth. They drain your potential. Productivity isn't about doing more. It's about doing what matters while protecting your mental health. Coaching can help; let's chat. | Follow Joshua Miller #StressAwarenessMonth #MentalHealth #ProfessionalGrowth

Here’s what I wish I learned sooner. There’s a big difference between productive struggle and the kind of struggle that weighs you down like unwanted baggage. When I was beginning to learn how to deal with difficult things in life, it always felt like I was being judged and thought of poorly by the person coaching me. Their “advice” equated to another saying I’ve heard in my childhood “toughen up, buttercup.” (Gee, thanks.) The problem is all that advice came with no practical next steps, and some of those “coaches” didn’t really seem very content and happy in their own lives. Yes, we can choose mindset, attitude, and how we think. It’s huge. It also takes time to BELIEVE all those things. The proof that our minds need to internalize these belief systems is always, always, always bought by the ACTIONS we take. So here’s some practical stuff you need to learn to fuel your mindset through action. - Root cause analysis: practice getting from the apparent problem to its root cause. Look up the “Five Why’s exercise”. - Change management: many difficulties at work arise from poorly managing change. Look up John Kotter’s 8-steps to change management. - Timeboxing: rapidly changing from one task to another causes incredible stress to our brains and we became less effective. - How to have tough conversations: don’t conflate difficult conversations with difficult people. I like Fierce Conversations and Radical Candor® as my training resources. - Productivity Techniques: a plethora of useful tips and tools out there. Pick one or two that make sense to you and stick with it! - Strategic Anchors: not everything is important. Focus on critical elements to your organization’s strategy and cut out things that are “fillers” to your cognitive load. A final word (tough love that might actually help): Rest proactively. Be intentional about creating your own joy. Feed and nurture your heart, mind and soul. It’s wrong to not self-manage your own needs and then make your team suffer for it. [Setting up a metaphor] If you go out drinking all night knowing you are supposed to be at work at 6:00 AM and then you call out 30 minutes before, my being upset about that as an employer is reasonable. I’m not being mean or not understanding. Apply that same logic to your rest and mental health. It is our own responsibility to manage our mental fitness and needs. If I don’t manage this and then crash and burn, leaving my team hanging, this is the equivalent to the 30-min call out. As a top leader, my emotional intelligence and ability to navigate challenging times ALONGSIDE my team is a requirement of my job. Saying to my team consistently, “I’m having an off day” is like a police officer saying “I forgot my firearm at home.” Difficult things happen. Great leaders learn (through action) how to manage them. “Be the leader you wish you had” carries a whole new meaning when you apply it to “be the leader you wish you had during difficult times.” 💜

Throughout my career, I’ve dealt with my fair share of mental health stuggles. Being in sales can exacerbate these issues. I’m talking about being SAD: • Stressed • Anxious • Depressed (S) Stress A lot of people will want to pick a fight with me on this one, but in the corporate world, besides entrepreneurs, sales is the most stress-inducing role. • Unknown future • Have to face rejection daily • Macro forces conspiring against you It’s a lot, and it can add up to put a heavy weight on your shoulders. (A) Anxiety As an introvert in sales, I dealt with a high degree of social anxiety. It even led to a panic attack in front of a client early in my career. In sales, it’s easy to be consumed by the endless voices chattering around in your head • Clients • Family • Manager • Leadership • Co-workers • Your fears & doubts It’s a lot! (D) Depression Ah the big ‘D.’ I’ll use a other posts to talk more openly about this one, because it’s too big to unpack here. One thing is for certain, high stress and high anxiety will make depression worse, so this is not something you should have to suffer alone with in sales. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here were things that helped me overcome being SAD: 1/ Get help and support ⇢ Therapy ⇢ Coaching ⇢ Mentoring 2/ Write ⇢ Understand ⇢ Process ⇢ Act 3/ Move ⇢ Standing desk ⇢ Walks after lunch ⇢ Rigorous exercise 4/ Connect with nature ⇢ Sunlight first thing ⇢ Break outside often ⇢ Be still & mindful near trees 5/ Structure your day ⇢ Start: First 30-90 mins just for me ⇢ Middle: Use The Pomodoro Technique ⇢ End: Close out the day with a shutdown ritual I use this platform to talk about the life-changing nature a career in sales can provide. But we can’t ignore the inherent negative side effects that come with the role. Let’s openly discuss what works (or doesn’t for you) in the comments ↓ And remember... "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." (unkown) 🐝 P.S. May is Mental Health Awareness month. I am making a commitment that most of my posts will be focused on this topic to help reduce the stigma around mental health. #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #sales

Have you ever considered 1:1 sales coaching? If so, here's a real transcript of a recent coaching session so you know what to expect, with the clients name removed for confidentiality: Meeting Purpose Coaching session to help [Client] get back on track with his productivity and motivation. Key Takeaways [Client] has been slipping on doing important but not urgent tasks like prospecting, strategic planning, and professional development after a period of high productivity. Ian provided strategies to overcome this slump, including using the 12 Week Year scoring system, giving himself timed breaks when resisting tasks, watching videos on "Winning the Internal Battle" and "Getting Out of a Slump", and using AI prompts for strategic work. The core mindset shift is valuing his time at over $470/hour based on his income goals, and realizing that wasted time is real financial cost that impacts his family's future. Coaching Topics Recognizing the Slump [Client]has backslid on habits and tasks he had been diligently doing for months Simple tasks like sending emails are getting pushed off for days despite knowing he should do them. He took a break after closing some deals, letting his foot off the gas Analyzing the Root Causes Old habits and identity are resisting the changes [Client] is trying to make Lack of urgency around strategic, long-term tasks makes it easier to procrastinate Belief that he deserves a break after big wins is counterproductive thinking Valuing His Time Broke down [Client] income into an hourly rate of $470+ for RGA's Calculated the real cost of recently wasting 45 hours over three weeks is over $21,000 - a year of college tuition Top performers don't waste time because they deeply value their time as money Strategies to Overcome the Slump Use the 12 Week Year scoring system to hold himself accountable Give himself a 15 min timed break when resisting a task, then re-engage Watch videos on "Winning the Internal Battle" and "Getting Out of a Slump" Use the AI prompts for strategic work to make it easier to get started Connect to his "Why" of being able to retire and support his family's future Next Steps Watch the recommended videos on mindset Start using the 12 Week Year scoring again Try the timed break strategy when resisting tasks Leverage the AI prompts for strategic work Map out a retirement/income plan to solidify his motivating "Why" Action Items Get back to scoring 12-week year and executing tasks on schedule, starting immediately Watch 'Winning the internal battle' and 'Getting out of a slump' videos to get strategies for overcoming resistance and procrastination Resume prospecting, strategic work and professional development activities immediately, starting with 5 accounts Think of time as money to motivate self to avoid wasting time and work consistently PS - If sales coaching sounds like it would help you, book a free coaching strategy call here: here https://lnkd.in/gsr474YU

I had been with my previous employer for a long time, so I knew a layoff might eventually happen. I thought, “All I need is a solid, updated resume, and I’ll be good to go.” Oh, how naïve I was! 😊 Looking back, there are a few things I wish I had prepared earlier to make the transition smoother. Here are my takeaways: • LinkedIn Set up your profile. LinkedIn has great guides to help you, but it takes time and effort to make it truly shine. Grow your network. Start now! Connect with current colleagues, former co-workers, friends, and family. Your network is more powerful than you realize. • Learn how to use AI tools: AI is a game-changer. Whether it’s tailoring resumes, brainstorming interview responses, or negotiating offers, it’s an incredible resource I didn’t even know existed! • Resume: Yes, you need an excellent, updated resume—but here’s the catch: you’ll need to tailor it for every single job application. It’s worth the effort! • References: Start gathering references now. It’s so much easier to ask while you’re still in a role than after you've left. • Document your achievements: You’d be amazed at how hard it is to recall accomplishments when you’re under pressure. Keep track of them now! Old performance reviews can be a goldmine for this. • Prepare for stress: Being unemployed is stressful, even with a good severance package. The job search process can be disheartening—rejections, ghosting, and no responses can make you doubt yourself. Build a support system now, whether it’s friends, family, or a community. For me, daily journaling has been a lifesaver. Despite the challenges, I’m staying positive and focused on finding the right opportunity—one where I’m the perfect fit for the company, and the company is the perfect fit for me. I know it’s out there; we just haven’t found each other yet!