Layoff Playbook | Talent Network HQ

I got laid off. Then the spreadsheet got out of hand.

After my layoff, I started tracking people who were looking for work. That eventually grew into a broader community effort. This playbook is my own take on what I learned along the way. Pick what helps. You do not need to finish this today.

Stabilize before you scale.

You don’t need a personal brand strategy by Thursday.

Put separation paperwork, benefits dates, and questions for HR in one place.
Review essential expenses and upcoming deadlines. Ask for help with anything unclear before signing.

U.S. starting points: unemployment benefits · health coverage options. Check the rules and deadlines that apply to you.

Your career needs a home outside work.

Employment is temporary. Your professional infrastructure shouldn’t be.

Use a personal email for your search. Update your résumé and LinkedIn with clear accomplishments.
Reconnect with colleagues through personal channels. Keep company confidential information out of your portfolio.

Help people help you.

I call that first wave of attention the “empathy window.” Give people something specific to do. If it’s been months, you can still reach out.

Tell a few trusted people what roles you’re targeting.
Ask for one introduction, one review, or one conversation.

“I’m looking for [role]. I saw an opening at [company]. Would you be comfortable introducing me to someone on that team?”

Go deeper: Watch: The Empathy Window · Read the newsletter

Audit your search.

More applications aren’t always the next move.

Few screens? Review targeting and résumé positioning. Screens but few interviews? Practice your opening story.
Interviews but no offers? Look for recurring feedback. Track patterns, then adjust one thing.

These are clues, not a verdict. Hiring decisions also reflect competition and circumstances you can’t see.

Go deeper: Watch: Is Your Résumé Working? · Get the job tracker

Network like a human.

A good conversation can be useful even when there’s no opening.

Ask about their work, what they’re seeing, and where your experience might fit.
Follow up with something specific you learned. Let them know when their advice helped.

Don’t disqualify yourself before they do.

Read the actual work behind the title.

Separate essential requirements from things you could learn.
Apply where you can show relevant impact. Translate your experience into the employer’s language.

Build a week you can survive.

You still have a life. Possibly children who would like a snack immediately.

Make room for focused applications, conversations, preparation, and time away.
On a hard day, one follow-up or one useful application can be enough.

You don’t have to do this alone.

You don’t need to run a network to be part of one.

Find a community where you can ask questions and share opportunities.
When you have capacity, help one person with one concrete thing.

Explore the talent network → · Spotlight: people and stories →

Go deeper: Watch: Find Your People · Read: It Started as a Spreadsheet

GO DEEPER

Tools & Deeper Dives

Videos, templates, and practical resources for networking, résumé diagnostics, application strategy, and running a more deliberate search.

BACKGROUND & PRESS

How the spreadsheet became something bigger.

This is separate from the advice above, but it is part of the story that shaped my perspective on layoffs, job searching, and what people can do for each other after the initial support fades.

Press Business Insider

The layoff tracker became something much bigger.

Business Insider covered the Ex-GH talent network, the spreadsheet that grew into a public directory, and what happens when laid-off coworkers keep helping each other after the company support ends.

Read the Business Insider story →