4 Things You Need to Do At the First Sign of Layoffs to Make Your Life Easier

By Chelsea Babin

No matter how hard you work, you can’t always avoid layoffs. If you see telltale signs of layoffs at your company like a lot of closed-door meetings, very little communication between upper level management when questions are asked, and several other employees being invited by HR to private meetings, there are a few things you can do to prepare. Although the layoffs may not affect you directly or right away, they could get to you sooner or later. It’s better to be safe than sorry so here are 4 things you need to do at the first sign of layoffs to make your life easier.

1. Create a Budget: Do you have an emergency fund that can get you through a few months of unemployment if need be? If not it’s time to buckle down and put a little extra into your savings from each paycheck so you have that safety net if you do get laid off before you find a new job.

2. Freshen Up Your Resume: One of the most time consuming and sometimes annoying things you need to do before a job search is to freshen up your resume. Although you don’t know if you’ll actually need to find a new job yet, it’s a good idea to go ahead and update your resume and LinkedIn profile so you have them ready when you need them.

3. Reach Out to Your Network: Make a few initial coffee dates or phone calls to catch up with people in your professional network before you start your potential job search. Reaching out ahead of time will strengthen those connections so, if you do end up getting laid off, you’ll have a strong professional network you can tap into to look for new job opportunities.

4. Brush Up on Your Skills: When layoffs may be coming it’s tempting to panic but, if you use this time to further develop your skills and brush up on the basics, you’ll be more confident in the value that you add at the company. And, if you get laid off, you’ll be at the top of your game when applying to new companies.

Layoffs are stressful by nature but there are a few things you can do at the first sign of layoffs at your company. Remain calm, do these four things, and you’ll make your life so much easier if you do end up getting laid off and having to start a new job search.