50 Conversations Nicolle Merrill

If you have a job right now, you probably feel a bit of anxiety about being laid off. In this episode, we tackle that fear.

We are in uncharted territory right now. Unfortunately there isn't a lot you can do to prevent getting laid off. The 40 million people who have recently lost their jobs can attest to that.

But there's plenty to do to make yourself feel more prepared in the event you are laid off. In taking these actions, you'll distract yourself from the anxiety and build strong career design skills in the process.

In this episode, I'm diving into why these actions will help you feel less anxious about getting laid off:
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- Name your fears
- Round up your accomplishments
- Explore the landscape of possibilities
- Take advantage of free learning opportunities
- Start talking to people from other departments

If you're concerned about a future layoff and you can't stop thinking about it, listen to this episode and take action.

Plus, I talk about how unemployment numbers aren't affecting us equally.

As always, get my book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots

For the full list of resources mentioned in this podcast visit www.50conversations.com

Let's be honest: networking is awkward AF. Even in non-pandemic times, networking gives people anxiety.

So this episode is giving networking a makeover. Thanks to our global pandemic, networking now doesn't require standing around in awkward circles trying to make small talk with strangers.

There are plenty of low key options to network from the comfort of your own home.

In this episode, you'll get networking points just by:

- Telling people what you're interested in
- Joining online communities
- Popping into webinars and virtual happy hours
- Treating LinkedIn like Insta
- Talking to people that interest you

It's really that simple. Plus, how to reframe networking to focus on quality conversation.

Annnd we have music now! So that must mean we're moving up in the podcast world.

As always, get my book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots

For the full list of resources mentioned in this podcast, plus YouTube videos, visit www.50conversations.com

I've procrastinated fixing up my resume for a week. I may be a career expert but I am not immune to procrastination, especially when it comes to resumes.

This episode tackles the big, bad resume. But instead of giving you tips and tricks, I'm walking you through three automated tools to help you improve your resume the easy way.

Don't suffer through the resume writing process without help. These tools will sort you out:

ZETY: Writing resume bullet points is the worst. This takes the pain out of writing bullet points.

Zety is a user friendly resume builder platform with loads of templates. But the real benefit of this platform is that it has pre-written bullet points for your job title. Pop your job title into the tool, get resume-ready bullet points.

EMSI: Make sure you're communicating the right skills for the job you want. This resume-optimizer scans your resume and compares it to your target job title. The tool shows you which skills are on your resume that are relevant for the job you want. It's super useful for helping you improve your bullet points, and find skill gaps.

JOBSCAN: This is the tool that helps you get past the dreaded ATS machine and make sure it's actually seen by recruiters. Compare your resume with a job description that you want to apply to.

Upload your resume to Jobscan and you'll learn where your resume shines, where it fails, and how to make it better. It's like having a human review your resume, but faster.

Plus, I talk about why career coaches are valuable, how to find them, and then I recommend a human resume review company to help you out too.

As always, get my book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots

Another week, another brutal round of layoffs. The layoff numbers this week are up to 16 million Americans. In this episode I talk about those number, plus who is hiring and the types of jobs that companies are still hiring for.

This episode covers the three actions you need to take right after getting laid off:

- Get clarity on your path forward
- Set up job alerts to so you know the landscape of opportunities
- Create your layoff story

I talk about how to get clarity on your path forward to prepare you for a strategic job search that aligns with your current needs. I also talk about the value of job search alerts to save you time and how to overcome thinking that nobody is hiring or that you're not qualified for anything. I also cover how to tell people what you're looking for and avoiding the phrase "I'm open to anything."

If you know someone who just got laid off, send this their way.

For full show notes with links to job lists and homework mentioned in this episode, visit www.50conversations.com

Prepare for your next career move and the future of work with the new book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.

Layoffs are awkward. So let's talk about. I want your layoff stories.

In this quick episode, I'm asking you to call in and share your recent layoff story. I want to know how it went and how you feel about it now. All perspectives are welcome. I'll use your anonymous stories in future episodes. More details about this project in the episode.

Plus, in this episode I share what it's like to be laid off via Zoom when everyone is working remotely.

Leave your story as a voicemail at ‪503-208-6037‬. Reminder: Keep your story under 2 minutes so we can play them in future episodes.

Prepare for your next career move and the future of work with the new book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.

This is the episode where I talk about feelings. Specifically I’m talking about the three S’s: Shock, Stress, and Shame.

I talk about how to treat yourself right after the shock of a layoff and how to handle the stress of unemployment. I also talk about how to handle well-meaning people who ask you “What are you going to do now?” in a time of mass layoffs.

Plus, I share why there is absolutely no shame in getting laid off and why you should reframe and find solidarity instead. I end with some homework to help you get perspective on your next steps and a challenge to share your lay off story publicly.

If you know someone who just got laid off, send this their way.

For full show notes with links to job lists and homework mentioned in this episode, visit www.50conversations.com

Prepare for your next career move and the future of work with the new book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.