In this episode, Aaron Makelky, Dan Yu, and John Lovig cover how to navigate layoffs, whether you're watching them happen around you or going through one yourself. Dan shares the numbers: over 1.1 million layoffs in 2025, a 54% jump year-over-year, making it the worst since COVID and the 2008 financial crisis. Tech, telecom, retail, airlines, and food service have all been hit. Amazon, Verizon, IBM, Starbucks, Meta, Microsoft, and UPS have made cuts, and seasonal hiring is down by about half compared to previous years. The hosts offer practical advice for those seeing colleagues get let go. Dan recommends downloading your contacts, performance reviews, and any kudos emails while you still have access. These documents become critical when job searching. John emphasizes starting to network before you need to: coffee chats, reaching out to recruiters, or posting content on LinkedIn. Aaron's mental test: ask yourself what you'd wish you were doing right now if it had been you on that list. John introduces the concept of "layoff fatigue"—the psychological and emotional toll of either enduring a prolonged job search or surviving multiple rounds of cuts at your company. The hosts discuss how this fatigue shows up in interviews (recruiters can spot cynicism immediately) and offer strategies for combating it, including finding joy outside of work, getting accountability partners, and maintaining perspective on what's actually within your control. The episode wraps with a discussion on outplacement services—what they actually provide, the right questions to ask, and how to maximize their value, including the tip to pause services during slow hiring periods like the holidays. For more resources, visit futureproof-yu.com. Timestamps 0:00 – Intro0:49 – The state of the 2025 job market: 1.1 million layoffs, 54% year-over-year increase2:08 – Which job market numbers to trust (government data vs. ADP reports)3:10 – Industries hit hardest: tech, telecom, retail, airlines, federal government4:29 – Seasonal hiring down by half—what it signals about consumer spending5:10 – What to do when you see colleagues get laid off5:59 – Download your contacts, performance reviews, and KPIs while you can7:32 – Start networking before you need to9:25 – The difference between a transactional reach-out and a genuine one11:10 – Dan's story: calling a laid-off client every few weeks for 18 months13:02 – Take your laid-off boss out for a drink13:51 – Update your LinkedIn profile during any company change14:59 – Keep a file of thank-you notes for tough days15:51 – What is "layoff fatigue"?17:30 – Finding joy outside of work to reduce stress18:33 – Layoff buddies: accountability partners for your job search19:35 – Start a corporate alumni networking group on LinkedIn20:28 – Can recruiters spot layoff fatigue in interviews? (Yes, immediately)22:30 – "Bitter, angry, sad, and despondent is not sexy"24:00 – Separating your identity from job search outcomes25:40 – Locus of control: what you can and can't hold yourself accountable for27:26 – Increasing your surface area for good things to happen27:49 – Give LinkedIn recommendations as "lotto tickets with extra juice"29:00 – Outplacement services: what they actually do (and don't do)31:17 – Questions to ask about outplacement: success rates, coaching, databases32:22 – Tip: pause outplacement services during slow hiring periods32:35 – Outro and wrap-up We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.
