After the Layoff – Part 3: 7 Job Search Mistakes That Keep You Stuck
You’ve updated your resume, polished your LinkedIn, maybe even sent out dozens of applications. But if you’re still not landing interviews—or the ones you land just don’t feel right—here’s the hard truth:
It might not be your qualifications. It might be your strategy.
And I don’t mean the number of jobs you’re applying to or the keywords you’re using. I’m talking about what’s fueling your search underneath the surface. Because after a layoff, we don’t just job hunt—we navigate identity, self-worth, fear, urgency, and grief. And when we don’t pause to acknowledge those things, we end up in patterns that sabotage our own success.
In the last part of the After the Layoff series on Your Next Success, I walk you through 7 common job search mistakes that smart, capable, high-achieving professionals (like you) make after a layoff. I’ve made these mistakes. My clients have too. And they’re all rooted in one thing:
❝ If you skip the inner work, the outer strategy won’t stick. ❞
Let’s break it down together:
1. Mistaking Action for Progress
You’re applying constantly—but you’re not clear on what you really want.
Activity is not alignment. Without clarity, you might just be spinning.
2. Grasping for “Safe” Roles
You default to jobs that are familiar, not fulfilling.
But you didn’t come this far to settle. You came to grow.
3. Avoiding Reflection
You want to “just move on”—but you haven’t processed what the layoff really stirred up.
Avoidance keeps you stuck in survival mode. Insight unlocks progress.
4. Leading with Shame or Overexplaining the Layoff
You apologize in interviews, over-justify, or underplay your power.
Remember: your value never left—you just left a role.
5. Overfocusing on the Resume or LinkedIn Headlines
Polishing your profile is helpful—but not if it distracts you from the deeper work.
You’re not a bullet point. You’re a whole story.
6. Undervaluing Rest and Regulation
You treat rest like a reward for landing a job—instead of fuel for it.
A clear mind creates better choices. A regulated body builds resilience.
7. Skipping the Pause
You skip the reflection. The reset. The grounding.
But here’s the thing: that quiet space in between? That’s where the shift happens.
If any of these resonate—breathe. This isn’t about blame. It’s about compassion.
Because job searching after a layoff isn’t just tactical. It’s emotional. It’s human. And healing is the strategy.
That’s why I created The Pause—a free reflection guide to help you stop the spiral, reconnect with your center, and move forward with clarity.
It’s not a checklist. It’s a lifeline.
Inside, you’ll find:
Thoughtful prompts to name what you’re feeling
Reframes to restore your confidence
Space to reimagine what’s possible
✨ “When you honor what this moment is teaching you, your next role won’t just be a job. It will be a reflection of who you’ve become.”
🎧 Listen now: “After the Layoff – Part 3: 7 Mistakes That Sabotage Your Job Search”
Your next success is calling—and it starts from within.
With heart,
Caroline
