Toolkit: Navigating Your Job Transition
Discover ways to navigate your job search and prepare for the journey ahead — whether you’re out of the workforce by choice or by chance.
We like to think we have some control over our career, but things happen, as the recent reduction in the federal workforce demonstrates. Organizations restructure, merge, close altogether, or shutter their less successful job sites. They may decide to reduce their employee count or rely more heavily on contractors or workers outside the U.S. But you can do a few things to ensure you’re well-positioned should your work situation change.
Objectives:
- Offer strategies to stay prepared in the event of a change in your work status.
- Outline immediate and important actions to take in the event of a job loss.
- Recommend pathways for pursuing professional development.
- Provide job search strategies, tips, tools, and resources.
SHRM Job Transition Resources
Guiding Displaced Talent to New Horizons
In today's growing landscape of layoffs and uncertainty, more professionals are moving away from traditional career paths -- opening the door for HR pros to take a skills-first approach in recruiting and hiring. Host Nicole Belyna and John Morgan, President of Career Transition & Mobility and leadership development at LHH, discuss how HR professionals can use tools like HRIS data and AI to guide displaced talent to new roles amid this trend.
Stay Ready
Follow these four steps to help ensure you stay prepared for the unexpected.
Keep Files Current
- Save any commendations or certifications you receive, as well as links to projects or copy you have created. Also, document any skills you have developed or honed.
- Start a file of your performance reviews.
- Save important contact information of people you want to remain in touch with after you’ve left your employer.
Stay Social
Maintain an updated LinkedIn profile, including attaching job-related badges to your digital resume. Get active on LinkedIn by commenting on and sharing industry-related posts. Example: Did you complete a big project or have a big win at work? Consider writing a LinkedIn post about it. It’s a good way for recruiters to see exactly where you excel.
Review any other public social media accounts to ensure you are intentional about how or what you share. If a hiring manager asked you about one of your posts in an interview, would you be able to comfortably explain why you posted it?
Revisit Your Resume
Periodically update your resume with your latest brag points, certifications, and more, including:
- Highlight your professional development and any HR certifications.
- Include any SHRM specialty credentials or certificates such as the SHRM Foundation Getting Talent Back to Work Certificate.
- Note examples of when you exhibited leadership, such as serving in your local SHRM chapter or acting as a mentor, coach, or sponsor.
- Volunteer leadership doesn’t have to be directly job-related — perhaps you sat on the board for your church, temple, or community program, such as the Girl Scouts.
- Are there any industry-related videos or TED Talks you watch, or experts you follow on social media? If not, consider doing so. Something you learn could lead to a new opportunity or learning experience.
- If your experience warrants a resume that’s more than one page, be sure to have a more abbreviated one-pager to share with contacts and/or a sponsor.
Develop and Work Your Network
Get the word out: Your circle of contacts is much larger than you realize. It can include former professors or teachers, members of your alumni group or faith community, or pickleball pals. Don’t forget current and former colleagues and supervisors, as well as individuals you’ve bonded with as a volunteer or at a SHRM conference.
Emphasize the personal touch: When reaching out to others, offer to meet them in person. You have the time now to work around their location and schedule, so use it to your advantage. Ask everyone to keep you in mind for positions they might be hiring for and to share roles that might interest you — even if you are still figuring out what will ultimately be best for you.
Develop relationships: Remember, networking is about relationships, not a race to collect as many business cards as you can. For example, while attending a reception, focus on getting to know a few individuals. People are more likely to remember you positively if you take time to really listen and engage with them.
Pro Tip
Keep a running list of your successes, capturing metrics if possible. Example: Did you create or implement an internship program that resulted in a particular number of new hires annually? Save this information somewhere that’s not connected with your employer so you can retrieve it when you no longer have access to company property.
SHRM Specialty Credentials
Pro Tip
Employers value soft skills, such as strong communication capabilities. Include examples of such skills, such as leading a training session, hosting a podcast, and editing your company newsletter, in your resume.
Immediate Actions to Take After a Job Loss
No one ever feels prepared — practically or emotionally — for a job loss.
As much as you may not feel like dealing with logistics right after this kind of news, there are a few things you can do immediately to put things in motion. These include:
- Unemployment benefits: Check your state’s requirements, including if there are any documents you need to request your employer to file. Be aware that many unemployment programs have a long backlog of cases to process so filing early and following up often will be your friend.
- Health insurance: Check out the costs for coverage under COBRA — the law that allows employees and their dependents to continue receiving employer-provided health insurance that they would otherwise lose due to a job loss, a reduction in work hours, or certain family changes. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102% of the cost to the plan, so the health insurance marketplace may be a better value.
- Calculating checks: Determine when you will receive your last paycheck and if you will receive severance and/or payout for unused vacation time.
- Financial planning: Contact representatives associated with your employer regarding any life and disability insurance you may have, as well as your 401(k) or other retirement plan, pension, and stock options.
- Legal advice: Consider seeking potential legal and financial advice. For example, if the layoff is temporary, will you be able to file for unemployment? Will your health insurance benefits continue during a temporary layoff?
- Budget: Develop a budget and consider where you can economize.
Self Assessment Tools
It’s easy to feel pressure to start your job search immediately; after all, you have bills to pay.
But take some time to rest, recharge, and decide what you want for yourself and your next job. Asking yourself a few key questions can help you clarify your goals. Use SHRM's self-reflection worksheet and sample career development plan tools for goal planning.
Launch Your AI Journey
A comprehensive, hands-on Artificial Intelligence + Human Ingenuity course. This intensive program features a structured learning approach, with each level building upon the previous one. You'll progress through three stages, gaining a strong foundation in AI concepts through interactive exercises and practical applications.
What to Do with that Newfound Down Time
Take advantage of this time to sharpen your skills and pursue professional development.
If you are able to take some time before you start applying for jobs, there are several things you can do to boost your skills and confidence.
Learn stuff. Use this time for professional development. Funds may be tight, look into scholarships, such as those offered by the SHRM Foundation. This also may be the time to obtain your HR certification such as the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.
Go local. SHRM state conferences may regularly offer programs in your area.
Volunteer: If you didn’t have time for volunteer work while employed, now is a good time to do so, broadening your network and adding to your skills in the process. You can serve as a mentor through the SHRM Foundation or donate your time to a cause you believe in.
Explore AI. One big area to explore is artificial intelligence (AI). The technology is changing the skills employers want from workers, and developing these skills can make you an attractive job candidate. A TalentLMS survey of 309 HR managers in June 2024 found that 43% anticipate a skills gap as their workplace adopts AI. A majority of those HR managers ranked the ability to use AI tools as the top digital skill an employee can have. This encompasses the ability to navigate AI-powered systems, along with familiarity with AI interfaces, the fundamentals of natural language processing and models, and ethical use of the technology.
In this SHRM AI +. HI podcast, host Nichol Bradford connects with Jolen Anderson, chief people and community officer at BetterUp, to discuss how the power of AI, data, and humans—with coaching intervention—are driving performance within the workplace.
Let the Job Search Begin
The following tips from job search experts can help you on your journey.
Have a Routine
It’s easy to get complacent when you have whole days without any pressing deadlines. Consider this the gift of time and use it to your advantage, whether by pursuing a specialized credential, setting a certain number of hours daily to customize and send out resumes, and following a workout schedule to maintain good health.
Cast a Wide Net
Don’t limit your job search to job boards. Reach out to people in your network — both work-related and personal.
- Post on social media platforms such as LinkedIn about your availability, but be gracious, not snarky, about your job loss. Claire Stroh, SHRM-CP, has served on SHRM’s EPAC (Emerging Professional Advisory Council). She said she’s been successful using a company's “people tab” on LinkedIn to find contact information. She recommended using this approach to express your interest in a position you’ve applied for and ask if you can provide more information about your skills and background.
- Access SHRM HR Jobs, your local SHRM chapter’s job board, or search the local chapter’s membership directory.
- Routinely check national job sites such as Indeed and Monster, but also check company websites.
- Attend events that are open to the public, such as career fairs and your local Chamber of Commerce events to meet people. You may want to print out business cards you can distribute or create a digital business card via a QR code.
Use AI
Customize your resume to each job you apply for and craft it with AI in mind, recognizing that more and more employers are using artificial intelligence to screen job applicants. Also, there are AI tools that can help you practice answering job interview questions or assist in writing an engaging cover letter.
Spotlight Your Success
Even if you tend to shy away from public praise, now is the time to brag about your accomplishments.
- Have you learned new tactical skills? If so, what are they, and did you earn any related certificates?
- Did you complete a big project in your most recent role? Be sure to share the receipts, if they are public, or describe them in your application and interviews.
- Have you flexed your leadership muscles? Perhaps you served as a mentor, coach, or sponsor, either on the job or outside of your job. It doesn’t have to be directly job-related.
- Example: Maybe you served on the board for your religious institution, participated in the SHRM Foundation’s Military Community Ambassador Program, or worked with a community program.
Pro Tip
SHRM members are entitled to one free CompAnalyst® Market Data Benchmark Job Report through the SHRM Compensation Data Center.
Looking for career resources?
Pro Tip
Hiring managers and employers can spot —and are turned off by — job applicants who rely too heavily on AI. Take time to put your own personal touch in your communications with potential employers.
Making the Decision
Maybe you’ve got an offer — or better yet, multiple! — on the table. Now is the time to do some more due diligence.
If you haven’t done so before applying, investigate the stability and culture of the company. This is where your networking can be valuable, allowing you to ask key questions such as:
- Employee satisfaction: Do employees like working there? What is the turnover rate, and what is the contributing factor? When people were let go, how was it handled?
- Stability: Has the organization been through a sale or merger, or is it preparing to do so?
- Labor: Is it a union shop? Has it been involved in any recent litigation or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigations?
- Inclusion & diversity: Does the organization exhibit inclusiveness and diversity? Does it offer employee resource groups, celebrate the ethnic heritages of its employees, or portray a diverse workforce on its website and in company materials?
- Fit: Does the company’s mission and how it operates align with your values?
Above all, be patient. As you look for that next opportunity, realize this is a marathon and not a sprint.
Pro Tip
Rinse and repeat. You’ve started a new gig — congratulations! But even as you begin your next chapter, continue to stay prepared for if, or when, things change, whether by your design …or others.