Greg Sterling joins me to share his experiences navigating a layoff and finding a job in the current market.

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Conversation Summary

Losing a job is never easy, even when the economy seems strong. Greg Sterling was was part of a layoff at Red Hat after 13 years with the company. He spent the last 7 months searching for a new position. We talked in November 2023 to get his insights on the current job market and advice for others trying to find new work.

Key Takeaways

  • Job searching can be very discouraging with extremely low response rate
  • Companies can receive an overwhelming 500-1000 applicants for a single role in minutes
  • The current job market is very tight with companies being extremely selective
  • Networking continuously is crucial, though even close contacts may not respond
  • Self-care through exercise or other outlets helps manage the emotional toll
  • Finding local opportunities rather than remote roles yields better results
  • Asking for feedback after rejections can provide useful insights to improve
  • Regularly tweaking your resume to polish message and fit is important
  • Recruiters tend to only work with those they can easily place in a role
  • Set limits on job search time to avoid burnout