Tell us about the experience you gained
First, add new skills, experience, and certifications—anything that “reflects your professional identity and aspirations,” advises career coach Marlo Lyons.
“Your LinkedIn profile should show why you’re a great employee,” says FairComp CEO Nolan Church, who has spent more than a decade recruiting for companies like Google and DoorDash. Sharing your career history and including a reference from a manager or executive are two of the best signals to attract a recruiter, according to Church.
Church suggests sending job descriptions you like to ChatGPT and asking for common keywords, then including them in your profile. “Recruiters will use these words when searching for candidates,” he says.
Indicate that you are open to suggestions.
On LinkedIn, turn on an Open to Work banner that's only visible to recruiters. A green banner that's visible to everyone shows that you've been affected by layoffs, Church says. The recruiter will immediately ask you about what happened, and you'll start off on a negative note, not a positive one.
Take a break
Lyons recommends waiting a few weeks before posting your LinkedIn story to reflect on your accomplishments, find support, and get into a more positive frame of mind. You’ll also have time to decide whether to do it at all, which Lyons says depends on your circumstances, preferences, and goals.
She points out several benefits: publishing helps you present your dismissal story in a way that is favorable to you, and it also helps you establish connections and get advice.
Advertising
On the other hand, Church says it can be hard to stand out because LinkedIn is saturated with these types of posts. Plus, some hiring managers don't take kindly to layoffs. He adds that these types of posts tend to be very emotional .
Church believes that only highly sought-after jobs with a certain level of experience, such as an AI engineer, should report their resignation on LinkedIn .
Take a strategic approach
If you do decide to post, Lyons says, “treat it as a jumping-off point for a larger conversation.” Don’t just share news, but outline your career goals, highlight your skills and accomplishments, and talk about what you want in your next role. That way, the post will go from being a “simple goodbye” to a “powerful networking tool . ”
Don’t say you’ll take “any job,” which Lyons says could mean you don’t have clear career goals and will leave the company as soon as you find something better. She notes that asking questions (like “What advice can you offer me based on your experience?”) can help engage people in conversation and increase your reach. The key, she says, is to keep it short, clear, and forward-thinking.
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Church takes a more subtle approach: He suggests framing your layoff as a career break or indicating that you're open to exploring new opportunities. This signals self-reflection and personal growth.
Interact with your audience
As Lyons says, this is the key to achieving great visibility and reach. Ask your contacts to share your post, introduce you to other users, offer advice, share job openings, and provide recommendations.
“Actively engaging in follow-up conversations not only expands your network, but also demonstrates your proactive approach to networking and career advancement,” says Lyons.
Find someone who can recommend you
Church prefers a more direct approach, reaching out to people on his contact list personally. When he worked at Google in 2012, he says, referrals accounted for 50 percent of the company's hiring.
For closer contacts, he advises writing that you are looking for a job. For weaker connections, look through their company's vacancies and, if you find something interesting, ask them to recommend you.
Be prepared to talk about your resignation.
It’s important to be objective and remove emotion. The best way is to explain what happened and say that the former manager provided a reference. “In today’s market, [potential employers] think you were fired for underperformance, even if that’s not the case,” Church says.
Try to stay positive, even if you feel emotionally drained. “People pick up on that energy,” he adds. “If you’re complaining about how hard it is to find a job, that sends a negative signal.”