07Aug, 2025
By College of Business Marcomm Staff
Jason Radman serves as the Manager of Career Counseling at the Colorado State University College of Business Career Management Center.
Seize opportunities to rethink your career
Layoffs are more than professional setbacks. They’re personal turning points. For many, the experience brings a mix of grief, uncertainty, and urgency. It can also offer a rare moment to pause and ask: What’s next? How do I want to approach it?
While it can be discouraging, practical strategies help you move through the disruption with clarity and confidence. They’re grounded in what career professionals see every day: people rediscovering their strengths, reframing their goals and finding new paths that reflect who they are now and where they want to go next.
1. Give yourself permission to grieve and reflect after a layoff
It’s normal to feel disoriented after a layoff. The loss of routine, identity and community can leave you spinning. But rushing into job boards or applications without processing what just happened often leads to missteps. Take time to reflect. Whether it’s journaling, talking to someone, or simply sitting with the discomfort, this pause is part of the reset.
You’re not just looking for a job: You’re navigating a transition.
2. Assess your strengths and clarify what you want from a career change
Before you start applying, take a moment to reassess, not just your skills and values, but the degree of change for which you’re ready. Sometimes a full career overhaul isn’t necessary. If you enjoyed your job function but your industry was hit hard, consider shifting to a new sector while keeping your role consistent. If the day-to-day work wasn’t fulfilling but you have deep knowledge of the industry, a change in function might be the right move. This is a chance to realign, with the market and yourself.
You don’t have to reinvent your career, but you do have permission to reshape it in ways that feel sustainable and smart.
3. Rebuild your personal brand to support your job search
Right now, job seekers must navigate a difficult market. Don’t be discouraged, but understand that your resume and LinkedIn profile need to work that much harder to stand out. A generic resume that only speaks to your past won’t make it through the noise of online job boards. Personal branding isn’t a cliché, and it’s not about turning yourself into something you’re not. It’s about being direct and clear and connecting the dots between your experience and your goals. Use your resume and LinkedIn to tell a story about your strengths, your direction, and the value you bring. If you’re pivoting, highlight transferable skills and recent wins.
Don’t underestimate the power of visibility, as engaging on LinkedIn, sharing insights and reconnecting with your network can open doors you didn’t expect.
4. Build (or rebuild) your network with intention to supercharge your job hunt
Networking isn’t just about tapping into your existing contacts. It’s about expanding your reach. Informational conversations with people in companies, roles and industries you’re targeting can be incredibly strategic. You never know where a conversation might lead. It may not result in a job offer, but it could surface a key insight, a referral or a new direction. Think of your target field as a bubble. Every conversation with someone inside that bubble is a step toward entering it. Be curious, respectful, and intentional.
Connections often become the bridges to your next opportunity.
5. Explore new possibilities before you commit to a career change
It’s likely you have multiple great careers within you. Exploring new possibilities doesn’t mean you have to change everything. It simply means you’re open to what’s next. Whether you’re considering a pivot or just testing new waters, give yourself permission to explore without pressure. Attend industry meetups, take a short course, volunteer or try freelancing. You don’t need to figure it all out before you move forward. Movement itself creates clarity.
Small, low-risk experiments can help you discover where your skills meet market needs and where your energy naturally flows.
6. Build structure into your career transition
Instead of reacting to whatever shows up on job boards, create a proactive strategy. Start by building a target company list, a curated set of organizations that align with your interests, values and goals. This helps you focus your energy on places that excite you, including companies you may not have discovered otherwise. Use niche job boards that match your industry, geography, or interests. These often surface more relevant opportunities than the big aggregators.
A structured approach helps you stay focused, intentional, and less overwhelmed.
7. Track progress and celebrate small wins
The job search doesn’t have to be a grind. It can be a series of small, meaningful steps. Building a company list is a win. Scheduling an informational conversation is a win. Sending three thoughtful outreach emails is a win. Track everything, not just applications. Seeing your progress on paper can boost momentum and remind you that you’re moving forward, even when results take time. Most importantly, practice self-compassion.
This process is challenging, but you’re doing the work, and that’s worth celebrating.
Navigating a layoff is difficult, but it can also be a meaningful opportunity to reconnect with your strengths, explore new directions, and pursue roles that reflect who you are now. Be patient, be curious and keep moving forward, one intentional step at a time.
The Career Reset: Reflect, Refocus, Rebuild
Looking for more support navigating a career transition? Enroll in the Career Reset: Reflect, Refocus, Rebuild online course. Based on a popular MBA elective at CSU, The Career Reset offers actionable guidance, structured reflection, and modern job search tools to help you navigate change and chart a new path.
This article first appeared in Source by College of Business MarComm Staff.
