We are in a down market. People are finding themselves in a position many of us fear, being laid off, jobless or in transition. First things first, you are not alone. Everyone has experienced a period of discomfort in their career journey. But that’s just what it is, a journey. It has ups and downs.
And maybe you are down in this down market. It’s not personal, companies are desperate to keep within budget and continue to save their profit margins. The worst thing you can do after being let go is sulk. While tempting to succumb to the victim mindset (as it requires no action, only bemoaning), your biggest ally will be a positive attitude and action.
This article is meant to inspire you to honor this time by keeping up with yourself. Stay positive and nurture your personal, professional and social growth. Don’t let this time slip away. Use it wisely and not just for capitalistic gain– it’s also about feeling good about this unique challenge you are now facing.
Personal
Let’s start with the personal piece because we really are serious about this time being for you. This is not just an article pushing your professional advancement for future employers (that is a part of it), but it’s also about finding your joy, which will do wonders in helping you keep a positive mindset and sense of self-worth.
Stay a force to be reckoned with, connect back with hobbies and passions you had when you were young or did during college. Maybe that’s rock climbing, baking, or joining a club. Focus on yourself holistically, lean into something that you like to do for fun. Key word fun.
Break out of your comfort zone by challenging yourself with something hard. Do you love to travel? Well, what about learning a new language for your next trip? What about taking a dance class to improve your mind and body connection. The keyword here is hard. Push yourself to try new things, this will remind you that you can be bad at things or uncomfortable and not, well, perish. You are capable of experiencing discomfort and still flourishing. Learning something new will flex your beginner brain and expand your horizons.
Both doing something you love and challenging yourself will get endorphins up and keep you working on self-trust, self-esteem and self-worth. Also you never know where your passions might lead you. Again, it’s not about work but life moves in mysterious ways. Game nights might inspire an entrepreneurial, side-hustle. Learning jiu-jitsu might allow you to meet new people who become lifelong friends. At watercolor class, you might discover that the instructor happens to work for a company who is in the market for your expertise. You really never know.
Professional
Now the professional layer, or what we can also call the intellectual layer. Continue to learn and challenge yourself mentally and professionally. Now this can be in areas or job sectors you would like to move into or courses and certifications in your current field.
Here, we have a few ideas. You can follow top channels and groups on Youtube or Twitter to stay in the game. We also recommend tuning into podcasts that will expand your mind and keep you in the loop. Here are some of our recommendations for keeping positive, expanding your mind and up-lifting your spirit:
Andrew Huberman, an American psychologist who talks about brain hacks & motivation.
The Happiness Lab by Psychology Yale teacher, Laurie Santos
If you prefer reading, try Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
ReThinking by Adam Grant on the TED,
And The Mel Robbins Podcast on changing your habits.
Here’s a good starting list of personalities in sales and motivation that you can follow and gain insight from. Here are more of our favorites in the business world.
#AskGaryVee Show, all things business CEO and entrepreneur,
Tim Feriss, self-experimenter and author of the 4-hour workweek,
A great episode with Ray Dalio, world renowned businessman, on Jay Shetty,
And TED tech, to keep up with the world of AI, robots and beyond.
In the world of tech, it’s always advantageous to keep up with the latest and continue to challenge yourself to learn new skills. Some places to explore are:
freeCodeCamp, where you can learn HTML, + CSS;
MIT has great open courses, cool classes from Microeconomy to Relativity;
CrashCourse is a great Youtube channel with lots of educational topics;
You can download ChatGPT4 and become familiar with interacting with AI;
And finally there are great sale courses on Udemy
Continue to immerse yourself in tech and your field by flexing your brain. This will keep you relevant and it’s a great way to show off how you are using this time to potential employers. Post your certificates, courses, and classes onto LinkedIn. Share your thoughts on podcast episodes you follow and stay engaged. You never know where those connections or conversations might lead.
Social
Finally, don’t isolate yourself. Stay connected with friends and family that maybe you haven’t had as much time to engage with while you were working. Put yourself out there. It doesn’t have to be going on a bunch of coffee dates. A great rule of thumb is when you think of someone or something that reminds you of a friend or family member, just text them.
If you do have the time and cash to go out for coffee, dinner, or take a road trip then by all means do so. One of the greatest benefits of this might be that you learn you are not so alone in this tough time, during a recession we are all struggling. It can be very refreshing to remind yourself that everyone is challenged, one way or another, the grass is not always greener.
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Keep up with yourself and grow during a down market. You will get out of this time what you put into it. Stay interested and connected to the world around you, work on three layers of yourself: your personal, professional and social growth. Invest in each of these areas and watch yourself blossom while the rest falls into place because of your efforts.
We’d like to hear what you’re doing to keep busy and mentally fit as we go through this market transition.
Talent House is a direct placement search firm helping high-tech startup and growth companies with sales, marketing and other go-to-market and technical hiring needs. We’re happy to speak to you if you’re a hiring manager, a CEO or a candidate that has questions and would like our help. hi@talent-house.co