With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 20

In the context of a job loss recovery, the HERO journey can be an empowering framework to navigate through the challenges and emerge stronger. H stands for Healing; E stands for Empowering; R stands for Resourcing; and O stands for Overcoming.

Let's explore how each aspect of the HERO journey applies to the process of job loss recovery.

Healing

Acknowledge Emotions: Allow yourself to grieve the loss of the job and acknowledge any feelings of shock, anger, or sadness.

Self-Care: Focus on self-care to maintain physical and emotional well-being. Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation.

Seek Support:...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 19

In Zen tradition, a well-known tale recounts an encounter between the Buddha and a ferocious elephant, notorious for its deadly attacks on humans. One day, as the elephant wreaked havoc in a village, it encountered the Buddha. Despite the elephant's rage, the Buddha approached it with unwavering calm and extended a hand of compassion. Miraculously, the power of his compassion transformed the elephant's aggression into reverence.

In the early days of my Zen practice, I aspired to embody the same strength and compassion as the Buddha. I yearned to exhibit loving kindness towards others, irrespective of their actions...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 18

Losing a job can be an incredibly disorienting experience because it disrupts the structure and routine that once defined our daily lives. For those who held high-level positions, the transition can be even more difficult. Going from managing an endless to-do list and putting out daily fires, to having nothing that requires immediate attention can be a shock to the system. During this time, it is crucial to establish structure and routine because they provide a sense of stability, predictability, and control over our lives.

Using a daily agenda after experiencing job loss offers numerous benefits. Firstly, it helps...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 17

Every year, I choose one word to focus on. This word serves as a reminder for me to work on and prioritize throughout the challenges of daily life. It is like a New Year's resolution, but simpler and easier to remember. This practice has greatly helped me over the years. Whenever I face challenges, fear, or discouragement, I hold onto this one word. It has consistently guided me through difficult moments and aided me in making the right decisions. In the past, my chosen words were "courage," "positivity," "grace," and "faith." This year, my word is in Vietnamese, "Xa~," which translates to "Let go."

In Vietnamese...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 16

While it's normal to experience a range of emotions during a job loss, maintaining a positive attitude can be a powerful asset in navigating through the challenges and emerging stronger on the other side. One strategy that helps me maintain a positive mindset is reading about individuals who have overcome extreme situations.

1. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. Despite being head of the neurology department at a hospital in Vienna, Frankl lost everything, including his social status, home, family, and even his name, when he was forced into a Nazis concentration camp. However, he realized that even in such...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 15

I recall a valuable advice from my former mentor: 'The optimal moment to refresh your resume is while you are employed.' However, if we find ourselves without a job, the ideal time to update our resume is a couple weeks after the job loss. This period allows us to overcome the initial shock, process our emotions, conduct a thorough self-assessment of strengths and achievements, and then carefully craft our resume. A well-crafted resume can open doors and land you that first interview appointment. Here are a few tips to help you stand out in the job search process:

1. Tailor your resume to the job by using the exact...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 14

Searching for a job can be a tough journey, especially when it feels like you're not making any progress. You send in your resume, submit an application, and then wait for weeks without any response. You may even make it to the first round of interviews and think you nailed it, only to wait for a few more weeks without any callback. It's frustrating, and it can be disheartening when you don't have any positive feedback.

I know how hard it is to keep going when you're faced with ongoing rejection. Even the most experienced professionals can struggle with this. But it's important to stay motivated and keep pushing...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 13

After losing a job, it's natural to dive headfirst into searching for a new job around the clock, but constantly checking emails for responses and receiving rejection after rejection can take a toll on one's confidence. The job search can be a long and grueling process, leading to self-doubt and loss of motivation. Here are some early warning signs that you may be losing self-confidence and ways to overcome them.

Early warning signs of losing self-confidence:

- Becoming a couch potato and binge-watching TV.

- Staying up late and sleeping in.

- Not answering or returning phone calls.

- No longer feeling enthusiasm...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 12

There is a Zen story about a man riding a horse very fast through the village streets.  A bystander saw the horse galloping by and shouted out “where are you off to?”  The rider responded, “I don’t know.  Ask the horse.”

Are we just going through the motions of life without a clear goal in mind? The story of a man riding a horse through a village reminds us of the importance of knowing where we're headed. Like the rider who didn't know where he was going, it's easy to get caught up in the routine of life without a clear direction. We go to school, get a job, climb the...

With 200,000+ tech layoffs in 2023 and more being let go in early 2024, it is easy to get discouraged. Personally, I have many friends who were and are affected. For those whom I worked with, I am grateful that our paths crossed.

For 30 days, I will post a tip each day to encourage you and give you some suggestions on how to stay motivated during your job search.

Day 11

Replaying a past event in our head can be more painful than the event itself, especially when it comes to being let go from a company. For days, weeks or even months after it happened, we may still be replaying how the news was delivered and what was said. Losing a job is like being hit with an arrow unexpectedly. The first arrow caused us lots of pain. And, each time we replay the event, we experience the hurt all over again. It is like being hit with a second arrow. While the first arrow is beyond our control, whether we should be hit again is a choice. When we repeatedly replay a bad event in our head, we add...