Layoff First Aid Kit

Live Workshop (Sliding Scale Pricing)

DATE TBC

Learn How to Stabilize, Protect Your Career, and Make Smart Decisions - Before or After a Layoff

Layoffs are scary, destabilizing...and rarely about you.

In reality, most layoffs are budget events driven by accountants, but when your income, identity, and stability are on the line, it doesn’t feel impersonal.

This workshop will give you a clear, calm, strategic plan - whether you’re:

Worried about possible layoffs
Newly laid off and in shock
Months into a job search and feeling stuck

Instead of spiraling, freezing, or reacting emotionally, you’ll know exactly what to do, and in what order.

Layoffs may be common now, but the panic doesn't have to be.

What You'll Get from Layoff First Aid Kit:

How to Build Your “Go-Bag” Before Anything Happens

Preparation is power when it comes to layoffs, so in this workshop you'll learn how to:

'Back-up' your professional life
Create a temporary financial plan
Activate your network
Focus on what you can control

I was among the many talented professionals laid off by @voxmedia today.

While I'm disappointed, I know I'll be ok because this is not my first rodeo. (It's my third, actually.)

I've been preparing to get laid off ever since I took this job.
— Phoebe Gavin (@phoebegavin) January 20, 2023

Yep, I started preparing to get laid off on Day 1.

Not because I didn't have faith in Vox or didn't believe in its mission. Not because I doubted my ability to make a positive impact or thought I would fail.

It's because I'm not interested in building my house on rented land.
— Phoebe Gavin (@phoebegavin) January 20, 2023

How To Handle The First 7 Days After A Layoff

A layoff is a traumatic event. The emotions are real - betrayal, fear, anger, grief, even relief, but your feelings don’t get to make your legal decisions. By joining, you’ll get practical, real world tips like:

How (and when) to negotiate severance
How to confirm final pay, PTO, bonuses, commissions, and health insurance
Why you should use your benefits immediately while you still have them

...And Why The Next Three Weeks Matter

Once the emotions settle, you can make intentional, strategic choices about your future:

How do I get my money situation right before starting the search for my next job?
Is it time for a career pivot?
What tweaks do my Resumé & LinkedIn profile need to make them stand out?

My first media layoff was after The First Facebook Algo Betrayal of 2014, when so many pubs lost 40%+ of their traffic overnight. (If you know, you know.)

I remember reading something a Buzzfeed exec (I think??) said about how the industry had built its house on rented land.
— Phoebe Gavin (@phoebegavin) January 20, 2023

Whoever said it, it stuck with me.

Media had staked its future on FB traffic they had no control over.
Similarly, I'd staked my future on a company that I had no control over.

FB will always choose itself.
Companies will always choose themselves.
I should choose myself too.
— Phoebe Gavin (@phoebegavin) January 20, 2023

Let's Talk About Networking

Love it or hate it, your network is your #1 differentiator. I'll teach you what you need to know, like:

Which connections to seek out at each career stage
How to leverage your network to bypass the huge pile of applications on every recruiter/hiring manager's desk
How to get started with networking via colleagues, trade groups/associations and online communities
How to reach out without feeling icky about it

And Most Important Of All - How To Manage Your Mental Health Through All Of This

Layoffs can often trigger shame and isolation, even though they’re increasingly common. Learn how to manage your mindset by:

Reframing rejection so it doesn’t become lasting identity damage
Building consistency instead of burning out
Finding community to reduce isolation
Setting realistic expectations for 0-90 days, 3-6 months, and beyond

So I kept working and never stopped choosing myself.

I did each job at the highest level I could. But...

👉🏾 I was always putting money away for savings – even when it was painful.

👉🏾I was always growing and maintaining my network.

👉🏾And I was always working on a side thing.
— Phoebe Gavin (@phoebegavin) January 20, 2023

Hi, I’m Phoebe Gavin

A career coach who helps women and people of color build careers they don’t have to recover from. My work blends strategy, structure, and emotional intelligence. I’ve helped over a thousand clients across dozens of industries get unstuck, level up, and move forward (even in difficult markets like this one).

I’ve also been featured in The Washington Post, Time Magazine, CNBC, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, New Yorker Magazine, CNN, and Netflix.

Live Workshop

Starting at $9

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