Lessons learned from a post-layoff job search
+ 5 practical tips to help with logistics and mental health
Does it feel like everyone is dealing with layoffs — whether ourselves, our co-workers or our friends in other newsrooms? High-profile cuts keep making headlines.
As I wrote a couple of months ago: In journalism, it’s often a question of WHEN, not IF, you’ll face layoffs in your career. That doesn’t make it any easier.
Alicia Cypress knows the whirlwind of emotions that comes with layoffs. She’s a veteran of such newsrooms as the Washington Post and NPR and was part of the Gannett layoffs in August. Since then, she said it’s been stressful, but that her job search has been much more positive (and active) than she ever expected. She started a new job this week.
I reached out to her after seeing her LinkedIn post on practical post-layoff tips. Below is a slightly edited Q&A, with a modified version of her very actionable and insightful tips at the end.
What are any trends in the industry or jobs that you personally noticed in your search?
There were a couple trends that surprised me. Things may be different now, but a majority of roles I found when I began my search in late summer/early fall were newly-created roles and not existing positions. The most lucrative (read higher salaries and stable organizations) were among business publications and B2B publications. There was also plenty of hiring among publications adding e-commerce/deals/shopping content. All of these kinds of publications are probably more stable because they are less reliant on traditional advertising revenue or have niche audiences that can demand higher advertising rates.
How would you describe the hiring process right now?
The hiring process is never fun. But I honestly enjoyed the majority of the interviews I had. It's a great opportunity to brag about your skills and remind yourself of all your talents. At a time when you feel like you're at your lowest, the added confidence boost from just talking about the things you're passionate about, the successes you've achieved, really makes a difference in how you feel for the rest of the day.
Every interview I had was virtual. If I spoke to a recruiter it was usually via phone, but all the interviews with hiring managers and their colleagues were via video calls. For the roles I applied to, it was usually a three to four step process including panel interviews, and editorial tests (or in some cases a memo). The order varied by organization to organization. In some situations the editorial test was at the beginning, others in the middle, and others at the end. While these editorial tests and idea memos can be an absolute pain sometimes, use them to your advantage in deciding if the job is worth pursuing further. If you find yourself miserable taking the editorial test or writing an ideas memo, it might be a good sign that's not the right role for you.
If you could tell newsroom hiring managers one (or more) things, what would you want them to know?
Treat candidates with the same respect you expect them to treat you. The most frustrating part of this process is having a great interview, where they tell you how much your skills align with the position and how much they like you, and then getting ghosted. If a hiring manager has found another candidate they think would be a better fit, then a simple e-mail letting you know they're moving on with someone else or you're not the right fit would be extremely helpful.
How receptive did you find non-news places in considering a journalist for a position?
I discovered that non-news organizations are super impressed with journalism credentials and seem confident that the skills will transfer. The bigger question (or perhaps fear) is how a journalist might fit into their corporate culture and structure. Providing extra context about how you operate on specific teams, and playing up your unique skill set, will help you ease some of that trepidation. Among all my applications to non-journalism organizations, I got the most responses from large nonprofits and government organizations. The applications I sent to large corporations were met with crickets, so that might be the hardest nut to crack.
Mentally and emotionally, now that you're on the other side of it, what would you tell others in the same boat?
To say this is a roller-coaster ride is an understatement. The highs are high and the lows can be low, so finding coping mechanisms is super important. Having a long weekend or even a week away that you can look forward to and disengage was crucial to my mental health. Having friends and mentors who you can talk things through was equally important.
I discovered my biggest weakness was the inability to say "no" — so I wound up exerting energy on a few things that I probably shouldn't have. It's OK to say "no" if you discover an opportunity is not going to be a good fit for you. The other big thing to manage is how to handle rejection. It's going to happen and there's no reason you should take it personally. There are a million reasons you might not get a job that have nothing to do with your talents. It's OK to be disappointed and to sulk a little, but then go out for a walk, and focus your energies on other opportunities.
*** Alicia’s tips ***
Keep a spreadsheet of everywhere you've applied, the dates of your interviews and every step of the process. The document will help you keep things straight and know how long it's been since you followed up. Also, when filing unemployment, certain states require you to list job-seeking activities, and this way you have an easy reference of what you've done when you go to file each week.
Don't let the advice to tailor your resume and cover letters specifically to the job you're applying to scare you. Once you have a solid template for both, editing each to add in additional details relevant to the job you're applying for doesn't take much time at all.
There's mixed advice out there about whether cover letters are necessary. When in doubt, just write one. On about half of the responses I received, the recruiter or hiring manager said something to the effect of "we really liked your cover letter." Cover letters are especially helpful in translating your skills to a position outside of your industry. Once you write a cover letter for one position, they're easy to edit/adapt to the specifics of the next job you're applying for.
Look at LinkedIn. Every. Single. Day. Set up job alerts, and search through the jobs LinkedIn recommended to you. If those recommendations don't feel like they're matching what you're looking for, go back into your LinkedIn profile and make sure it's accurately reflecting the work you've done and focused on the skills you need for the kind of position you're looking for. There's a great little feature that lets you save the jobs you're interested in applying to. This was super helpful when I needed a break. While drinking my morning coffee, I'd passively scroll through the listings, save the positions that looked interesting, and then when I was ready later that day or a few days later, would go back through my saved list and decide which to put effort toward.
There's a pretty large community of former HR folks, recruiters and career coaches on TikTok. As with any random advice you find on social media, you have to be a bit careful, but I found some really interesting people giving practical advice, or validating my observations and feelings around the whole process.
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Thank you, Alicia, for sharing your story along with the great insights and tips. I hope this helps someone now or in the future.
✍️ What do you think? Are layoffs affecting you or your newsroom? How are you dealing? Share in the comments or reply to this email (pressahead@substack.com)
Here’s a cat gif for further inspiration and as thanks for reading. And if you want to learn more about finding jobs and navigating newsrooms, sign up to get future posts in your inbox. It’s more fun than a cat writing a resume.
👇 More good stuff after the cat 🐱👇
Good stuff links!
11 takeaways two years after launching a local news company (note: this has tons of under-the-hood real details) (Nieman Lab)
BBC preps for online-only future (Guardian)
How publishers are learning to create and distribute news on TikTok (Reuters Institute)
Understanding communities starts with open conversations in the newsroom (Poynter)
In case you missed it!
A sampling of previous PRESS AHEAD newsletter editions:
Timely and timeless lessons in leadership. Write your resume like a journalist. Q&A: Forging new paths. Concerned about layoffs? Q&A: Engaging new audiences in a 150-year-old newsroom. Building an audience-centric career. Insights from a reporter’s first year in the newsroom. Secrets of salary offers. 3 ways to make your portfolio stand out. Q&A: ‘Mildly rebellious, highly curious.’ How to tell the world you’re looking for a job. Ignore the job description (sometimes). On finding audiences, finding jobs and finding purpose. How do I get experience when I have no experience? What if we approached our career development like a reporter? How did this newsletter begin? Who’s behind it? How can you benefit and WHY SO MANY QUESTIONS?
Great article, very helpful information.
Very well written and a lot of great insights