In the wake of a layoff, it's easy to feel like you're starting from scratch. But what if I told you that you're actually starting from a place of strength and experience? Jane Janniere, a Toronto-based outplacement and career transition coach, argues that the traditional advice to update your résumé first is misguided. Instead, she recommends a Reset Roadmap, a process that begins with stabilizing before marketing yourself to employers.
Janniere believes that a layoff is more than just a job-search problem; it's a human transition with a job-search component. When you lose a job, you often lose structure, routine, belonging, status, identity, confidence, financial safety, and a clear sense of what comes next. So, instead of rushing to update your résumé, Janniere encourages you to take a step back and reflect on what you've learned from your previous workplace.
She advises clients to ask themselves four questions: What actually happened? What am I telling myself this means? What do I know for sure versus what am I assuming? What decision doesn't need to be made today? By answering these questions, you can separate facts from fear and gain a clearer understanding of your situation.
Janniere also recommends reflecting on what kind of leadership, culture, and pace where you do your best work. This process can help you separate who you are from where you worked, reconnect with the skills and accomplishments you've built throughout your career, and decide what you want more of, and less of, in your next role.
Only after working through these questions should you update your résumé, LinkedIn profile, and interview story. Janniere acknowledges that many people don't have the financial luxury of spending months reflecting before beginning a job search, but she says processing the experience and moving quickly aren't mutually exclusive.
She recently worked with a client whose timeline was shaped by severance negotiations and seasonal hiring patterns. Instead of rushing into the first available opportunity, they built a strategy that balanced financial realities with finding a better long-term fit. The point isn't to disappear from the market, Janniere says; it's to slow down just enough to avoid decisions made purely from fear.
So, the next time you find yourself laid off, remember that you're not starting from nothing. You're starting from everything you've already built. And by following Janniere's Reset Roadmap, you can navigate this transition with confidence and clarity.
