By the time you need professional help to land your next role, you will likely not be in a position to afford it. Most of us go it alone, never really considering that our situation can get that bad. Nobody wants to entertain that, until it does.
You probably will not say anything, because you will feel ashamed. This is a very normal way of feeling. You spend years propping yourself up, selling your best self, leveraging your job title, and believing that your worst day is as bad as it has ever been.
From what I am reading, unemployment is the highest it been in years amongst white collar tech employees. I do not know what black T-shirt wearing category that puts most creative types in, but it is fair to say many are struggling with the tech layoffs, global political and financial horror, and an industry identity crisis. I am brushing over this with a giant, lazy blanket statement about the poor state of the industry and assuming, like me, you are creative in one way or another. But this is not my point. It is something that could happen to anyone at any time.
Most people believe they will be safe in their job, regardless of how much they might dislike it. When that day comes that they are not, they try to manifest good things, because they are doing their best to stay positive and not be defeated by the challenges. You dust off the CV, try to figure out what work you might have saved to update the portfolio, and lean into your network for a new opportunity. Recruiters, job boards, freelance, side projects, there are so many things to try, and you do, but they still come up short. Not something someone with your years of experience wants to admit you are not very good at. But you never give up. You are just one more application away from that next opportunity, even if it is not a big one.
The savings get depleted. You are in fight or flight mode, trying to remain calm and keep up appearances, because you would not want to come off as desperate. Until you are. Then someone slides into your DMs, says schedule a call, which you do, and you sceptically and reluctantly entertain this sales pitch just in case. They know what they are doing, you feel seen, even if not heard, and then they hit you with their offer. But the problem is it is too late. You already cannot afford them. Parting ways with their fee, which is more than reasonable, is just something you cannot afford. Conventional wisdom would say you cannot afford not to. But when you are already leaning on family just to keep a roof over your head and have less money than you did as a broke teenager, it really is not something you can afford.
So you have no choice but to keep polishing your CV, applying for jobs, and waiting it out in the hope that something will give. You know if you just had enough money, they would be able to boost your career. Let us be honest, you are hoping they would and there are no guarantees. In fact, none of the very best advice really can.
It is the same with your health. I have seen many healthy people, obsessed with their well-chiselled six pack, tragically become ill or let themselves go, by no fault of their own. I have also seen unhealthy people who cannot find the motivation to take that first step to healing, so they remain overweight, in pain, and reaching out for that late night bag of crisps.
I cannot help most people stuck without a job or the means to afford professional help to secure their next role and get themselves out of financial ruin. But I can advise against believing it cannot happen to you. It has happened to me, on more than one occasion. I did nothing wrong. Just time and place. You do not have to make a mistake to learn from some of lifes tougher lessons.
So to anyone still in the good position to have a job, or unemployed with the financial means, speak to a professional who can help you position yourself should anything happen. That is part of job security. It is not only getting coaching in your current role, but investing in a future situation that hopefully never comes. It is not doomsday prepping, it is more like going to the gym three times a week. You might not have a perfect beach body, but you will be looking and feeling better than most people your age, and whether you can see it or not, building a foundation that will benefit you for years to come. Think of it as preventative care. We all know the benefits are much greater than trying to get treatment in an emergency.
If you are in the fortunate position to get professional help, take it. You don’t need a green open to work banner on your profile to need it. Get a coach, work on a maintenance plan to update your CV, actively engage with your network on LinkedIn, and keep your portfolio a little more current.
That is career insurance.