How To Support Someone Who Lost Their Job

So even if your own job is relatively secure right now, you likely know someone who’s been let go (or about to be let go) as a direct result of the pandemic’s economic impact. If this is the case, you’ll want to know the best ways to support them during such a hard time. You may not be able to turn back time or lend them a year’s salary, but there are tons of ways to be a source of comfort and advice while they get back on the right path toward a new role. LinkedIn career expert Blair Heitmann shares her best advice for what to do when someone you know gets laid off or furloughed. Finding a new job is a challenge in its own right—but that challenge has been compounded thanks to the current circumstances. “Ask what you can do—and don’t take, ’nothing’ for an answer,” Heitman says. Make active suggestions, like offering to edit their resume, introduce them to free LinkedIn Learning courses (there’s one specifically on how to recover from a layoff), practice for an upcoming video interview, or check out career search engines for openings. RELATED: How to Find Companies Hiring Work-From-Home Employees RELATED: Expert Networking Advice for People Who Hate Small Talk