Haveo · Networking when you need a job

Networking after being laid off

Say it plainly and early. "My role was cut in the restructure, so I am looking" is a complete explanation, it is extremely common, and it tells people exactly how to help. Vagueness is what stops people acting, not the layoff.

Name it without apology

A layoff is a company decision, and everyone reading your message knows that. Treating it as something to explain away invites a scrutiny that is not otherwise there.

One clear sentence, then what you are looking for. That is the whole thing.

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Tell your existing contacts first

Former colleagues, former managers, people you worked with at other companies. They already know your work, which is the hard part solved.

This is the most effective and most avoided step, because it is the one where it feels most exposing. It is also where the jobs come from.

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Be specific about what you want

"Looking for anything" is unanswerable. "Looking for a senior backend role, ideally fintech, remote or Leeds" is something a person can match against a thing they saw yesterday.

People want to help and mostly cannot, because they were not given enough to act on.

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Ask for something small

"If anything crosses your desk I would appreciate a heads up" is easy to say yes to. "Can you get me an interview" is not.

The small ask is what keeps you in their head for the next six months.

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Going to events while looking

Go, and be straightforward about why you are there. Nobody at a professional event finds it strange, and a lot of the room has been through it.

Prepare the sentence in advance so you are not composing it in the moment, which is when it comes out sounding worse than the situation is.

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Rehearse it before you walk in.

Haveo builds your intro, lets you practice out loud with an AI coach, and keeps your notes one tap away in the room. Free on iPhone and iPad.

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Common questions

Should I put 'open to work' on my profile?
It measurably increases recruiter contact. Some people find the banner uncomfortable — the setting that shows it only to recruiters is a reasonable middle.
How long should I wait before telling people?
Days, not weeks. The market moves and the awkwardness does not decrease with time — it increases, because then you also have to explain the gap in contact.
What if I was let go rather than laid off?
"It was not the right fit and we parted ways" is a normal sentence that closes the subject. Do not volunteer more; almost nobody asks a second question.

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