Tag Archives: Unemployment

Experiences, challenges, and strategies related to periods without paid work.

#7 Going through the stages of a layoff

Leave a reply

Going through a layoff for the first time

As I wait to start my new job role at the beginning of next month, I can’t help but reflect on what brought me here: the layoffs at my previous company. It’s a frustrating topic—especially as layoffs have been an unfortunate trend this year too—but one worth sharing. Many professionals are currently going through the same experience, and I hope this reflection might help someone navigate their own journey.

Experiencing layoffs for the first time can be overwhelming. The emotions that come with it—shock, frustration, even shame—are intense. Looking back, I realize that if someone had told me what lay ahead, I might have reacted more positively (or maybe not, who knows!). But one thing I’m sure of is that, if I had to go through it again (which I hope I don’t), I’d handle it better, thanks to the lessons I’ve learned.

Here are the stages I went through, from the moment I received the bad news to the moment I landed another job.

The shock

I had a sense that something was coming at my company, but I didn’t expect it to hit me. Just weeks before, I’d joined a new team with the prospect of being promoted to lead the content internationalisation efforts. It was a challenging time—my manager was on maternity leave, and the workload had increased. The team was struggling, morale was low, and I was left to figure things out on my own.

But that’s where I thrive. I love high-pressure situations. Just as I started to get a handle on my new responsibilities, I received an email: a sudden 15-minute all-hands meeting scheduled for Monday. It felt suspicious. We had just acquired a competitor, so nobody expected layoffs. But I did. Company communication had been poor for months, with leadership throwing out vague praise like, “You’re all in the driver’s seat!” despite the bad numbers and other red flags that were as obvious as a summer sun.

When the CEO and founder announced that 20% of the workforce would be laid off, we were all stunned. They said we’d know who was affected within 30 minutes. It was one of the longest half-hours of my life, but deep down, I knew I would be on the list. And I was right.

Anger, hurt, and feeling lost

The email arrived, confirming what I feared. I felt angry, hurt, and, most of all, lost. It was a shock that hit me harder than most life events—on par with moments like the covid lockdowns or the loss of a loved one. Working in an almost fully remote team made it worse. There was no office to gather in, no teammates to share a drink with after a devastating day. My company accounts were shut down immediately, leaving me isolated. I felt ashamed, even though there was no reason to feel that way.

The loneliness of remote work and my sense of disconnection, reminding me of my childhood years, when I first moved to Italy and struggled to adapt to a new culture. The layoff brought back those feelings of being lost and misunderstood.

Navigating the German job market and filing for unemployment

Though it was a tough time, I’m grateful that it happened in Germany. The country’s social support system is exceptional. I eventually turned to the Agentur für Arbeit to file for Arbeitslosengeld (unemployment benefits), and while the process involved a lot of paperwork and back-and-forth, I felt supported. They provided clear guidance, and my previous company also did what they could to help us transition. But, at the time, I was too emotionally drained to fully take advantage of those resources.

Still, Arbeitslosengeld helped me cover my rent and necessities while I regrouped and planned my next steps. For anyone going through a similar situation, I highly recommend contacting the Agentur für Arbeit right away (it must happen within the first three working days following the layoff)—it’s a crucial step in moving forward.

Seeking distractions while unemployed

During the summer 2023, I sought distractions wherever I could. I enjoyed what Berlin had to offer: spending a few weekends at Berghain, attending the Fusion Festival, or just getting lost in the city’s vibrant culture. It was a much-needed escape from the daily grind of rejection emails and fruitless interviews.

I realised that, sometimes, it’s okay to take a break. Finding balance is key when you’re in such a high-stress situation. The emotional toll can be heavy, and allowing yourself moments of joy can help you stay resilient.

Rebuilding my job search strategy

After a few months, I had to face reality and reconstruct a proper structure for my job search. I overhauled my CV, updated my LinkedIn profile, and reached out to my network. It was a repetitive, exhausting process—applying for jobs, going through endless interviews, and then never hearing back from recruiters.

But I didn’t give up. I also took the opportunity to improve my German, enrolling in a courses, workshops and other professional activities. It helped me feel productive and gave me the confidence to apply for roles that required a higher level of language proficiency.

The lucky breakthrough

And then, when I least expected it, I received the call. A new job offer! It’s funny how that works. After months of feeling stuck and discouraged, everything turned around in a single phone call.

Looking back, I see that the job search is like planting seeds—you never know when or where they’ll sprout, but persistence pays off in the end. If you’re currently in this stage, know that your lucky break might be just around the corner, even though it might feel that way.

#4 A job market transformation – Part 1

Leave a reply

The current situation on the German job market

If I’ve understood the data published by the German employment agency this month correctly, things on the job market here in Germany are getting worse and likely won’t improve in the near future. I can only hope that the EU’s forecast for next year holds true and that 2025 will bring us not just the federal elections but brighter news on this front as well.

From a candidate-driven to an employer-driven job market

Five years ago, when I moved to Berlin, just before COVID hit, the job market was thriving. Before that, I had spent four years living in Barcelona, where salaries were so low that even while working for a prestigious companies, I struggled to make ends meet—and I was living by minimalist principles!

So when my ex decided to move to the former European startup heaven (yes, Berlin), I didn’t think twice about following. Sure, I was in love and ready to follow her anywhere, but Berlin had its own pull. It was not just the obvious reasons—its reputation as a hub for social progress, its cosmopolitan openness, its rich cultural life, its spectacular history, and its proximity to stunning nature. I also had a personal goal: to face the German language once again. I had studied it for a few hours a week in high school but retained almost nothing—and was soon reminded why!

When I first arrived, I think I applied for maybe three jobs, got one callback, went through the interview process, and landed the position. Easy peasy.

While employed, I regularly received messages on LinkedIn from recruiters eager to bring me to their teams. Everything was buzzing, and it felt like all doors were open. They called it an “candidate-driven market,” a sharp contrast to today’s “employer-driven” one.

Back then, the number of English-speaking jobs was staggering, to say the least. It felt like I was living in a bubble where speaking German was barely necessary for daily life.

But things have changed dramatically, and it all happened so fast. For expats, especially those like me who were laid off, it’s been a harsh reality check—a bitter pill to swallow.

Continue reading Part 2 >>

#3 Something’s been missing on LinkedIn

Leave a reply

Listen to this post

Language mismatch when searching for jobs on LinkedIn

Have you ever come across amazing open positions on LinkedIn that made you scan the description with growing enthusiasm, only to find out, towards the end, that the language requirements were a total mismatch with your skills? If not, lucky you—because for me, it happens most of the time.
Now, some recruiting teams are smart enough to display the language requirements in the title. It’s pretty simple if you think about it—just add (EN, ES, IT, DE…) in parentheses. Done. Pretty intuitive, right?

For some reason, recruiters seem to overlook that language skills are probably the most important requirement they should communicate alongside the role. But I get it—maybe they want to keep the title clean, free from potentially confusing abbreviations, or they want to respect the information hierarchy of the overall description. Well, in that case, they could make sure the requirements block is the first thing covered in the job description, and that the first bullet point is related to language skills—it’ll be the first thing everybody sees. Not only would this make it easier for applicants to sift through the thousands of jobs out there, but recruiters would save a lot of time scanning through mismatched applications (which they’d probably stop receiving) from people who didn’t get to the bottom of their long job description.
But even if a few proactive recruiters work around this LinkedIn limitation, until this practice becomes widespread (which may never happen), it’s still a problem.

Hoping for a LinkedIn language filter

About a year ago, I sent feedback to LinkedIn pointing out this issue. I even created a quick mockup on Figma to show them what I had in mind—totally unnecessary, I know, but I had fun pretending to be a product designer at LinkedIn. They sent me a nice response, and that was the end of the story.
I don’t have the audacity to expect my email to be taken seriously when they likely have a huge number of things to fix, and since they manage a complex database with literally billions of users, I guess any new feature release can take months or even years.
Nevertheless, I want to leave this reflection here as a testimony to the hard times job seekers and recruiters endure due to language skill misunderstandings! And irony aside, let’s shout out loud that a kickass language filter in the LinkedIn app would be a mega game changer and speed up hiring processes all over the world.

#2 Saving energy while job searching

Leave a reply

Listen to this post

The harsh reality of layoffs

In my early days as a professional, working summer gigs as a student, I didn’t have to look for a job—jobs came my way. First, I worked in the family business, then for a family friend, and later for a friend of a friend, and so on.
When I decided to move abroad, leaving Italy for Spain without a secure job, I was scared, but I knew everything would be okay. I was a fresh graduate with over ten years of working experience in hospitality and fluent in three languages—I had set myself up for a solid career start. In fact, everything went smoothly, and my experiences were amazing. I worked on great products, for companies with cultures and values that resonated with me, surrounded by colleagues far smarter than I was. As a result, I learned a ton in a very short time.
So, when I found myself caught in a layoff last year, I was confident I would find another job relatively quickly. I considered that this time might be a little trickier, given the global crises, but I never imagined that one year later—after nearly three hundred applications and several interviews—I would still be unemployed.

Common patterns during the job search process

Speaking with friends, former colleagues, and acquaintances who have gone through similar situations, we recognized a few common patterns during unemployment. First, it’s a process with clear phases. Second, you learn a lot. Third, after doing it wrong for a while, you start doing it right, getting more callbacks, interviews, and hopefully, at some point, landing a job.
However, there’s something I learned recently that would have helped me a lot in the early stages of this process—especially in preserving my mental health and stamina. That lesson is to calm down, temper my enthusiasm, and accept that setbacks are part of the journey.
Whenever I had a job interview lined up, I would overreact, get very excited about the company, dive headfirst into preparation, and visualize amazing outcomes for myself. I’m not saying this is wrong—it’s actually very good, especially when it’s a genuine reaction. My enthusiasm helped me navigate interviews effortlessly, without anxiety, and with tons of motivation and passion. But it also meant that rejections hurt more. Every rejection spiraled me into endless doubts about my skills, personality, qualifications, and experience.

Lessons in endurance while job hunting

Now, I’m trying to approach things more coolly, keeping it real, avoiding daydreaming about future scenarios, and not taking outcomes as rejections of who I am. Because the truth is, with every setback, we learn something. We get better, more comfortable with the uncertainties and challenges of being unemployed.
Job searching is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to approach the process with a balance of enthusiasm and realism, conserving our energy for the long haul. By accepting that setbacks are inevitable and focusing on what we can learn from each experience, we preserve our mental well-being and stay motivated for the opportunities ahead. After all, finding a job isn’t just about landing the right position; it’s also about becoming more resilient and prepared for whatever comes your way.

#1 My favorite AI prompt for writing a job-winning cover letter

Leave a reply

How I started using AI to write better cover letters

After being laid off, I found myself rewriting cover letters repeatedly — with little response. Like many job seekers, I started wondering: can AI actually help write a strong, tailored cover letter? This post explains the exact AI prompt I now use to draft customized cover letters that generate more callbacks.

I’ve been unemployed for almost a year following layoffs at my previous company. I missed working with a team, building products, and solving meaningful problems.

During that time, I finished my novel, improved my German, and completed online courses in AI prompting and digital marketing. Still, the job search process was mentally exhausting.

The most frustrating part? Writing cover letters.

Getting used to being unemployed

Like many others, being unemployed took a toll on my mental health. Yes, I finished my novel and reached out to an editor, who encouraged me to write another one. Yes, I improved my German from barely pronouncing complex words to having in-depth conversations with my German therapist, even though he doesn’t always understand what I’m saying. Yes, I completed a few online courses on AI prompting, digital marketing, despite the decreasing confidence I started to feel in my professional field. I’ve also considered pursuing another master’s degree, although I already have six years of academic education under my belt.

But what I really miss is working with a team of professionals to brainstorm and solve problems while creating amazing products. That was the stage of my life I was at, and I wanted to move forward, not backward. I kept reminding myself of what my friends, family, and therapist advised: focus on what you can control, get back on your feet, and use your skills to find a new job. They shared many other helpful tips, but this one was particularly effective in keeping me sane.

Why writing cover letters is so frustrating

Most applicants spend hours drafting personalized letters, often unsure whether recruiters even read them. Yet many companies still require them.

Common problems:
– Rewriting the same achievements repeatedly
– Trying to sound enthusiastic but not generic
– Aligning with ATS keywords
– Balancing personality and professionalism

That’s where AI can help — if used correctly.

How I use AI to draft tailored cover letters

At first, the AI outputs were generic and unusable. The problem wasn’t the tool — it was the prompt. Once I started providing structured inputs — the full job description, selected highlights from my CV, and a short note on why I liked the company — the quality improved significantly. More importantly, I began receiving more interview callbacks.

So, all this to say that I want to share the prompt I use for writing my cover letters. I tweak it slightly depending on the tone I assume the company uses in its communications. If this prompt doesn’t work for you and you have a great one that does, please share it in the comments. You’ll be saving not only my brainpower but potentially that of many others who might read this post.

The AI Prompt I Use to Write a Tailored Cover Letter

Below is the exact prompt I use. I adjust tone slightly depending on the company.

“Using the information provided below, draft a concise, engaging, and jargon-free cover letter tailored specifically to the job description.

The letter should:

  • Directly address the key requirements and responsibilities listed in the job description
  • Seamlessly integrate relevant achievements and experiences from my CV
  • Clearly articulate why I’m a strong fit for the role
  • Highlight what genuinely attracts me to the company (culture, mission, product, or positioning)
  • Maintain a confident, professional tone without sounding generic or overproduced
  • End with a closing that encourages the reader to learn more about my profile

Please bold the most important keywords and phrases, especially those aligned with the job description and ATS-relevant terms.

Avoid clichés, filler phrases, and excessive self-promotion. Prioritize clarity, relevance, and impact.”

Inputs:

  • Job Description: [paste job description]
  • My CV Highlights: [paste CV or selected highlights]
  • What I Like About the Company: [1–2 authentic sentences]

This whole post goes without saying that once the machine has churned out our nice text, we should also re-read it, add our personal touch, and then use Grammarly, or some other tool, to quickly proofread it—even though I have to admit I don’t always do this…

FAQ: Using AI to write cover letters

Is it okay to use AI for cover letters?

Yes — as long as you personalize and edit the output. Recruiters care about clarity and relevance.

Will recruiters detect AI-written cover letters?

They might if the text sounds generic. Strong prompts and manual editing are essential.

Does AI improve callback rates?

In my experience, structured AI-assisted drafting helped align my application more closely with job descriptions and increased responses.