Don’t Job Search. Self-Search.
How to bounce back stronger with your story, skills, and AI.
Hey friends 👋
If I got laid off today, I wouldn’t update my resume first.
I’d do this instead:
Reflect
Write
Chat with AI
Let me explain why.
The job market is unstable. Layoffs are still happening. Even if you’re “safe” right now, everything about your role is evolving — faster than ever — because of AI.
Teams are shrinking. Expectations are growing.
And truthfully: resumes alone won’t get you ahead anymore.
If you want to bounce back stronger — or stay ahead of a possible career curveball — here’s what I recommend doing before firing off a bunch of job applications:
✅ Step 1: Reflect (Write Your Story)
Open a blank doc and start writing — not your resume, but your real story.
Write about:
What roles you’ve had and what industries you’ve worked in
Skills you’ve picked up along the way
Your proudest accomplishments and your biggest mistakes
What made you feel alive in your role
What you wish your job had more of
What feels hard or uncertain right now
This is not about perfection. It’s about perspective.
3–5 pages. Be honest. Be raw. Save it as a PDF.
You’ll use this in the next step.
✅ Step 2: Use AI as Your Career Coach
Now go to ChatGPT (or Claude, Copilot — whatever AI tool you like).
Upload your resume and the PDF of your story. Then ask it this:
“Here’s my story. Analyze my career arc. How is my role evolving with AI? What skills am I missing to stay competitive? What do I need to learn next?”
Let the AI be your thinking partner — not just your writing tool.
Ask deeper follow-ups:
What are 10 roles I can grow into based on my experience?
Which of my strengths are transferable to other industries?
What AI tools or skills should I start learning now?
Build me a 30-day learning plan to close my gaps
How can I shift my mindset to grow from this instead of staying stuck?
AI isn’t just for automation. It’s a mirror, a strategist, a coach. Use it that way.
✅ Step 3: Create Proof, Not Just Paper
Don’t just tweak your resume. Build proof.
Use what you learned from the reflection and AI feedback to create 1–2 small projects that show how you think, solve problems, or adapt to change.
If you’re in data:
Analyze a public dataset
Build a dashboard
Write a short case study
Share it on LinkedIn or GitHub
If you’re in marketing:
Create a mock campaign
Analyze engagement metrics
Write about what worked and why
If you’re in ops, support, product — same idea:
Document how you improved a process
Rebuild a broken experience
Show your thinking, not just your output
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to wait for a layoff to do this.
In fact, the best time to reflect, reframe, and rebuild your career strategy is before you need it.
Resumes are backward-looking.
Stories and skills are forward-facing.
Don’t just job search. Self-search.
We’re all being reshaped right now. Not just by AI, but by how we respond to change.
So if you’re feeling stuck, start writing. Then ask better questions. Then build proof.
That’s how you grow, regardless of what happens next.
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Let’s keep learning,
—Randy