Just Start: A Step-by-Step Plan for Laid-Off Federal Employees

Losing your federal job can feel overwhelming. With so much information out there, it’s hard to know where to start. That’s why this page exists – to remove the guesswork and give you a clear, step-by-step plan to regain control and move forward.

✅ 10-Day Action Plan – A simple, structured plan to get back on track.

✅ 3 Downloads – Résumé Builder, LinkedIn Makeover, & Interview Practice

Your 10-Day Action Plan

Each day, take one small, manageable step forward. No overthinking, just action.

📅 Day 1: Get Clarity on Your Financial Situation

• Check severance, unemployment benefits, and health insurance options.
• Review your savings, monthly expenses, and upcoming bills.
• Adjust spending if needed and set a short-term income goal.

📅 Day 2: Create a Temporary Budget

• List out your current essential expenses
• Determine what of your non-essential expenses you can cut – remember this is not forever, but for now we are keeping things tight
• Create a budget based on the income you need to pay the essentials and start your income goals there

📅 Day 3: Create a Simple Plan for Income

• Explore part-time remote work (Indeed is one we HIGHLY recommend, also Upwork, and FlexJobs). Remote work is ideal while you are looking to get some near-term income while also having the flexibility to job search. Don’t underestimate the power of attacking large problems with small steps. If you lost a job that paid $5k a month, if you can make $1500 a month sooner than later do it. We know that is not your endgame – but it will help.
• TIP: Signing up for research studies to make some extra $$: There are several companies that do this but we chose WatchLab as we can personally attest to their legitimacy. You simply sign up here https://www.watchlab.com/sign-up and they will email you with all studies – you may or may not qualify for many of them but it takes only a few minutes and it is a good way to occasionally earn some extra money. It is not going to be consistent income by any means – but every little bit helps.
• Set a small weekly income goal to reduce financial stress.

📅 Day 4: Gather & Review Your Résumé

• Find your most recent federal résumé
• Download our simple private-sector résumé template – we did it in WORD for easy to use editing: DOWNLOAD HERE
• Re-word Your Experience for the Private Sector – Use our before-and-after résumé bullet points for ideas to get started:
  
  

📌 Transform government-speak into private-sector language.

• Managed interagency coordination for policy initiatives → Led cross-functional teams to streamline policies, reducing implementation time by 30%.
• Developed reports for senior leadership on regulatory updates → Created executive reports that influenced $5M+ in strategic decisions.
• Oversaw contract compliance for procurement processes → Managed vendor contracts worth $10M+, ensuring 100% compliance with federal regulations.
• Conducted performance reviews and compliance audits for staff → Led performance evaluations for a 20-person team, increasing operational efficiency by 15%.
• Assisted in the development of workforce planning strategies → Designed workforce optimization plans that improved productivity and reduced costs by 10%.
• Reviewed and processed financial reports for department budgets → Analyzed financial data to optimize budget allocation, saving the department $500K annually.

📅 Day 5: Set Up & Optimize LinkedIn

• Create or update your LinkedIn profile using our guide: DOWNLOAD HERE
• Start connecting with people (alumni, former colleagues, recruiters).

📅 Day 6: Apply for 3 Jobs

• Apply even if you don’t feel “100% qualified” – momentum matters.
• Stay organized – keep a notebook or excel file of jobs you applied for

📅 Day 7: Reach Out to Someone in Your Network

• Send one simple LinkedIn message to a recruiter or former colleague.
• Use the networking message script provided in the LinkedIn guide.

📅 Day 8: Practice Interview Questions

• Review common interview questions and prepare strong responses.
• Use our interview prep worksheet to craft clear, confident answers: DOWNLOAD HERE

📅 Day 9: Apply for 3 More Jobs & Follow Up

• Revisit applications from Day 6 and send follow-up emails.
• Apply for 3 new positions based on lessons learned.

📅 Day 10: Check Progress & Adjust Your Strategy

• What’s working? What’s not? Adjust as needed.
• Keep a daily job search habit – even small steps lead to progress.

Final Thoughts: Keep Moving Forward

This is not about doing everything perfectly, it’s about taking small steps every day. If you follow this system, you’ll make steady progress without feeling paralyzed. Start today. Just one step.