1/ A lot of folks are getting laid off and I just wanted to offer a recommendation when thinking about what's next. When I left Netflix in 2012 after 11 years there, while it wasn't a surprise, it was an adjustment. After all, I just showed up every day and just did what I did.

2/ So when people would ask me after I left "what did you do there?" I would respond with my job title. And when I started looking for my next challenge I used the same lens. But that proved to be a limiter. Why?

3/ Because I knew way more than I thought I did. And you likely know more than you think you do. Most of us tend to kind of minimize what we do as to not come off as a braggart. And I'm not advocating you make stuff up or go crazy with self-aggrandizement.

4/ What I am recommending you do (and what I did) is to use an idea called laddering. In consumer research, great moderators use this technique to get respondents to "ladder" from their first answer ultimately to the real emotion behind the answer.

5/, In this case, it'll get you to "ladder" from "I am X" to the skillsets you actually possess. That, in turn, can help you see if there are other jobs, businesses, or industries where could look for opportunities (including starting your own thing).

6/ Start by writing down the areas in which you operated. Like PR/Comms, online advertising, website optimization, brand positioning, and so on. You get the idea.

7/ Then break each of those areas into specific actions. For example, within PR/Comms you generated, edited and sent out press releases to media contacts.

8/ Then strip out the descriptors to get to the skillset that involved. Like copywriting, copy editing, brand compliance, and media relations.

9/ This process will help in two ways. One, it will take your mind off of the shock of suddenly being unemployed and two, and more importantly, it will arm you with the knowledge and confidence you need to move forward.