Navigating Your Next Career Move: A Guide for Laid-Off IRS Employees

The recent announcement of over 3,500 layoffs in the IRS Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) division—and up to 15,000 agency-wide—has left many employees in the Washington, D.C. area facing uncertainty about their careers. If you're one of the affected workers, this guide provides actionable steps to help you find your next job opportunity.

Activate Your Network

Leverage LinkedIn & Personal Contacts

• Download your LinkedIn connections to retain names, job titles, and email addresses. You can do this through Linkedin's Data Privacy settings. Here's step by step instructions: Download your LinkedIn connections
• Organize your contacts in an Excel or Google Sheet with added columns for:
  • Status: (e.g., Reach out, Awaiting response, Scheduled a meeting)
  • Notes: (e.g., How you know them, topics discussed, follow-up items)
• Begin outreach via LinkedIn, personal email, or text message (only for closer personal contacts).
• Use tools like (Apollo.io)[https://apollo.io] to find missing contact details (like work email addresses). Apollo has a generous free tier that allows for 10,000 email address lookups per month.

Engage in Meaningful Conversations

• Approach your meetings with genuine curiosity about the other person's work and personal life. If you haven't read How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie we recommend it as a reminder of how to have effective conversations.
• Take detailed notes and look for ways to provide value to the other person. Finding your next job is the goal, but don't let that get in the way of finding the joy and reward of helping others.
• Follow up consistently—be accountable to any commitments you make. Use a task tracking app (Apple Notes, Todoist, etc.) to set due dates. Start every day completing or rescheduling the tasks that are due that day.

Sharpen Your Resume & Interview Skills

Leverage AI to Optimize Your Resume

• Use (ChatGPT)[https://chatgpt.com] or other AI tools to improve your resume.
• Use a tool like Dreamwave.ai to have a professional headshot created. Update your social accounts (e.g. LinkedIn) with this headshot.
• Do not waste time tailoring your resume for each job application. Have a couple of versions that highlight different skills and achievements catered to a few of the types of roles you're applying to.

Practice for Interviews

• Conduct mock interviews using ChatGPT's voice chat or record yourself answering common questions. Prompt the AI to have it pretend to be a hiring manager at some of the companies you're applying to. Give it the job description and your resume and have it ask specific questions about your background and experience.

Apply Strategically

Navigate the Application Process

• Recognize that the job application system is broken—expect high competition. There are thousands of applicants for every job posting so your success rate in even getting a phone screen is going to be very low.
• That being said, make it your full-time job to apply to as many relevant positions as possible. You can't win the lottery if you don't buy a ticket.

Go Beyond Submitting Applications

• Identify employees at companies you're interested in and add them to your Spreadsheet.
• Don't just focus on hiring managers. Mid-level employees are often more open to connecting and meeting. They can provide valuable insights on what it's like to work at the company and what is important to the open role. Plus, many companies offer referral bonuses—employees may be financially incentivized to help you. Referral applications are also put at the top of the recruiter priority list.

Personalize Your Outreach

• Research the companies you're applying to and develop insightful talking points. Use tools like Perplexity.ai to understand what's going on at the company's you're highly interested in. It should provide news articles and investor relations data (for public companies) that help you understand what services/products the company provides, how they are doing financially, what their strategies for 2025 are, and more.
• Tie your experience and skills to the company's challenges and goals.

Consider 1099 Contracting & Consulting

Freelancing as a Bridge to Full-Time Employment

• Many tax, consulting, and accounting firms hire 1099 contractors during peak seasons or when they don't have capacity internally.
• Contracting can provide income while you search for a permanent role.

Finding Contracting Opportunities

• Use LinkedIn to connect with staff and senior consultants at tax and accounting firms in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. They will be the one's most likely to be honest about the work environment and how overburdened they are with billable work.
• Ask them about the types of projects they are working on, workload demands and potential needs for additional support.
• Ask for introductions to Senior Managers, Directors, or Partners overseeing client engagements.
• Craft tailored LinkedIn messages and emails highlighting how you can add immediate value.

Final Thoughts

Losing your job unexpectedly is a challenging experience, but proactive steps can accelerate your transition to a new role. By leveraging your network, refining your skills, strategically applying for positions, and considering interim contracting opportunities, you can turn this setback into a stepping stone for future success.