Your Next 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

Reconnecting with past colleagues and contacts is a great way to spend your time. A good place to start is by downloading 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 Keep your self organized by putting all of 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)

Use the Spreadsheet as your tracker and begin reaching out to people via LinkedIn, personal email, or text message (only for closer personal contacts). Don't be discouraged if people are unresponsive. You may need to follow up 3 or 4 times over the course of a few weeks in order to get a hold of them. Some people will say they aren't interested, that's ok too.
If you don't have contact information for people in your network, use tools like 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 a genuine interest in 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. You can't have meaningful conversations if you focus on yourself the whole time.

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. You need to treat this time with the same, or more, attention as you would a full-time job. 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 or other AI tools to improve your resume. Don't go overboard and let perfection get in the way of good enough. Focus on the content at the top of your resume, which is all most recruiters will read when doing their screening.

If you don't have professional headshots, use a tool like Dreamwave.ai to have a professional headshot created. Update your social accounts (e.g. LinkedIn) with this headshot. This will help present you in the best light possible to potential employers and those in your network you are attempting to connect with.

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. You can create a Custom GPT if you are on the paid plan. Here's instructions on how to do that: Create a Custom GPT

Practice joining Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams meetings ahead of time. Get comfortable with the software and the process of joining a meeting. First impressions are important and you want to make sure you look professional on camera and your audio sounds clear.

Apply Strategically

Navigate the Application Process

Recognize that the job application system is broken. There is incredibly high competition in the job market, and it's only getting more competitive. 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. Try not to be discouraged and keep finding new ways to stay positive throughout the process.

Go Beyond Submitting Applications

Sending job applications and waiting isn't good enough. Identify employees at companies you're interested in and connect with them on LinkedIn. Then add them to your Spreadsheet so you can begin tracking your reach out attempts. Don't just focus on hiring managers. Mid-level employees (e.g. staff, seniors, analysts, etc.) 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, so this increases yor chances of getting a phone screen.

Personalize Your Outreach

Research the companies you're applying to and develop insightful talking points. You want to show the employees you are talking to that you can add value quickly and demonstrate that you're a proactive employee. Use tools like Perplexity.ai to understand what's going on at the companies 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. Practice using this information and tying your experience and skills to the company's challenges and goals. For example, if the company has plans on expanding into a new market, you can highlight your experience in that market.

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. These firms are looking for people that have experience and can work independently.

You'll need to be prepared to negotiate an hourly rate that makes the work worth your while, but isn't so high that you're passed over for someone else. You'll need to setup an LLC or S-Corp, get an EIN, and set up a business checking account. Some firms will require you to send invoices for your time while others will have you entering directly into their timekeeping system. QuickBooks Online and Xero are all popular tools that can help you manage your business finances.

Finding Contracting Opportunities

Use a similar approach to finding contracting opportunities as you did with your job search. Use LinkedIn to connect with staff and senior consultants at tax and accounting firms in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. (or wherever you are located). 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 help them and get working quickly. Again, these firms want people that can work independently and get up to speed quickly.

Final Thoughts

This is a challenging time for many people. It's important to remember that you are not alone and there are many resources available to help you through this process. Keep telling yourself you are capable of achieving great things. Keep pushing forward and don't give up!