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Career Briefs: We Want More For You
Insights and strategies to help savvy professionals build careers with purpose and momentum.
Sarah Johnston
February 11, 2026
Dear Reader:
January 2026 marked the worst start to a year for U.S. layoffs since 2009, with employers announcing 108,435 job cuts, a 118% increase from January 2025 and 205% more than December 2025.
Naturally, this news means more people are flocking to LinkedIn.
"My company XX just laid off 20%. I, unfortunately, was one of those people. I am available to start immediately."
𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲?
I saw several this week from well-meaning job seekers.
This post is sad because you know this person was completely blindsided and wants to find a job as soon as they can.
And I always think: Oh, I want more for them.
Because they are more than the layoff.
They’re not just someone who’s “available.” They’re someone who has contributed, solved problems, led projects, built expertise, and earned wins — even if it’s hard to remember that in the middle of a tough week.
That’s why I’d love to see job seekers include just a bit more in these posts, such as:
Projects they’re proud of
Skills they bring to the table
Results they’ve delivered
Recognition they’ve earned
A layoff may be the headline, but their value is the story.
To help, I put together a quick-hit article with a simple, strong “Open to Work” template that makes it easier to share not just what you need — but what you offer.
Rooting for you,
Sarah
Table of Contents
Executive Networking Mistakes
Most executives think they’re “good at networking”… until their job search stalls.
The mistakes senior leaders make today are subtle, costly, and more common than you’d expect.
I broke them down in a new article—complete with fresh data, video, and strategies you can use immediately.
How to Articulate Your Contibutions As a Senior Leader
“Anyone can explain what happened. Your competitive advantage is explaining why it happened, specifically the decisions you weighed, tradeoffs you made, and the things you said no to.”
If you’ve ever struggled to talk about your accomplishments without feeling like you’re taking too much credit — or not enough — Melody Wilding’s work is a must-read. In her article (and in her new book, Managing Up), she tackles one of the trickiest challenges of senior leadership: articulating your value when your impact happens through others. As you rise, visibility becomes non-negotiable, yet many executives either over-deflect (“my team did it all”) or overclaim (“I turned it around”). Wilding offers a powerful middle ground, with practical frameworks like “We-then-Me,” speaking to scale, naming invisible work, and highlighting strategic judgment — all ways to own your leadership without overshadowing your team. It’s a timely reminder that communicating impact isn’t bragging — it’s part of the job.
Interview Coaching
Did you know that we offer one-on-one custom interview coaching? Over the past month, we’ve conducted interview coaching with titles ranging from Chief Medical Officer to Vice President of Consumer Insights. When playing in a high-stakes interview environment, the critical edge you get from our advanced interview coaching ensures you’re set to show up at your best: at ease, confident, prepared, and able to navigate both the expected and the unexpected.
Read more: Interview Coaching
How to Get on a Corporate Board
Many of my Briefcase Coach clients are exploring how to leverage their executive experience into a paid corporate board role. I recently listened to an excellent episode of the Board Vision podcast featuring Mary Beth Vitale, a faculty member with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and Chuck Gray, co-founder of the corporate board recruitment practice at Egon Zehnder. They offer a clear, behind-the-scenes look at how board recruitment really works. Highly recommend the interview for anyone considering a board path.
Think Like an Olympian
If you are glued to the Winter Olympics and (I can’t get enough Breezy Johnson!), you’ve probably caught a few of the human interest stories between events. They really are the best part.
They remind us that behind every medal is a long, messy, deeply human journey: setbacks, doubt, injury, sacrifice, and an extraordinary commitment to keep going anyway.
“Athletes who have reached that level are typically all around the same athletic standard,” says sports psychologist Kai Laird, but what sets champions apart from the rest “really comes down to that mindset.”
And that same mindset shift applies to the rest of us, too — especially in our careers.
One of the tools elite athletes use is visualization: mentally rehearsing success before it happens. World-record holder Katie Ledecky has shared, “I have my goals, and I visualize things to help me achieve those goals… I know what my stroke should feel like…”
That practice isn’t just for Olympians. Whether you’re preparing for a big interview, stepping into a new leadership role, or navigating a career transition, taking time to picture the outcome — and the process it takes to get there — can be incredibly powerful.
Recommendation: Want an Olympic Gold Medalist to be your mindset coach? Check out my friend Joe Jacobi.
UK Employment Law Changes
Big news out of the UK: the Employment Rights Bill received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025, marking one of the most significant overhauls of UK employment law in a generation.
One of the most notable updates? Day-one family leave rights.
Under current rules, employees must work 26 weeks before qualifying for two weeks of government-funded paternity leave, and one full year before becoming eligible for up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child. The new Act eliminates those service requirements entirely — meaning paternity and parental leave will become day-one rights.
Another important shift: employees will no longer lose access to paternity leave simply because they’ve taken shared parental leave in the past. The restriction is being removed, giving families more flexibility in how they structure leave.
These changes are expected to take effect in April 2026.
It will be fascinating to see whether the United States moves in a similar direction. Under current U.S. law (FMLA), eligibility requires working for a covered employer (50+ employees) for at least 12 months and logging 1,250 hours in the prior year — and the leave is generally unpaid, unless employees can supplement with vacation, sick time, or disability coverage.
The UK is clearly signaling a stronger commitment to early, universal family support. The question is: will the U.S. follow?
Read more here: https://global.lockton.com/us/en/news-insights/the-united-kingdom-introduces-reforms-for-stronger-employment-rights
Are Bonuses Going Away?
Bonus pay has long been one of employers’ favorite tools for attracting and retaining talent. When tied to performance, bonuses don’t just reward employees — they also create a powerful incentive to hit goals, drive results, and boost productivity. In fact, February is often one of the busiest months in the resume industry, as many professionals wait for their annual bonus payouts before beginning a serious search for their next role
But new research suggests that bonuses may be becoming less of a guarantee than many workers assume.
ADPPress recently analyzed six years of payroll data from nearly 12 million U.S. employees at companies with 50+ workers, spanning December 2019 through December 2024. Their findings were striking: bonuses are becoming less common across the workforce. Fewer than half of U.S. workers receive a bonus in any given year, and that share has been steadily declining since 2021. In 2024, fewer than 40% of workers received one.
That said, bonuses still play an outsized role at the highest income levels. For employees earning between $150,000 and $250,000 annually, bonuses make up about 10% of total compensation. For those earning more than $250,000, bonuses account for a remarkable 25% of total pay.
In other words: bonuses may be shrinking as a workplace norm — but for top earners, they remain a major piece of the compensation puzzle.
Can you do me a favor?
I’m on a mission to help job seekers land amazing jobs. Would you consider doing one of the following:
Forward or use the referral link below to share this newsletter with your job-searching friends or post about it on social media. This small act really helps!
Reach out to us about featuring your executive job posting in our newsletter. We are looking for hiring managers, founders, and search firms to talk on video about their ideal candidates.
Consider sharing my company name with your HR leadership. We are a great “white-glove” boutique option for executive outplacement
Recommend me as a paid speaker for your company events on networking, job searching, or leveraging LinkedIn
Recommend my services to high performers wanting to work one-on-one with an executive resume writer / or experienced interview coach
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