# Unemployment Support - Reference Index

This directory contains actionable patterns for common unemployment situations. Each pattern is a step-by-step guide to handle specific challenges.

## Quick Navigation

### ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Language Guidelines
- **[Sensitive Words Blacklist](guidelines/sensitive-words-blacklist.md)** - Words to NEVER use (废物, 垃圾, 牛马, loser, worthless, etc.)
  - Direct insults, victim-blaming, minimizing language, pressure/shaming, toxic positivity, comparison
  - CHECK THIS LIST before responding to ensure no harmful language

### 📖 Mood-Lifting Stories
- **[Stories Library](stories/INDEX.md)** - Funny, uplifting fairy tales for when users feel down
  - The Unemployed Dragon - Skills can work in new ways
  - The Wizard's Resume - Translate your experience
  - The Knight's 100 Rejections - Persistence pays off
  - Use stories to lift mood BEFORE giving advice

### 🧭 Finding Your Direction (START HERE if you're lost)
- **[Finding Direction](patterns/finding-direction.md)** - Turn crisis into opportunity, discover what you actually want
  - Pattern: The Big Questions - Self-discovery through reflection
  - Pattern: Reframing Unemployment as Opportunity - Permission to explore
  - Pattern: Designing Experiments - Test career paths before committing
  - Pattern: The Career Pivot Map - Bridge from where you are to where you want to be
  - Pattern: Values-Based Job Filtering - Find roles that match your priorities
  - Pattern: The "Fuck It" Moment - When to take the leap
  - Pattern: Building Courage Through Small Wins - Systematic risk-taking

### 🚨 Crisis Situations
- **[Facing Layoff](patterns/facing-layoff.md)** - Leadership communication, negotiation, legal rights, emergency response
  - Pattern: Leadership Communication - What to say when they tell you
  - Pattern: Emergency Response Plan - First 72 hours action checklist
  - Pattern: Legal Rights Protection - Know what you're entitled to
  - Pattern: Mental Reframing - This isn't your fault
  - Pattern: Day-of-Layoff Checklist - Hour-by-hour actions

### 🔍 Job Search Challenges
- **[Job Search Plateau](patterns/job-search-plateau.md)** - Breaking through when you hit 1+ months with no results
  - Pattern: 1 Month No Results - Diagnostic tree for what's wrong
  - Pattern: Resume Overhaul - Fix callback rate < 10%
  - Pattern: Search Scope Expansion - When your market is too narrow
  - Pattern: Interview Skills Debug - Getting callbacks but no offers
  - Pattern: Hidden Job Market Activation - Access the 70% of unlisted jobs
  - Pattern: Skill Gap Closure - Fast-track learning what you're missing
  - Pattern: Mental Stamina Maintenance - Staying motivated through rejections

### 💬 Interview Preparation
- **[Interview Answers](patterns/interview-answers.md)** - Proven frameworks for tough interview questions
  - Pattern: STAR Method Framework - Structure any behavioral answer
  - Pattern: "Tell Me About Yourself" - Perfect 2-minute pitch
  - Pattern: "Why Did You Leave?" - Handle layoffs, firings, voluntary exits
  - Pattern: "What's Your Greatest Weakness?" - Honest + strategic
  - Pattern: "Why Should We Hire You?" - Close the deal
  - Pattern: "Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?" - Ambition + realism
  - Pattern: Salary Negotiation - Get what you're worth
  - Pattern: Questions to Ask Them - Show engagement, assess fit
  - Pattern: Handling Difficult Questions - Overqualified, job hopping, skill gaps

### 🧠 Mental Health & Sustainability
- **[Mental Health & Routines](patterns/mental-health-routines.md)** - Protect your mental health during the search
  - Pattern: Daily Structure for Job Seekers - Productive routine that prevents burnout
  - Pattern: Emotional First Aid - Immediate interventions for panic, rejection spirals, shame
  - Pattern: Motivation Maintenance - Track micro-wins, weekly reviews
  - Pattern: Imposter Syndrome Combat - Evidence-based counters to self-doubt
  - Pattern: Financial Anxiety Management - Runway calculation and crisis modes
  - Pattern: Social Connection Maintenance - Combat isolation
  - Pattern: Dealing with Difficult Family/Friends - Boundary scripts
  - Pattern: Self-Care Non-Negotiables - Sleep, exercise, connection
  - Pattern: When to Seek Professional Help - Red flags and resources

---

## How to Use These Patterns

### 1. Identify Your Situation
Match your current challenge to a reference file:
- Just got laid off? → **facing-layoff.md**
- Been searching 1+ months with no results? → **job-search-plateau.md**
- Have an interview coming up? → **interview-answers.md**
- Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or burnt out? → **mental-health-routines.md**

### 2. Find the Relevant Pattern
Each file contains multiple patterns for specific scenarios. Scan the headers to find your exact situation.

### 3. Follow the Pattern
Patterns include:
- **When to use** - Specific trigger conditions
- **Action steps** - What to do right now
- **Scripts/templates** - Copy-paste-ready examples
- **Anti-patterns** - What NOT to do
- **Bilingual support** - Chinese context where relevant

### 4. Adapt to Your Context
These are frameworks, not rigid rules. Adjust based on:
- Your industry (tech vs finance vs creative)
- Your location (US vs China vs Europe)
- Your situation (senior vs junior, layoff vs firing)
- Your personality (introvert vs extrovert)

---

## Pattern Philosophy

**What makes a good pattern:**
- ✅ Actionable - You can start RIGHT NOW
- ✅ Specific - Not "network more" but "send 3 LinkedIn messages this week to..."
- ✅ Tested - Based on real-world success stories
- ✅ Empathetic - Acknowledges emotions while driving action
- ✅ Realistic - No toxic positivity or false promises

**What patterns are NOT:**
- ❌ Magic bullets - There's no secret trick to instant job offers
- ❌ One-size-fits-all - Your mileage may vary, adapt as needed
- ❌ Replacements for professional help - Therapy, lawyers, financial advisors exist for a reason
- ❌ Guarantees - These improve your odds but can't control the economy or hiring managers

---

## Contributing Your Own Patterns

If you discover a pattern that worked for you:
1. Document what you tried and what happened
2. Identify the trigger (when to use this pattern)
3. List specific steps you took
4. Note what you'd do differently next time
5. Share it (add to these files or create new ones)

**Example contribution format:**
```markdown
## Pattern: [Name]

**When: [Specific situation that triggers this pattern]**

**Action steps:**
1. [First thing to do]
2. [Second thing]
3. [etc.]

**Why it works:**
[Explanation]

**Anti-patterns:**
❌ [What NOT to do]

**Example:**
[Real or realistic scenario]
```

---

## Quick Reference Cards

### Lost/Don't Know What to Do
→ patterns/finding-direction.md: The Big Questions
→ patterns/finding-direction.md: Values-Based Job Filtering

### Crisis Mode (< 1 month runway)
→ patterns/facing-layoff.md: Emergency Response Plan
→ patterns/mental-health-routines.md: Financial Anxiety Management

### Just Got Laid Off (Week 1)
→ patterns/facing-layoff.md: Day-of-Layoff Checklist
→ patterns/facing-layoff.md: Legal Rights Protection

### Want to Change Careers
→ patterns/finding-direction.md: The Career Pivot Map
→ patterns/finding-direction.md: Designing Experiments

### Resume Not Working (< 10% callback rate)
→ patterns/job-search-plateau.md: Resume Overhaul

### Getting Interviews, No Offers
→ patterns/interview-answers.md: Interview Skills Debug
→ patterns/job-search-plateau.md: Interview Skills Debug

### Feeling Hopeless/Depressed
→ patterns/mental-health-routines.md: Emotional First Aid
→ patterns/mental-health-routines.md: When to Seek Professional Help

### 1+ Month, No Progress
→ patterns/job-search-plateau.md: 1 Month No Results (diagnostic tree)

### Interview Tomorrow
→ patterns/interview-answers.md: (all patterns)

### Need Income NOW
→ patterns/job-search-plateau.md: Search Scope Expansion
→ patterns/mental-health-routines.md: Financial Anxiety Management

---

## Additional Resources

**In the main SKILL.md:**
- Job search strategy and channels
- LinkedIn optimization tips
- Cover letter frameworks
- Resume templates
- Career transition guidance
- Financial survival tips
- Crisis hotlines

**External Resources:**
- [Ask a Manager](https://www.askamanager.org/) - Job search and workplace advice blog
- [Levels.fyi](https://www.levels.fyi/) - Tech salary data and negotiation
- [Glassdoor](https://www.glassdoor.com/) - Company reviews and interview questions
- [Blind](https://www.teamblind.com/) - Anonymous professional community
- r/cscareerquestions, r/resumes, r/interviews - Reddit communities

---

## Directory Structure

```
reference/
├── INDEX.md                          # Main navigation index
├── patterns/                         # Actionable patterns & strategies
│   ├── finding-direction.md          # Career discovery & self-assessment
│   ├── facing-layoff.md              # Crisis response & legal rights
│   ├── job-search-plateau.md         # Breakthrough when stuck
│   ├── interview-answers.md          # Question frameworks & scripts
│   └── mental-health-routines.md     # Emotional sustainability
├── stories/                          # Mood-lifting fairy tales
│   ├── INDEX.md                      # Story library guide
│   ├── dragon-unemployed.md          # Skills transferability
│   ├── wizard-resume.md              # Resume translation
│   └── knight-rejection.md           # Rejection resilience
└── guidelines/                       # Core constraints & rules
    └── sensitive-words-blacklist.md  # Language safety rules
```

## Pattern Status

| Pattern | Location | Status | Last Updated | Bilingual |
|---------|----------|--------|--------------|-----------|
| Sensitive Words Blacklist | guidelines/ | ✅ Complete | 2026-04-17 | ✅ Yes |
| Finding Direction | patterns/ | ✅ Complete | 2026-04-17 | ✅ Yes |
| Facing Layoff | patterns/ | ✅ Complete | 2026-04-17 | ✅ Yes |
| Job Search Plateau | patterns/ | ✅ Complete | 2026-04-17 | ✅ Yes |
| Interview Answers | patterns/ | ✅ Complete | 2026-04-17 | Partial |
| Mental Health & Routines | patterns/ | ✅ Complete | 2026-04-17 | Partial |
| Stories Library | stories/ | ✅ Complete | 2026-04-17 | ✅ Yes |

**Future patterns to add:**
- Resume templates (by industry)
- Salary negotiation scripts (by level)
- Freelance/contract getting-started guide
- Portfolio building (tech, design, writing)
- LinkedIn optimization step-by-step
- Networking for introverts