Helping people navigate the season between jobs.
For years I sat on the other side of the interview table. Long enough to see what helped people get hired. And what quietly held them back. Then I got retrenched. And I understood the other side too.
This is what I'm building Talent Backyard around. Not a programme. A place to figure things out.
About Jane
Here's what I don't usually lead with: I was retrenched. I'd spent over a decade in HR. I'd been in the rooms where those decisions were made. And then I was on the other side of one.
I know what it looks like when someone impressive gets passed over for reasons no one will ever say out loud. I know what's really being weighed in a debrief. The stuff that doesn't make it into any career advice article.
So I built something. A community. A guide. A monthly walk for people who are in the middle of it and just need to be around others who understand.
I don't think most people are stuck because they don't know what to do.
I think they're stuck because they're asking themselves the wrong questions.
That's what coaching has taught me. Sometimes one better question changes everything that follows.
When I got retrenched, the thing that actually got me moving wasn't a paid course. It was people. A WhatsApp group. Someone who said "come for the Monday call, you don't have to talk if you don't want to." I'm not gatekeeping that behind a paywall.
A group of people in the same season as you. Not a broadcast channel. An actual community, where people share leads, ask real questions, and show up for each other.
Live every Monday. No pressure to speak. Just show up. Sometimes that's all you need. To be around others who are also in it, at the same time you are.
Because Zoom fatigue is real. Once a month we meet in person. East Coast Park, or somewhere with good coffee. Walk, talk, breathe some air. No agenda.
🌿 Founding Members
The first 100 members get founding status: you're #001 to #100, permanently. The OGs. If you're reading this, there are still spots left.
One day, Talent Backyard will be the first call you make when you're retrenched. A network of coaches, professionals, and peers who've been through it. We're building it slowly. Come walk with us while we do.
Wake Up & Hustle, 12-Week Cohort
Job searching alone is brutal. The job boards are demoralising. Most mornings you're not sure if you're making progress or just staying busy. This cohort exists for that feeling.
I'll let you know when it opens, what's inside, and what it costs. No pressure. No sales call. Just first in line.
No commitment. Just first in line.
Work with Jane
Wherever you are in this, there's something here for you.
Every first Wednesday. East Coast Park, 7am. No pitch, no agenda, no awkward networking. Just people in the same season, walking and talking. Come once. Come every month. Always free.
Save a spot on LumaTwelve weeks with a small group who are searching at the same time you are. Structure, accountability, and someone in your corner who's been on both sides of the hiring table.
Price TBC · Launching soon
Join the waitlistBefore the job search, there's the question of what you actually want. This is where we figure that out. We talk first. Then we build the plan.
$220 per session · Discovery call free
Book a discovery callYou're hiring before you've figured out what "good" looks like. That's exactly when you need someone who's built people functions from scratch. Not a consultant who arrives with a deck.
Let's talkSome things are easier to say when there's a dog in the room.
Dogs don't judge. They don't clock the gap on your CV or ask where you see yourself in five years. They just come and sit with you. And something about that (the weight of him, the stillness) makes it easier to say the true thing.
You arrive. We make tea. DD finds a spot near you. A few gentle stretches first, to help you get out of your head and back into your body. Then we sit, and you talk about what's been heavy, what's been sitting on you, the thing you haven't quite said out loud yet.
I listen. DD stays. No plan required.
$220 per session · In-person, Singapore
Book a sessionThe Re-Employment Guide, 2026 Edition
This started as notes I kept for myself after I was retrenched. Then I shared them. Then people started forwarding them to friends who were in the same place. Now it's this. No email required.
Most people start with the CV. This is about what happens before that.
Download free →You've been in rooms most people will never get into. That's not a liability.
Download free →The numbers are brutal. But the game isn't random. Here's how it actually works.
Download free →The rules changed while most people were still playing by the old ones.
Download free →"Move and it will meet you halfway."Jane Lay · janelay.com
