Refocusing After Layoffs

It’s been a really long time since I was excited to go to work.

This evening, as I was watering the garden and deadheading the flowers, I subconsciously brainstormed several points of clarity to push my product forward with leadership. Granted, this week is only three days of work with lots of summer fun over a long weekend, but the tasks on my plate are achievable and inspiring. 

Bill Marklein, founder of Employ Humanity, said “culture is how employees'​ hearts and stomachs feel about Monday morning on Sunday night.” While I’m still learning about my new company and culture, I reached a place of acceptance reflecting on how being laid off from my last job was the catalyst for change I needed.

My former company was making cuts and day to day work had become increasingly stressful. My team significantly reduced overhead and another team member voluntarily retired, so I was genuinely shocked when my position was eliminated. When I woke up the morning of being laid off I saw an unexpected 8am meeting scheduled with HR and my boss - I immediately knew. After sobbing on the phone with my mom (an HR director), she told me to wash my face, put on some makeup and go in with my head held high. My job was over in a matter of minutes. 

It happened to be a gorgeous day in December, and since I tend not to be able to sit still for long, so I grabbed my hiking boots and started driving to Multnomah Falls. I couldn’t see how much this change would benefit me at the time, but that day in the sunshine I was willing to believe something better was coming. 

The timing was particularly challenging because only two weeks earlier I started dating someone new. I can’t start a relationship without a job! I panicked. But, as I’ve come to expect from him, he handled the news with humor and understanding, and in hindsight, it was a perfect character evaluation for a new partner. 

Not only did the lay-off provide me with the unique opportunity to be fully courted romantically, including two spontaneous trips to Vegas and Mexico in just January alone, it also gave me the space to figure out what I wanted, and more importantly, what I needed for my next step.

In my last job, I was stuck living in survival mode, which has become a familiar place for my nervous system. It’s hard to feel motivated to look for a new job when you’re already burned out with your day job, especially in this market where it can feel completely defeating.

The first thing I did was prioritized some much needed rest. The remainder of the year I simply enjoyed the holidays, spent time reading, sleeping, eating and spending time with loved ones. Thankfully, I was supported through severance, savings, and many people encouraging me that there was a safety net below.

Next, I relied on my networking and resources. I met up with a connection I made at a previous PDXWIT event, and she led me to Never Search Alone. Applying immediately I was quickly added to a small group of other job seekers. Following the program, we worked through our work life must haves, must nots, and all the things we love and hate about jobs and career goals. It reminded me of the frameworks I set around finding a partner! Searching for a job is actually quite similar to dating with intention. 

At the start of the new year I was applying to jobs that were exactly what I had been doing before at my last company. I thought it would be easier and faster. But funny enough, with a verbal offer to a very similar role in infrastructure and gaming, that role was being eliminated as well in a series of layoffs as part of an acquisition.

My current role is in a slightly different area, one where my infrastructure background is helpful but not required. A recruiter saw my resume applied for yet another technical producer role, and reached out to asked me if I’d be interested in Strategic Partnerships instead where many of the same skills apply. I have been very pleasantly surprised with my choice.

I joined a team and was able to make immediate impact in organizing work flow, reducing bottlenecks with automation, optimizing processes, and leading a product idea that had been running off the side of our director’s desk. I owned and updated the Ecosystem Marketplace, showcasing all the strategic partnerships my team had been working on and yet again, creating a visual representation of our work that could be seen and understood by leadership.

After years of being the “interim” or “default” product owner, doing all the work without recognition, I finally had all the responsibility (and accountability) of completely owning my own product - and practically from scratch! I couldn’t have gotten luckier. 

My journey has taken many twists and turns, but I’m doing the exact kind of work I set out to do 5 years ago and had somehow gotten off track. I am able to be curious and creative, and research deeply every single day. It brings me great joy to be the knowledge leader for my product at the company, and make recommendations for the optimal user experience. 

I hope my story can shine a light for others to take a possible redirect (or realignment) because we all need a little nudge in the right direction.

My inbox and my calendar are open if you need a little help.