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When the Floor Drops Out: Navigating Layoffs Without Losing Yourself
This piece was originally published on LinkedIn.
In the past year, U.S. employers announced more than 1.2 million job cuts, the highest annual total since 2020. Millions more experienced layoffs or job separations, making this one of the most disruptive employment periods in recent memory.
Depending on where you are in your career, that reality can feel jarring, disappointing, scary or quietly exciting.
For some, a layoff feels like rejection. For others, it feels like relief. For many, it is all of the above at the same time.
No matter how it lands, one thing is consistent. It is uncomfortable. And it requires intentional effort to move forward.
So what do you actually do next?
First, Get Honest About Your Pivot
A pivot does not start with job boards. It starts with self-awareness.
Before you rush to apply out of fear or urgency, pause long enough to get clear on who you are in this season of your career.
Ask yourself:
- What work gives me energy, not just a paycheck?
- What problems do people consistently come to me to solve?
- What am I excellent at that I have been underusing?
- What skills do I want to deepen and which ones am I ready to let go of?
- What environments help me do my best work?
- What am I no longer willing to tolerate?
And then do the reality check.
As much as I enjoy basketball, at 5’2″, I will not be dunking on A’ja Wilson anytime soon. Knowing your limitations is not self-doubt. It is strategic clarity.
A pivot built on honesty moves faster and lasts longer. This is not the season for fantasy versions of yourself. It is the season for clarity and alignment.
Consider Contract or Project-Based Work
Full-time roles are not the only path forward.
Contract work can keep your skills sharp, your income flowing and your confidence intact. It can expose you to new industries, new leaders and opportunities you would not have accessed otherwise.
Momentum matters.
Collect Data on Yourself, Ruthlessly
Growth requires honesty.
Ask yourself:
- Where am I actually getting better?
- Where am I stuck?
- What skills am I underusing?
- Where do I need to sharpen up?
Then simplify.
Pick one goal you care about right now. “I want to do ______.”
What are the three actions that move you closer to it?
Not a full life overhaul. Not a 12-step plan.
Just three.
More than that overwhelms the nervous system. Overwhelm leads to inaction. Focus builds momentum.
Invest in Your Personal Brand
Today, people are hired for their skills and their personal brand.
What are you known for? What can people rely on you to deliver consistently and with excellence?
Your reputation is working for you even when you are not in the room. Make sure it is telling the right story.
Activate Your Network, Intentionally
This is not about a generic post announcing you are open to opportunities. Everyone is doing that.
This season calls for something more personal.
Instead, write down a list of people who know you, like you and respect you. People you have worked with. People who have seen you perform under pressure. People who already trust your capability.
Then reach out directly. Phone calls. Texts. LinkedIn messages.
Not to ask for a job, but to reconnect and update them.
Be clear about what you are looking for. Not vague. Not “anything that comes up.” Specificity creates opportunity.
This is about building and tending to relationships, not transactional outreach. These people already know what you are capable of. You are not convincing them of your value. You are reminding them of it.
A fellow speaker, Jerald Cosey, HFA , once shared a quote that stuck with me: “Relationships eliminate rules.”
When relationships are strong, conversations are easier. Doors open faster. Context replaces cold process.
Keep Your Head Up
Your talent did not disappear because you got laid off. Your ability to think, adapt and problem solve still exists.
You are simply facing a new challenge. Finding your next opportunity.
Ask yourself:
- How do I usually approach challenges?
- Who do I reach out to?
- What reliable levers do I pull when things get hard?
Those patterns still matter here.
Regulate Your Nervous System
You are human. You are multidimensional. Do not forget that.
For me, it is meditation, family time and working out. For you, it may be something entirely different.
Choose something that feels natural, not performative. Something that helps you feel safe and grounded, not something that adds friction to your life.
And let me say this clearly. You are allowed to be pissed the f*ck off.
Your job is your livelihood. Feel whatever you need to feel. Just do not stay there. Process it, regulate and then move.
That leader who hired you because you are a dynamic thinker, a reliable teammate, a creative problem solver? Reach back out to that person in this season.
One Final Recommendation
There is a book I highly recommend called Go for No. It is a quick read and it is in my yearly rotation. It changed how I approach rejection.
Get comfortable hearing “no.” Every “no” is data. Every “no” builds resilience. Every “no” means you are actually trying.