I always believed, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’
But when staring at my laptop after a call telling me my role (the one I loved so much) and therefore I had been made redundant, that phrase feels hollow.
One year ago, I found myself staring at a layoff notice, with just three days to “finish up” a role I had poured my heart into. Without a doubt, I loved my job. It wasn’t just a job, I was lucky enough to have found purpose, my calling.
The career plot twists in the stories you hear are all too common, yet it never feels common when it happens to you. Three days to wrap up years of work. Three days to say goodbye to projects I’d nurtured. Three days to process that everything was changing.
No one prepares you for the small moments that break your heart:
The half baked ideas that sit there unfinished
The yearly holiday party you attended together, even through the pandemic
The mentee who just started finding their groove under your guidance
The inside jokes that no one at your next job will understand
The now empty space in your calendar when “Tuesdays were team meeting days”
The Shock Ripples
“But you’re our go-to person!”
“They can’t run that department without you!”
“This must be a mistake.”
In fact, the shock in everyone’s voices mirrored my own disbelief. I was the person people came to for answers. Now, faced with my own career crisis, I had none.
The Unexpected Wisdom
Looking back on this year, here’s what I wish someone had told me in those first few days:
- Grief Is Part of the Journey:
- It’s not “just a job” when you’ve poured your heart into it. Missing your team, your projects, even your daily routine – it’s all valid. Those emotions aren’t professional weakness; proof of how deeply you cared. How much you showed up. How present you were in building something meaningful.
- Your Value Isn’t a Line Item:
- When your role gets eliminated, it’s easy to feel like you’ve been reduced to a number on someone’s spreadsheet. But here’s the truth: your worth isn’t calculated in quarterly budgets. Your impact lives on in the people you’ve guided, the problems you’ve solved, and the differences you’ve made. Those half-baked ideas? They planted seeds that someone else might grow. That matters.
- Your Skills Are Yours:
- Everything that made you exceptional? It’s still there. Your problem-solving abilities, your leadership instincts, your industry knowledge – none of that disappears with your job title. In fact, unexpected changes often reveal strengths you didn’t know you had. The very skills that made people seek you out for answers? They’re still yours to use, just in new ways.
- The Next Chapter:
- Finally, the best stories come from the plot twists we never saw coming. That ending? It might just be the beginning you never knew you needed. Those empty Tuesday afternoons? They’re now yours to fill with whatever serves your next chapter.
The Reality of Transformation
While the initial shock was fading, I began to see how pieces of my professional life were transforming. Career transitions – whether they’re forced upon us or long overdue – rarely follow a straight line. Some days you feel ready to conquer the world; others, you find yourself feeling empty with an intensity that catches you off guard. Both are normal. Both are necessary.
Those half-finished projects became case studies. That industry knowledge is still valuable, the output is just. Those relationships were stronger than any org chart. Former colleagues became mentors, collaborators, and friends who showed up in ways I never expected.
Finding Your Way Forward
Through my own journey and conversations with others navigating similar paths, I’ve discovered that successful transitions share common elements:
- Process the Change: Acknowledging the loss, celebrating what was and create a space for what could be
- Reframe the Experience: Identifying transferable skills, recognizing hidden strengths and use that to build new narratives
- Moving Forward Intentionally: Defining success on your terms, create actionable steps and build sustainable momentum
- Find Your Community: Connecting with those who’ve been there, build a support network and learn from shared experiences
Your Map, Your Journey
Whether you’re processing an unexpected layoff, feeling stuck in a role that no longer fits, ready for change or just plain burnt out and now sure how to start. Above all, Your next move deserves to be intentional and we don’t want any more career plot twists!
For this reason, I’ve created “Your Map, Not Theirs” – a comprehensive guide to help you navigate career transitions on your terms. Your journey does deserve more than generic advice and one-size-fits-all solutions.
Final Thoughts
A year later, I can confirm that this unexpected turn wasn’t the end of my story – it was the beginning of a better one. While I never pictured myself going down this path, as recently as 8 months ago, I’m grateful for where it led.
Your next chapter might not be the one you planned, but it might just be the one that changes everything. Now, it’s time to chart your course, on your terms.
Because your next move deserves to be intentional
P.S. If you’re stuck on something and wondering how I’ve approached it, send me a message. Your question might even spark a future edition.
P.P.S. If you’d rather talk it through, you can book some time with me here.