In late June, I was affected by tech layoffs. I'm still on my job search today.
I could write a huge essay and data analysis on the whole process (and likely will in the future 👀). Instead, I thought I'd share some lessons I've gained from this experience:
💗 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀. In the 9-5 lifestyle, it's easy and often times comforting to have a set routine. During this time in between jobs, I've been able to dive into values that I always considered secondary goals in my life. For example, building community is huge for me. I've been able to use this time to bring people together: I've hosted seasonal events, started a book club with my friends, and have connected with my 20 closest friends over the past 6 months.
💭𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁. When you're job hunting, it's super easy to mass apply to a ton of roles. However, this job hunt has helped me narrow down what I want next for my career. Through networking with other PMs and learning about different industries, I can confidently state the direction I want my career to head in.
➡️ 𝗥𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. I heard someone say this on TikTok a few months ago, and that quote has stuck with me ever since. Getting rejected from a role you really want or you think is a good fit stings. But maintaining the mindset that "the right role is on its way" or "this wasn't meant to be for a reason" has been helpful in keeping my hopes high.
At face value, these insights seem quite simple, but I think it's the first time I've actually ✨felt✨ them. I wouldn’t wish this competitive market or experience on anyone, but I hope these insights can be a bit of a shortcut for anyone going through something similar. (Note: I share this with the caveat that I received severance and have been living off savings, providing me the cushion of time and space.)