Synergy Strategies’ Post

In my 1st corporate job I drank the Kool-Aid. I wanted to be loyal - but reality set in quickly. The aerospace world opened my eyes. - Reductions in force - Union contract negotiations - Forced ‘walk-outs’ with no pay - Economic impacts to critical business It was a stark welcome to real corporate life, but one major realization I’m forever grateful for: There is no such thing as corporate loyalty. I saw it happen in 2014 as an early-career. I witnessed it in 2019 as a Sr. Manager. I watched it happen in 2022 in Big Tech. The most respected and wealthiest companies in the world (Google, Amazon, Meta, etc.) cut thousands of workers. Regardless of title, tenure, or performance. Jobs eliminated in the blink of an eye. And THAT is why I have a side business. Because I need to ensure my future, and I’m more capable of doing that than someone else’s company is. And maybe you are too. ————— P.S. - I’m interested in taking on a few mentees in the next couple of months to teach people how to build successful career coaching businesses, and create LinkedIn content that captures an audience. Yes, it’s totally free. DM me if you’re interested in joining.

Mid last year I left my role I loved at Google to have a career break. The aim was to spend 6 months focusing on personal and professional growth in areas that interest me, then start looking for a role I was excited about or start my own thing. I studied Leading Beyond Sustainability through AcademyEx, got more involved with my community, spent many hours volunteering at my son's school, making meals for families having a hard time and realising my long suppressed dream of writing two children's books. So part 1 of plan - ✅. Unfortunately the second part of my plan I am unable to yet tick. This year has been really tough. 5 nights in hospital, surgery, losing 10kgs, lots of medication, ups and downs of "is it sinister or not". It wasnt, I know how lucky I am, not everyone gets positive news and I am so grateful for this. Now, I’m so keen to resume my career and achieve part two of my plan. This past 6 months, all I've been looking forward to is 'starting life again'. This experience has taught me so much as well as solidified my why: leaving people and places better than I found them. If your organization needs a dedicated problem-solver who loves uncovering the needs of diverse business units, crafting strategic initiatives, and guiding cross-functional and cross-geographical teams to success, I’m your person. My experience is broad and covers consultative sales leadership, partnerships, project and stakeholder management, mentoring, and leading digital transformation projects—areas in which I am passionate. With a background across multiple industries, including telecommunications, technology, energy, banking, fintech, real estate, publishing, and aggregators, I am eager to bring and grow my skill set/experience to drive impact. Please get in touch if any of the above is what you are after in your business or if you want to chat more broadly about anything health or business related.

At 26, I decided to turn my back on full-time corporate. ✌️ After my layoff, I thought returning to a 9-5 was what I had to do. That was the path we were taught our whole lives. Get a job. Be loyal to a company. Get promoted. Buy a home. Retire. But an unstable economy shattered that path, a repetitive cycle of corporate games led by mediocre "leaders" who manage millions of dollars like ten-year-olds chasing the next shiny thing. Those nepo babies are supposed to determine my career and my dreams? Control my day-to-day? Measure my worth? Hell to the NO. I've seen talented colleagues get laid off multiple times in one year. Benefits and salaries have been slashed while the cost of living goes up. Hard work is rewarded with meager 3% cost-of-living adjustments, and empty promises of advancement are tossed in the bin the second your company needs to cut costs. Starting my business was the moment I stopped accepting the bare minimum from employers and put my ambition and success into focus. This country tries to bury solopreneurs in paperwork, bureaucracy, garbage healthcare options, and predatory practices. But I've been navigating it all for over a year now, and I can attest that despite how hard it is, I've never had so much opportunity in front of me. I may still have an identity crisis every other week, but the fact that there's no ceiling restricting my creative and earning potential has helped me achieve more than I ever thought I could. Managing multiple clients, hiring a friend, starting a show, creating on TikTok, writing daily, moving cross country, starting a fitness journey, and founding a new company. Never let a corporation make you feel small. They don't own you, your voice, or your potential.

A great post from a comms pro that I mention often when I share my jobs roundups. Daniel offers a great list of people and resources to follow so definitely give it a read. He also offers his perspective on steps that job seekers should consider doing as they take on this big undertaking of finding the right next role. I’d add a few more to his list: 4) Keep learning… this includes formal training (I often try to highlight free options), but don’t forget things like thought leadership which could give insight into emerging trends. 5) Think through how you might amp up your personal brand. (I.e. this goes beyond optimizing your LinkedIn profile and extends to the type of content you are sharing and engaging with. 6) Finally, as you work to expand your network, always try to include your reason for reaching out (this is especially true if you don’t share any connections on LI or your backgrounds are a bit different). Lastly, as Daniel mentions, you are not alone in your search. There are many on LI in the marketing and comms industry trying to help (in the ways that we can).

I have to believe in myself. There's no way around it. I can close my eyes and remember how pixelated the office corridors felt, noon without any food in my system, overclocked building another business. I was laid off from that job 3 weeks later due to "lack of infrastructure". Months before that, I had joined another sales initiative. Education, empowerment, a sense of tangible impact. That business dissolved within 6 weeks due to "lack of infrastructure". My days and nights are spent contemplating revenue streams while also sustaining a sense of presence and grounded certainty, fixated on my root, core beliefs being generative. I felt this impulse to imbue infrastructure and process to anything and anyone I worked with. I have to believe in myself, there's no way around it. I could not generate plans confidently without working under the assumption I could figure it out. I've learned so much over the years, yet I feel looped in catharsis craving a catalyst of consistency. I needed patterns. I've built routines, systems, programs, workshops and seminars directed at the next plausible lynchpin every step of the way, or at least that's what I believed in the moments. Months later, I was laid off due to "lack of infrastructure". All angles assure it's not personal and that it's circumstantial, that it's "not my job" or "out of my hands". It's "hard for that role" or "that industry". Being laid off three times within a year prompt a long, contemplative gaze inwards, there's no way around it. At every malleable step of the way, performing above expectations, delivered on promise after promise, I'm excited for what awaits me. I'm grateful for the learning experiences, I'm not looking for just an opportunity, I'm looking for somewhere to build, and someone to build with. With grace and optimism,

Last year, one of my clients, let's call her Clara, landed a role at a leading SaaS company. 2019: Just graduated with a Ph.D. and struggling to find a role outside of academia. 2020: Transitioned to an entry-level Tech role, but still not reaching her potential. 2022: Landed a $160K+ Tech job, pivoted industries, AND functions. When we started working together, her job and her identity were so intertwined. Her whole life had been focused on getting a Ph.D. and becoming a professor. She was beginning to ask herself: who am I if I’m not my job? Eventually, she gave her dreams the freedom to evolve as her career flourished. She went from feeling completely stuck to getting a new job where she could drive impact, And she more than doubled her salary. That’s the power of evolving your goals. If you let your dreams grow with you There’s no telling where you’ll end up. P.S. What’s one goal that you’re in the process of evolving? P.P.S. I have one key piece of advice for high performers who are feeling stuck. Want to know what it is? Check out the comments 👇

Ever think, "what's the point of curating my LinkedIn profile, building networks, or nurturing my personal brand?" A client shared that while she hasn’t been thrilled with her career over the last years, it was okay, and it paid the bills. She hadn’t seen the point. The point is... 📌 managing risk 📌 planting seeds 📌 creating demand 📌 buildiing optionality 📌 showing up better as a leader and representative in your role 📌 exposing yourself to serendipitous conversations that might take your career in an exciting new direction The point is future payoff. 🚀 Want to learn how? Go get my FREE Crash Course (see link at top of my profile). Ambitious professionals, follow me, Ian Christie to build the career of your dreams. 🚀 Comment & ♻️ Repost if you found this post valuable. #careersuccess #getahead #careers

"Top performers never get laid off"—the most absurd thing I’ve seen on LinkedIn this month. 🙄 And yet, it racked up thousands of likes. Why? Because, let’s be honest, we love comforting lies. Reality check: Even your company’s MVPs can land on the chopping block. Here’s why: 1. Company pivots: Suddenly, your stellar skills don’t align with the new business direction. 2. Office closures: Whole teams can disappear, no matter how much they’ve over-delivered. 3. Budget cuts: Sometimes it’s not about talent—just numbers. 4. Restructuring: Your role can vanish overnight, performance aside. Let’s not forget when tech giants laid off thousands in 2022-2023—many of them top-tier talent. So what’s the takeaway? 1. Your worth isn’t tied to a single job or company. It’s about how you adapt, bounce back, and grow. 2. LinkedIn’s algorithm seems to love comforting B.S. more than reality. To everyone job-hunting, I genuinely wish you the best of luck. ✌ Keep pushing forward—you've got this!

What if I told you that sending 12 LinkedIn messages changed my entire career trajectory? It's true. When I left Uber, I reached out to 12 contacts about part-time work. 11 ignored me or said no. But that 1 'yes'? It led to: My first consulting gig 4x my previous hourly rate A whole new career path The lesson? Put yourself out there. The cost of reaching out is minimal, but the potential payoff is enormous. What's holding you back from making those connections today? #Networking #CareerGrowth #TakeAction

📢 If you're currently looking for a new role and wondering if it will ever happen for you, I've got good news to share. You may know that for the past 3.5 years, I've been running a weekly Accountability Community to help people optimally set up and search for their next role, or start a portfolio career. 🎉 In the last week, 4 longstanding members of this community have secured great, senior roles. That's something to celebrate. 👷🏻♀️ What are the bedrocks of this community? Consistency, collaboration and creative-thinking to best manage data-driven job searches. And support and brainstorming to assist in opportunity-creation. 🏆 What's behind this recent success? 🔓 Experimenting, within a *system 🤝 Developing a connection and networking plan 🤦🏻♀️ Ensuring balance to help sustain optimism, belief and confidence. 🔗 Working as a collective. Job searches can be lonely, and brutal at times If you're currently looking for a new role, and you're doing so alone, you may wish to consider joining the #ProductYou Accountability Community. Reach out if you'd like to be part of the fun. * I'll share the Career Funnel in a separate post - - - Hello, I'm Penelope I help people craft a life you love, to flourish, and live with more freedom and fun. I'm an Author, Advisor, Innovator and Technologist, transforming good ideas into great product and business outcomes.