Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Have you been laid off? Or worried you might be in this economy? I’ve been laid off twice in my career (so far) and both situations were vastly different. 

The first layoff happened at a non-profit. I had worked there for over 6 years in the same job with zero career growth and teeny tiny raises. In fact, if you factor in the rising cost of healthcare, my net salary was actually lower than 6 years ago when I started. 

But I loved the work and my team. The office was within 5 minutes of my house, so I was able to commute back home to my young kids with ease. My boss was amazing, worked in another state, and didn’t care what my schedule was so long as there were no complaints about my work. At the time, this felt like a place I could stay for my whole career! 

Then BAM – got the call into HR’s office with a manager on the phone who I never met in real life. They told me my position was cut and I would receive 14 weeks severance. My boss’ role had also been cut, which is why a random manager was doing the dirty work. 

My heart sank and I had a huge pit in my stomach. I cried all the way home and when I had to tell my husband. We were nowhere near prepared for a financial hit like this, so it was a blur of panic mode to find the next job (after I stopped wallowing).

Fast forward to the next job where I worked with an amazing manager who showed me the salary I was capable of making. His push toward self-development still resonates with me years later! I made a few slightly risky career moves but nearly tripled my salary over four years. 

Yes…almost TRIPLED!

I ended up in a role that I was excited for. It would be a different side of the industry I was dedicated to, so there was a lot of potential for personal growth. As soon as I started this job, however, I immediately knew it was a mistake. The company did not seem to invest in its employees, nor value their time. I was constantly on calls at very early or late hours (for me, anyway). I was doing my best to get the job done, though my boss didn’t give up the reins to allow me the opportunity. “Just one year, then you can start looking for something else,” I told myself. 

Then…March 2020 – pandemic hits, we’re all working from home and before I know it…yes. Laid off again. 

This time was a drastically different picture, though. I was, dare I say it, relieved. My high salary for the past few years had allowed my family to save a good chunk of cash in our emergency fund. And because of the pandemic programs, my unemployment was actually enough to keep us going. Add to that the severance package – which was a surprise since I had only been with the company 5 months – and we were almost doing better than if I had stayed in the job!

I realize there’s an immense amount of privilege that goes into my story, and not all women are in a position to save like I could later in my career. But there’s a lesson here for everyone. My takeaways are actually not about the financials. 

Developing my intuition is the real story here. In my first career role, I thought, “this is it…this is where I’ll make my career,” without considering other alternatives. I didn’t listen to intuition telling me that it was just a matter of time before my job was eliminated. I kept convincing myself that I’d be safe. “They need me. I’m sure they know that,” was the story in my head. I ignored all the warning signs of more and more employees being let go. 

Through my other roles, I started developing my intuition. When I could see there were zero women in leadership and I was being questioned more and more by the executives on what exactly I was spending my time on, I saw the signs that it was time to go for good. 

When I saw a job posting for a role I was the natural fit for but nobody told me would be posted, I had a huge pit in my stomach. I knew it was likely the beginning of the end for me there. Then, speaking to the hiring manager and getting a response of, “oh, you have experience doing XYZ?” when that was the job I did in a different department for 2+ years…it was definitely time to go. 

And finally, showing up to a new job with no resources, guidance, or authority to actually do my job? Immediate intuition alarm telling me this was a huge mistake!

Every career is different and each person needs to make their own choices on what’s best for them. I have learned to be completely honest with myself about who I am, how I work, and what I need from an employer to be successful and happy. 

How have you listened to your intuition in employment situations? DM or email me…I’d love to know! 

~April

april@semiconventional.com

https://www.instagram.com/semi.conventional/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-lokar/