Naive-Wind6676's journey

I was laid off from a Fortune 100 insurer in the Fall of 2024 after 12 years in the company. With around 20 years of experience as a Project Manager, I thought I was well-prepared, but my resume was outdated and my network was stale. The layoff was part of a significant tech reduction, and it felt like they were targeting mid to late-career professionals making between $150,000 and $250,000, likely to move jobs overseas. They put people in critical roles that only operated at odd hours, which seemed risky to me. The job search was tough. I tried networking, but it yielded minimal results. To make ends meet, I delivered packages and applied for jobs almost daily. I focused on upskilling and kept a positive mindset because I had no other choice. Thankfully, I landed a new role in December, just in time to avoid being unemployed for the entire year. It was in a new industry, and while I took a pay cut, the work is interesting and I see it as a chance to rebuild my career. Now, six months in, I feel like I’m back in the swing of things. My role is hybrid, requiring me to be in the office two days a week. Despite the long commute, I enjoy going in and have acclimated quickly, working autonomously. I’ve even adjusted to the lower paycheck. Sometimes, it feels surreal to reflect on what I went through last year; it’s hard to believe it really happened. I’m sharing this to encourage those still searching. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I realized that I was competent all along; I recently delivered a presentation to about 60 people and it went exceptionally well, which filled me with pride. Looking back at the 200 jobs I was rejected from, I know I could have done them. There’s no reasonable explanation for why I was out of work for 15 months. If you’re still on the job hunt, I empathize with you and urge you to stay strong. The grind is tough, but it will pay off.