I Just Got Laid Off - And I Think I’m Freaking Out?

If you work in tech, you know the constant mass layoffs. And well, I know it all too well as this is my current reality. According to data from Techcrunch via layoffs.fyi - "Tech layoffs conducted to date this year currently exceed the total number of tech layoffs in 2022." This data stems not only from the tech giants like Google, Amazon, or Microsoft but also includes small startups…like the one I just got let go from 🥲 Of course, I'm a bit bummed, but I thoroughly understand that this is just one of the risks that come with the job, especially at an early-stage startup company, and it's a tough time in the market right now for many folks.

I've been at an awkward space in my career for over a year now, and if anything, this layoff has just added to the confusion. Like many Zillennials, I had a career crisis about a year ago. This led to me quitting my job, starting my own consulting business, and trying to find my "purpose." I still believe it is possible to align my values with a mission-driven company; I manifested just that when I attained my previous position at Noula as their Chief of Staff. Which is why you may better understand the conundrum I'm now in.

I have been working from a survival mindset for most of my life. I started my first job at the age of 14 and, since then, have done countless work in the food service and retail industries, taking a ton of internships and side gigs to simply get by. However, working across multiple industries and jobs taught me to adapt quickly, which helped me tremendously once I graduated. I have built my career by being the “jack-of-all-trades” generalist that thrives in startup environments. It took me some time to see the value of my "make it happen" mindset. However, recognizing this allowed me to ask myself how I wanted to trade my time for money for the first time in my working career.

Over the last year, I did a lot of internal work to understand my personal and professional values and worked hard to align myself with people and opportunities that matched those values. They say you'll never work a day if you love what you do. Now being laid off, I still ask myself, "What is it that I truly want to do with my time that will allow me to make money?" and "Is it possible to make a career doing what you love? Does work-life balance exist? Am I forever going to be spinning on the capitalistic hamster wheel?"

These questions haunt me daily, and I spend a lot of my energy trying to figure it out - and I think it's freaking me out. I say "think" because I know I'll figure things out. I always do.

In fact, I'm so good at figuring things out that almost everyone in my circle has said, "I know you got this" or "You'll be fine, don't worry" - which are all facts, don't get me wrong!

I know my loved ones mean well, and I will be fine, but I can't help but laugh at how perfectly this crisis fits into my "eldest immigrant daughter" identity of always having to figure out the answers. As I figure out what I want, I do find it challenging to navigate my career decisions with my family. I grew up in a household of parents who worked tirelessly to ensure we were cared for and having a job was sacred. My parents grew up in an era where taking career risks was not as easy as it is for me. From the beginning of my career, I've always taken risks, even when I've never really been in a place to take them. I feel like I'm building a plane as I learn to fly it when figuring out my path of being a first-generation professional and a young, hungry entrepreneur. While it's always been challenging, I've always figured out how to make it happen, honestly.

This is why I think my parents have come to trust me and my decisions over the years..feels pretty good, ngl. Nonetheless, I do want to give a HUGE shoutout to the folks who have gone above and beyond to provide their unwavering support during this time for me, whether through connections and referrals or even offering me exit solutions in case worse comes to worst - I love y'all, truly.

So what will I do when I don't know what my next move will be, the economy kind of sucks and is highly competitive, inflation rates are crazy, and student loan repayments will restart in a few months? Like when faced with any challenge in my life - I'm going to write about it.

Welcome to my blog, and welcome to my first blog post. My name is Simran Nath, and I am a Bay Area content creator. I'm starting this blog because being open and vulnerable has led to fantastic opportunities in my life, and sharing my story will only continue to help me and those around me. I will use this time of unemployment to invest in things I constantly daydream about. It may lead to something greater or become another online hobby; time will tell. I hope you subscribe and tune in for the fun.

Until then, I am open to working on a full-time, part-time, or project basis for anyone hiring that is reading this. I have 4+ years of directly supporting C-Suite Executives in D2C, B2B, and B2B2C environments and 3+ years of operational experience working with pre-seed - Series B companies. I have helped scale companies from 5 - 90+ employees during the pandemic while maintaining a remote-first culture. I have experience training and managing teams and am a company culture enthusiast. If there is a fit for me on your team, please contact me via LinkedIn.