Learning to Fly

Another week, another round of layoffs and RIFs. This week, Meta announced that they would be cutting 10% of their workforce (8000 people) while Microsoft is offering voluntary separation packages to 7% of their workforce (another 8000 people).

It's another reminder that the 30 year career at one company is pretty much gone.

Or if you do stay somewhere for 25+ years, you run the risk of being laid off within a few years of retirement like a recent client of mine.

One of the hardest parts of being in the career space is the ambiguity.

I found my P&G offer letter from 1995. Yes - it's yellowing and wrinkled just like you would expect. When I went to Cincinnati to interview, our Associate Director showed me what my "retirement" plan would look like in my 50s. I was young for the class - I had just turned 21 when I went for the interview so I was not even remotely thinking about retirement. I was focused on paying off my college loans and getting started in the world.

P&G had a great retirement plan and he showed me the graph of how that investment would grow through the years. He expected me to stay at P&G for 30 years like he did. I have a few friends still at P&G but most of us left.

When I was an engineer, there typically was one right answer to the question. The bridge is either safe to travel on or it's not.

But careers are different.

We're all pretty much on our own to figure it out and that can be uncomfortable for people who spent their careers in environments where there was always a right answer.

Here's what I've learned: the people who navigate this best aren't the ones with the perfect plan. They're the ones who stayed curious, stayed connected, and didn't let anyone else write the ending for them.

I never thought I would be an entrepreneur. Ever. I went to MBA school and didn't even think about taking an entrepreneurship class. What's interesting is that both of my college kids have taken it — their minds are open to possibilities that never even occurred to me at their age.

It might not always feel this way, but the possibilities for your career are endless. And you can always go down one path and change your mind. What worked for you when you were 21 might still work for you at 51, or it might not.

My message for today: I hope that you'll consistently revisit what's working in your career and what isn't. Don't be afraid to pivot to something new. Your wisdom is your superpower - don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

As always, thank you for being part of this community.

Best -

Colleen