"I was pretty disappointed to be laid off, and shame set in pretty quickly I'd prided myself on my career success, so there was this extreme loss of identity and purpose. My son was nine months old, and I felt like I'd let my husband and son down. I felt stunned and defeated. I'd already been feeling conflicted because becoming a mom is also a complete loss of identity, and I'd been struggling with trying to do it all."
"I was a director at a Series A health tech SaaS platform, managing a team and the strategy for a global clinician network. I worked at the startup for just under two years, moving to a different role during one reorg, and then later getting laid off. It was my first layoff, but I'd been out of work before, and I wasn't new to the shame of not having a job and trying to figure out my identity."
Laura Zimmermaker was laid off in August 2023 from a Series A health tech SaaS startup where she directed a team and strategy for a global clinician network. She worked at the startup for just under two years, moved roles during a reorganization, and then faced her first layoff despite prior experience being out of work. The layoff triggered shame, loss of identity, and concern about family responsibilities while caring for a nine-month-old son. She initially dove into job searching targeting larger companies and individual contributor to manager roles, then shifted focus to building a consulting business and stopped actively job hunting, reporting greater happiness.
Read at Business Insider
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