On Being Laid Off and What’s Next…

When I first heard the news, I wasn’t necessarily surprised – the entertainment industry had seen monumental shifts throughout all of 2020, and I was only one of many unfortunately impacted by these swift changes in the face of COVID-19.

There is a difference though between something feeling surprising and feeling real – you never actually believe you will be part of a layoff. Whether it be your experience, your expertise, or the people you surround yourself with - it’s a far off threat you never think about until it’s staring you head on. And it wasn’t until I was handed my severance package that it felt really real.

But in the midst of a pandemic, you don’t have much time to wallow in self-pity; I quickly hunkered down and began planning what could come next. I’ve spent the better part of my career across digital marketing roles and had most recently been focused on building out marketing strategies for DC Universe’s original shows - being able to balance the analytical aspects of my earlier roles with the creative emphasis of bringing a show to market was what really got me excited. While the main goal of looming unemployment, especially during a pandemic, may be to get a new job as fast as possible, continuing my career growth felt even more important me – finding a strategic marketing role within digital media inside the entertainment industry continues to be my north star.

The last few months have definitely taught me a lot about resilience, focus, and the importance of continuously moving forward. I’m a firm believer in ‘its not about what you know, but who you know’. That’s certainly true, but in the age of COVID, competition is so incredibly high that knowing the right people can only get you in the door, being able to showcase your experience and what value you add to an organization is what will seal the deal. If you don’t bring something unique to the table your candidacy will quickly fall to the floor. And when you don’t fill every qualification, that’s where it’s time to get creative and determine how you can acquire skills when job opportunities are limited.

Having gone through two waves of interviews since being laid off, that creative spirit has certainly come into play. Coming out each time I’ve worked to thoughtfully approach my interview performance and think about what I could do to improve - identifying gaps in my candidacy and opportunities to stand out.

During the first wave, I recognized the increased importance organizations are putting on paid media strategy. As someone whose career was borne out of CRM and organic digital marketing, my direct experience managing media campaigns was limited. While I have played a role in aligning overall marketing strategy across paid, owned, and earned media channels, I needed more color to be able to showcase this skillset in interviews. I reached out to some close friends in my network to get up to speed on the latest trends in media strategy and industry terminology. More importantly though, I began making my way through major media certifications; Google Ads, Facebook for Business, Hubspot, and HootSuite to name a few as a way to quantify my qualifications directly on my resume.

With specific qualifications to fill out my experience, I spent some additional time preparing my answers to media specific questions. Knowing that they increasingly would be a focus in my interviews, I wanted to not only be able to speak to it but figure out what in my experience made me unique. Equipped and more prepared, I certainly fared better in my next wave of interviews. I made it to the final round at multiple companies – but still, unable to close the deal with a job offer.

Back to the drawing board today, I’ve taken some time to really think about what I want to achieve, both short-term and long-term. Being able to not only speak to my unique experience in interviews but visually highlighting the expanse of work I’ve done and continuing to build my personal brand online has been top of mind.

That’s where this site comes in and how it has become the next step in my post layoff journey. It has already become a home for me to share my diverse work experience, but hopefully it will continue to provide an outlet for me to talk about some of favorite topics as well: the business of entertainment, my personal life experiences, pop culture (I’m still coming to terms with Shangela’s loss on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 3), and maybe even some of my favorite Los Angeles restaurant recommendations. I know that given time (is 2020 over yet?) I will certainly find the next role that’s perfect for me – but in the meantime I look forward to continuing to connect with the world on here.