From Layoff to Liftoff: How I Landed My Dream Job After 11 Years in the Corporate Grind

A few years ago, right before the pandemic, I was laid off from my job as the head of IT project management at a well-known online university. I had been there for 11 years and it was probably time for me to find something new, but it took them laying me off to get the hint.

I took a few months off and really enjoyed my time alone and with my family. It had been such a long time since I'd felt free and really just enjoyed my time on this planet. It was the second half of 2019 and I didn't realize that Covid was about to hit, of course. Around November of that year, I started scrambling to find a job. After many, many resumes and only a few interviews, I was feeling a bit dejected.

While I had been off work, I began to run every day in a nearby neighborhood that I loved. One day, I finished up my run, got in my car, and started driving home. I passed by the offices of the solar company we had used several years earlier to install a ground-mount solar system. I loved the culture of that company.

So, when I got home, I looked at the job offerings to see if there might be something matched my skills. I was thrilled to see that they had a position open for an IT Project Manager! It sounded perfect for me. I was looking to scale back a bit and try to find a better work life balance. After only a few days of discussions and an in-person interview with some genuinely great people, I was offered the role. Several months later, I found myself back at home with my family.

During my career search, I found the Women in Product Facebook page and started reading posts about the shared struggles we were all having finding jobs and figuring out which direction we wanted to take our careers. Someone asked the group what their favorite product was - a group of women who create and optimize products for a living - and this is what they said:

• The Roomba Mop was a big favorite

• The Peloton Bike

• Yale Keyless Entry Lock

• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

If you're interested in learning a little more about Product Management, try these Podcasts:

• https://youtube.com/@LennysPodcast

• https://youtube.com/@ShreyasDoshiVideos

• https://youtube.com/@coachnancychu

You might also want to try these books:

• Stephen Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

• Deborah Liu: Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work

• Patrick Lencioni: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

• James Clear: Atomic Habits (I'm on my third read of this one and it is life-changing!)

All the best,

Sandra