The Displaced Professional

I am a displaced professional. For 20 years, my career was my life. Yes, I have a family I love, friends I enjoy spending time with, and things I like to do outside of work. But I have always identified my “self,” my purpose, what I am good at, with my career. When I was laid off, my first thought was I needed to get a new job as quickly as possible. Actually, I needed a new job sooner than that. Like, yesterday. And I hit EVERY job board, recruiter, networking site out there. The problem: Everybody else was, too. And still is.

I found myself applying to every job I found – literally 20-30 every day – regardless of whether it was the right job for me or not. It became all-encompassing. I needed a job. I didn’t know what else to do with myself, with all the free time I now had on my hands. I no longer knew what my purpose in life was, what value I brought to my family. I was a displaced professional.

Months later I was still a displaced professional, frustrated and depressed, applying for jobs that 294 others have also applied for, having interview after interview that goes nowhere. Becoming more frustrated and more depressed.

I realized I had to get out of the rut I was in. I needed to figure out how to live this new life that was so foreign to me. With more and more layoffs occurring, this was going to be my new reality for some time to come. I needed to embrace this time, redefine my definition of purpose and worth, and start taking care of me – my mind and my body.

Is it scary? Of course! But I realized I’m not the only one out there who feels this way: There other displaced professionals out there. And I now know we can survive being a displaced professional.