When a Layoff Steals Your Leverage
This is actually my biggest problem of being laid off
The most annoying part of being laid off isn’t just losing your income. It’s losing leverage. Sometimes you also lose momentum, which makes it feel even worse.
You could have spent years building relationships, context, trust, and a solid reputation in your previous company. But once you're out, that work often doesn’t carry over. Your next employer doesn’t care. Worse, they might even see you as desperate.
And when you’re seen as desperate, everything you’ve done before feels like it doesn’t matter. The achievements you were proud of? They suddenly feel like they were just internal noise. Things that don’t mean much to the outside world.
It makes you stop and think. Why work so hard? Why even try to prove yourself? What’s the point of pushing through challenges?
Over the past few months, I’ve been talking to fellow designers who were laid off or actively job hunting. Most of them, eventually, settle. Maybe for a lower title. Maybe for less pay. I’m in that group too.
Let’s say you were a senior designer aiming to move up to a lead, staff, or principal role. After a layoff, good luck with that. You’ll need to prove that your achievements are just as strong in a new context, and that’s hard in an employer’s market. Even if you were close to a promotion before, none of that really helps. It becomes na-da. And no, not even AI can help you explain your worth better.
The truth is, a "senior" title doesn’t mean the same thing from one company to another. Expectations shift wildly. Some places expect you to be hands-on, some expect you to be more strategic. And sometimes, both.
Trying to get the same role you had before? It’s like applying for a role in a different lifetime.
And here’s the kicker: even when you're willing to downgrade and take a step back, that’s not always easy either. Some companies might look at your background and think, “Why is this person applying for a role that’s clearly below them?” Others might not even think you’re qualified at all.
Mentally, I’ve already flipped the table.
I know some people will come in with advice like “build your personal brand” or “start your own thing.” And sure, those are valid paths for some. But not every post needs a solution. Sometimes we just need to say things out loud, let it sit, and be okay with the messiness.
If you’ve been through this or are going through it, I see you. It's hard. And you're not alone.