5 Lessons I Wish I Knew Before My Role Was Eliminated

I thought I was prepared for everything. Then something completely blindsided me: My role was eliminated.

I’ve always prided myself on being meticulous about managing risk and planning my career trajectory. Learning that my role was eliminated felt like a gut punch. The idea of losing control was terrifying. I had built my career on strategic moves, keeping my skills sharp, and maintaining a strong network—all things I believed would keep me safe from major setbacks.

But I was wrong.

Despite my best efforts, my role was scrapped as part of a major restructuring of the healthcare company where I worked as an HR leader. And it wasn’t just the news of my own role that stung. I had to guide more than 4,000 employees through the restructuring process in my final weeks, including close colleagues, some of whom I had to help transition out. This was a bitter pill to swallow, and navigating the reality of these changes challenged everything I thought I knew about career stability.

In the end, I had a choice: Would I let this derail me, or use it as a chance to redefine my path and find something even better?

Here are five things I wish I’d known before my role was eliminated—and how they helped me through one of the most challenging seasons of my life.

1. Career Stability Is a Myth

I used to think that if I did everything right, I would stay on a solid career path.

But the truth is, there is no such thing as career stability. Industries shift, markets fluctuate and companies restructure, often in ways we can’t predict.

Before my role was eliminated, I already had an inkling of this. But having it happen to me completely shifted my perspective.

Still, my efforts to keep my skills sharp and have a strong network did help me in the end. As I prepared to take my next steps, I was prepared to pivot quickly and look for new opportunities.

2. Relationships Are Your Safety Net

I cannot say this enough: Few things in your career are as important as a strong network.

From my early career, I’ve consistently made an effort to nurture my professional connections, which became a lifeline when my role was eliminated. I reached out to people with whom I had worked over the years and found support, advice and, eventually, opportunities.

They helped me to navigate my next steps, connect with new people and regain my confidence.

3. Resilience Begins Before the Fall

Resilience isn’t built in the middle of a crisis. Before my role was eliminated, I learned the importance of cultivating resilience. When the unexpected happened, I was mentally and emotionally prepared to handle it.

The key to resilience is not to avoid challenges or pretend everything is fine. Instead, it’s about acknowledging your feelings, the difficulty of the situation and that there is a path forward.

By investing in my emotional health and mental flexibility beforehand, I was able to view the loss of my role not as a failure, but as a stepping stone to something greater.

4. Define Your Value Beyond Your Job Title

It’s easy to fall into the trap of tying your identity to your job title. When my role was eliminated, it was a great reminder that my worth isn’t defined by a job title or a specific role.

My value came from my skills, experience, work ethic and ability to contribute in meaningful ways. Because I was firm in this belief, I was more confident moving forward and knowing that my worth was not diminished by the loss of a position.

5. Always Keep a Side Project or Passion Alive

When my role was eliminated, I knew that I had two options: Continue to pursue a corporate career – or turn my side hustle into my full-time job.

My side project had long given me another outlet for career development. Suddenly, it became my lifeline. And soon after leaving that company, it became so much more.

Having a side hustle gave me the confidence to explore new paths, while knowing that I had something that could potentially keep me afloat if I lost my full-time job.

Finding Growth and Resilience Amidst Adversity

Losing a job can feel disorienting, especially if you’ve built your career around a sense of stability. But as I learned, career stability is a myth. True resilience is about how you respond when the unexpected happens.

The experience forced me to redefine my worth beyond a title, to nurture relationships that became invaluable, and to lean on side projects that gave me purpose when everything else felt uncertain.

If you’re facing a major career shift, it can feel like the ground is shifting beneath you. But remember: it’s not the job that defines you—it’s how you respond. Knowing your value beyond your role and nurturing connections and passions can help you navigate transitions with strength and purpose.

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