curious about the story

I was laid off in my 20s, 30s and 40s. At least five employers, spanning 15 years of my work experience, executed RIFs. I held different roles in different industries at different stages of my career trying to find a recession-proof job. No such luck. I've watched RIFs go from heart-breaking to standard practice. I have opinions & feelings but I also try not to argue with reality.

I have gone above and beyond and crashed and burned.

But those data points do not define my story. I can choose where and how my story is told. By focusing on that data, it means some are missing out on hearing more of my story, like "She is an exceptional human being who is passionate about getting things done and is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure team success," or "She makes my job so much easier," or "Melinda is a rare combination of strategic thinker and action-oriented doer," or "I loved working with Melinda! She is one of my favorite people. She is hardworking, creative and definitely a team player."

If you’re tempted to judge by the data alone, get curious and see what happens.