This is a summary of the first episode of the Layoff Podcast, coming out next week! We introduce you to our Founder, Marissa Alonzo-Ackerman and go into detail about what we are looking for from individual guests. We talk about layoff culture, how it has changed throughout the last three years, and what industries have been effected the most.
If anyone has felt that anxiety driven moment that is being laid off these past three years then you know what follows is pretty much a grief cycle—shock, despair, denial, depression, acceptance, and eventually, they say, you move on. I am stuck between the three but it has only been 30 days, maybe the next 30 days will be easier. I am definitely accepting, and so to me that is the first step to healing. This podcast will become my center of focus (as is landing my next job so yes I am still #opentowork) but it is a much needed beacon, a constant, something that I need to fill the irrational fear that my skills will suddenly dissipate between my fingers like sands of time.
I have built my skillset for a decade, and prior to that I studied extensively mass communication and media. My first career-focused job was at a news station where I worked the 5am to 10am shift only to go onto school for the rest of the day. I was in bed by 8 PM at 19 years old. I have always been a hard worker. I worked through high school and into college. I landed two internships before the age of 25. I thought that college would be my end all, be all to ever having to struggle again. Like many, that is what I was told at a young age.
My first stint in the tech industry came one year after I graduated with my B.A. in Communication Studies degree at Texas State University. I was busily trying to convince myself that the job I had secured — a last ditch effort job I grabbed onto so I didn't have to move back to Corpus Christi and could stay in Austin — was a "real job," although later on I learned it was part of a scam group, a company that preyed on individuals, most especially college students, to hack their made-for-tv rubbish inside Sam's Clubs for low pay and long hours. I hated it, but I excelled and I did find my first foundation of sales knowledge and theory in the long hours trainings that were required of us. It was inside a Sam's Club that I was discovered and recruited into a SEO and website optimization marketing platform as an SDR (sales development representative).
That was the start, my origin story, and for a decade it has been absolutely rewarding pairing myself with companies looking and building on my skills. From SDR to marketing specialist within a year, then from Account Executive to a National Account Management role within three months, I have versatility and understand what it takes to not only work hard, but foster a business environment that creates harmony and collaboration within teams. What I am looking for is a similar role to continue to do that with regardless of industry. Ultimately, I would love to be an account manager again - key, senior, national, or strategic. I have much more knowledge to grow in that specific role and I am hoping someone will use my background and thirst for knowledge to their advantage. From there, I want to find myself in management and feel strongly that that would be my next step.
The Big Layoff has only just begun for me, but for thousands of others it has become a crucially deteriorating moment for them. I don't believe companies or organizations really understand the detrimental mental and physical toll that is being created, and that these moments are further negatively impacting the economy at large. I think that disrupting the space in a positive way will hopefully harmonize the working environment and create a place for understanding so we can all win. What this time has meant to me is that it is a time to reflect and meditate. I am focused on my family— I am a mother of two very young children, and a husband who has been affected by our relocation that happened right before COVID. He holds our household together by a thread as a contractor in a position that we are hopeful will become "officially permanent".
This podcast will hopefully open doors. Not just for myself, which of course I am openly admitting would be a goal, but for anyone that uses this platform. We are still accepting entries. If you are hesitant to tell your story ask yourself, is my story worth telling? I can tell you the answer is yes. Our stories are relevant. There is strength in numbers. There are companies out there that want us, they just can't find us. This is the rope in the storm.
To sign up for a guest spot, click here to fill out the interest form. To get connected to chat about blogging opportunities, email us at thelayoffpod@gmail.com (side note I am not a fan of a generic email, but I am laid off so forgive me for being frugal). As they say, all good things come with time.
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