Laid Off After a Strong Month. Here’s What Happened Next.
READ TIME - 4 MINUTES
A few months ago, Taryn was laid off.
No warning.
No performance issue.
She was coming off one of her strongest months.
The company had been hiring aggressively. Then growth slowed.
Within weeks, roles were cut.
She told me later,
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that shocked in my life.”
It was her first layoff. And like many high-performing sales leaders, she didn’t think she was at risk.
But in SaaS, sales hiring accelerates when the growth target increases.
When revenue falls short of the plan the sales team feels it first.
In 2025 alone, tens of thousands of tech employees were laid off and sales teams were among the first impacted when revenue forecasts tightened.
High performance didn’t insulate them. Timing did.
If you haven’t experienced it yet, it doesn’t mean you won’t. What matters is how you respond when a layoff happens.
Day 1
The first reaction was confusion.
Why me?
Why not someone else?
What does this mean for my career?
Here’s what she did right:
She didn’t rush.
She took a planned vacation.
She let the emotion settle.
Then she made a strategic decision most people delay:
She got structured support.
Every previous role had come through her network. She’d never had to run a disciplined job search. This time would be different.
Before touching her resume, we clarified:
What leadership role actually made sense next
Her non-negotiables around work–life balance
Compensation targets (OTE + equity)
Remote vs. hybrid
Travel expectations
Company stage and stability
That clarity became her filter.
Midway through the search, opportunities surfaced that looked “good enough.”
Individual contributor roles.
Leadership titles without real authority.
Companies that didn’t meet her stability criteria.
Without structure, she would have applied broadly.
With structure, she stayed focused and passed on those opportunities that didn’t fit.
Intentional, not reactive.
The Middle (Where Most People Drift)
The search took four months.
Early on, she reached a final round and expected an offer. They chose another candidate.
That moment could have slowed her pipeline.
Instead, we treated it like sales:
No deal is closed until it’s signed.
She kept momentum.
Two months in, doubt crept in.
Should I step back from leadership?
Should I try for an AE position?
This is where most people lower their standards.
We didn’t.
We adjusted tactics.
We refined messaging.
We kept the bar high.
Data over emotion.
The Outcome
She landed a sales management role that was stronger across the board:
10K Higher OTE
Equity
Better benefits - 401K match
Clearer structure
More stability
A leadership seat aligned with her long-term trajectory
After she signed, she said:
“It wasn’t just about landing the next job. I now have a framework I’ll use for the rest of my career.”
That’s the real win.
A layoff doesn’t just test your resume.
It tests your clarity, confidence, and ability to make disciplined decisions when emotions are high.
Most people respond reactively.
They apply broadly.
They lower their standards.
They accept the first offer that feels “safe.”
That’s how short-term fear creates long-term regret.
If you’re navigating a layoff or preparing for the possibility the smartest move isn’t rushing your resume.
It’s building a strategy.
If you want help defining your next role with precision and running a focused, disciplined search, you can book a free 30 minute coaching session using the link below.
When the job market is competitive, clarity is what makes you stand out.
Hit reply and let me know if you've been impacted by a layoff how have you responded?
To clarity and confidence in your career path,
Amanda
See you next Sunday.
