With recent layoffs impacting hundreds of thousands, many Black women professionals are facing career transitions marked by uncertainty, challenge, and unexpected opportunity. The latest episode of “Beyond the Layoff: Black Women Rising” with Allegra Manigault spotlights not only the resilience required in these moments but also the power in redefining one’s path forward. Here are key takeaways relevant for anyone navigating the new world of work — or working alongside those who are.
1. Embrace the Power of Pause and Self-Care
After receiving sudden layoff news, the instinct is often to immediately jump into action: updating resumes, applying for jobs, and reaching out to contacts. But making room for reflection and self-care is essential. Even as bills and responsibilities press in, investing in mental and emotional well-being fuels clarity and renewed energy. Whether it’s a weekend away or a simple daily quiet time, prioritizing your wellness is a foundation for the next chapter.
2. Lean Into Community and Networks
Connection matters. Job boards and applications are only one approach — often, real opportunities come from existing relationships and professional networks. Don’t hesitate to publicly share your search. When you speak up, you dismantle stigma and allow your community to support you, whether through referrals, recommendations, or encouragement.
3. Own Your Story and Expertise
Experience matters, and it’s vital to communicate your skills with confidence. If you bridge people and process, lead across sectors, or rebuild organizational structures, highlight these strengths. Diminishing or underselling your track record only serves the status quo. This market rewards those bold enough to declare their value — bring your “table,” not just what you offer to someone else’s.
4. Navigating the Realities of the Job Market
Ageism, AI resume scanning, and multi-stage interviews make today’s job search particularly complex. Understanding these realities helps manage expectations and inform strategy. It pays to update your digital presence, remove any clues to age that could bias the process, and keep evolving your professional narrative for today’s competitive landscape.
5. The Rise of “And”: Combining Corporate and Entrepreneurial Mindsets
More Black women are entering entrepreneurship at record rates — some by choice, others by necessity. Even for those seeking corporate roles, building an entrepreneurial mindset strengthens resilience and adaptability. Consider living a “life of “and”: developing your own ventures while searching for organizational roles to create multiple pathways to success and impact.
Takeaways to Guide Your Journey
Honor the shock, but welcome peace. It’s normal to feel destabilized, but drawing strength from faith, community, or personal rituals makes room for clarity.
Action matters—so does self-compassion. Updating documents and sending applications gets the ball rolling; so does honoring your need for rest or a mindset reset.
Advocate for yourself. Articulate your impact and your unique value in every conversation and application.
Leverage connections. Reach out, refer others, and create networks where everyone benefits. Community sustains individual growth.
Stay open to multiple paths. You can pursue opportunities in both corporate and entrepreneurial spaces. Let your passions lead.
Lift As You Rise
Every listener, ally, and sister reading this can help shape someone’s next chapter. If you know of open roles, clients in need, or women searching for support as they transform after a layoff, share this blog and the “Beyond the Layoff” series. When one rises, the collective rises.
Let’s be our sisters’ keepers. Share opportunities, offer support, and champion each other’s dreams. The journey beyond the layoff belongs to all of us—and the future we claim together starts now.
Ready to own your expertise and transform adversity into your next opportunity?
Grab your seat now for the Positioned For Profit Intensive: A 3-day virtual intensive for established professionals ready to position and package their expertise to command $25k-$100k contracts.
About the Author:
Kelly Charles-Collins is Founder of Speaker Moguls and the creator of Speaking Industry Xpo a/k/a THE 6 and Positioned for Profit. She teaches speakers, trainers, coaches, and consultants to turn their expertise into an enterprise—without underpricing or undervaluing their work. Through strategic positioning and proven business frameworks, Kelly equips experts to amplify their visibility, package their brilliance, and build sustainable, revenue-generating brands with authority.
