I Was Laid Off Too But I’m a Better Human, Thanks to my Teammates

Claire Tak

*Scroll down to see my colleagues who are also looking for a job. Most everyone was on marketing/brand. 

My story with KeepTruckin started with a message from Rand about an open content position. He noted that “it had been a long time and hope you are doing well.” Confused, I checked his profile and was pretty certain we had never met before.

Turns out Rand thought we had met at a conference (we never did), but I was glad he reached out. Had he sent some generic message about the position, I may not have responded. At the time, I was consulting and would get a lot of emails from recruiters about jobs I had no interest in.

So, I dug a little deeper to find out what the heck KeepTruckin was all about. I was intrigued by the product and the industry.

It’s all about the culture

I came in for my interview and was impressed by everyone on the team. I felt comfortable. I remember thinking, “I could have a beer with anyone here.”

To me, culture is the most important thing at a workplace, and my spidey senses were tingling–in a good way.

That was two years ago. During this time, I’ve learned so much from my sassy, whip-smart colleagues and about the industry as a whole. I’m grateful.

Sweet memories and friendships

Getting laid off because of a pandemic really sucks, but I walk away from this experience a better person because of the connections and friendships I’ve made along the way.

Let’s not forget the memories–the heart-to-heart conversations, the happy hours, going to the Nashville office, the wacky trucking conventions, and spending so much time getting to know and adore my team.

Of course there were long, stressful, demanding days of juggling multiple projects and moving fast to meet deadlines. But this is the nature of working at a high-growth startup, and the daily grind was tough.

It was, however, the first time I was on a team that supported me through the highs and lows. Asking for help meant that I’d always get it, in one way or another.

Coronavirus can suck it

This is why last week’s layoffs were that much more painful. It’s why I cried.

COVID-19 had ultimately affected the company’s business, so I saw these layoffs coming, I just didn’t know it would happen this quickly.

Like millions of other people who are out of work, I’m worried about what the future will bring. I think about my finances, job, future job security, and the bits of life you just can’t get away from.

I know I’m not alone in this.

Here are the marketing & design rockstars I worked with:

I want to showcase people on the marketing/brand team who, like me, are out of a job right now but would be an asset to any company.

These guys are some of the smartest, hardest working, supportive, and generous folks you’ll ever meet in tech.

While jobs might be scarce, I know companies are still hiring in Silicon Valley, so if you have open recs, please look through this list (and feel free to share it with your network):

Some folks are on an H1B Visa (please sign this petition to extend the time from 60 days to 180), which means they only have a few months before they need to find another job or move back to their home country.

Getting laid off is scary and stressful. Life is scary and weird. But I’m seeing the positive in all of this. I’m grateful for the support and friendships I’ve made along the way with some of the best darn people I have ever met in my life.

Please share this blog post with your network.

Published by Claire Tak

I'm an editor, writer, and content strategist with an editorial background in the personal finance tech. I started my career in entertainment as a web writer for ExtraTV and Anderson Cooper. I now consult for Bay Area-based tech startups and help grow their brands by gaining customer trust. I'm also an avid snowboarder, camper, and aspiring author.