In the disorienting silence after a layoff, when panic urges you to apply everywhere and fear whispers to play it safe, many find themselves frozen between two paths: double down on what they know or risk everything on a bold pivot.
But what if the smartest move isn’t choosing one immediately—what if it’s learning how to test both without burning time or savings?
On HRSpotlight, founders, CEOs, physicians, neuroscientists, and career strategists share hard-earned wisdom for this exact crossroads.
They reveal why rushing into either “stay the course” or “reinvent completely” often backfires, and instead offer practical frameworks: running parallel experiments, auditing transferable advantages, identifying real market gaps, leveraging past frustrations as clues, and letting small tests—not big declarations—guide the decision.
Their insights cut through the noise, showing that the strongest comebacks rarely come from panic or perfection, but from deliberate clarity and courageous experimentation.
Discover how to turn uncertainty into your most strategic career move yet.
Read on!
Chase Mckee
Founder & CEO, Digital Record Board
I’ve been laid off from investment banking and faced this exact question before starting Rocket Alumni Solutions.
Here’s what nobody tells you: the decision doesn’t need to happen immediately, but your process needs to start day one.
I spent my first two weeks after banking doing customer interviews–not for a specific business, just talking to athletic directors and school administrators about their problems.
Those conversations revealed a $3M+ opportunity I never would’ve seen if I’d rushed into either “find another finance job” or “start any business.”
The key was staying in motion without forcing a premature commitment.
What worked: I gave myself 60 days to run small experiments in both directions.
I took consulting calls in my old industry while prototyping our first digital recognition display. By day 45, the market told me which path had momentum–our prototype closed three pilot schools before I’d gotten a single consulting contract renewed.
My concrete advice: pick the timeframe you can financially afford (30, 60, or 90 days), then run parallel tests.
Apply to roles in your field while solving one small problem in an adjacent space.
Whichever generates real traction–whether that’s interview callbacks or paying customers–is your answer.
The market decides faster and better than your gut ever will.
Run Parallel Tests, Let Market Decide
Dr. Cheryl Twu
OBGYN, Wellness OBGYN
I left a decade-long hospital career in 2022 to open my own practice–not because I wanted to abandon OB-GYN, but because I saw patients getting lost in high-volume systems.
The transition terrified me, but I didn’t treat it as a complete reinvention. I took every skill from those hospital years–robotic surgery techniques, patient communication systems, even my Mandarin fluency–and built them into Wellness OBGYN’s foundation.
Here’s what made the difference: I started with one clear problem I could solve better independently.
Women kept telling me they felt rushed during appointments and wanted more time to discuss hormone concerns or fertility options. So I designed longer appointment blocks and added holistic elements like stress-management counseling.
My patient satisfaction scores hit near-perfect levels because I wasn’t chasing a completely new identity–I was refining what I already did well.
If you’re recently laid off, audit what frustrated you most in your last role. That frustration is usually pointing at a gap you’re uniquely positioned to fill.
I watched colleagues burn out trying to become something entirely different, while the ones who thrived identified one specific thing they could do better than their former employer.
Your current expertise is an asset, not a limitation–the question is whether your industry’s structure was the problem, not the work itself.
Turn Past Frustrations Into Unique Solutions
Luke Sanders
General Manager, RiverCity Sportswear
I’ve run the same company for 15+ years and watched hundreds of employees face this exact crossroads.
Here’s what I’ve learned watching people steer career transitions: the best indicator isn’t passion or skills–it’s where you have unfair advantages that others don’t.
When I took over RiverCity from my father, I didn’t have MBA-level strategy knowledge. What I had was 40 years of vendor relationships, equipment knowledge, and customer trust already built into the business. That existing infrastructure gave me 5x revenue because I wasn’t starting from scratch.
One of my best hires was someone laid off from corporate sales who pivoted into our industry specifically because his existing client relationships translated directly–he brought accounts with him.
Look at what transfers that competitors can’t replicate quickly. If you’ve got 8 years managing restaurant supply chains, a pivot to food manufacturing makes you immediately valuable.
A jump to software sales means you’re a rookie competing against people with established networks.
I’ve seen people chase “exciting” pivots and struggle for years because they abandoned the compounding advantage of experience.
The real question isn’t passion versus security–it’s where your existing reputation, relationships, and domain knowledge give you a 6-month head start over everyone else applying for the same opportunity.
Leverage Unfair Advantages Before Pivoting
Feeling torn after a layoff isn’t just normal—your brain’s anterior cingulate cortex is basically stuck toggling between options, which drains energy and cranks up anxiety.
I’ve had clients in similar spots, some itching to pivot, some desperate for stability. The trick isn’t to rush the decision but to zoom out and tap into your own “counterfactual processing,” a nerdy term for how we learn from what-might-have-beens and reroute old habits.
One executive I worked with used a week of careful journaling—not the tidy kind, just freeform thoughts—to spot her actual motivation for staying in her field versus chasing something new.
Turns out, the act of writing calms the amygdala and gives clarity to deeper values.
Here’s the deal: try experimenting with micro-experiences—one client shadowed different teams in adjacent industries, then compared how her ventro-medial prefrontal cortex responded to unfamiliar environments versus her old comfort zone.
Usually, the body’s stress signals will clue you in before your logical reasoning even catches up.
So don’t over-index on polished plans or big pronouncements; let your brain and gut guide you for a bit.
Pivotal choices rarely come from spreadsheets—they emerge when you let yourself experience, reflect, and occasionally misspell a word in those messy notes.
Journal & Experiment for Brain Clarity
Soozy Miller
Executive Career Advisor, Control Your Career
When facing a career crossroads after a layoff, I recommend that the job seeker figure out what they want to do next and then research what those types of companies are looking for and make sure their experience fits that criteria.
I’ve guided professionals through major transitions, including helping a financial services VP who took a decade-long sailing career break successfully return to corporate leadership at Nasdaq.
The key to his success was identifying how his leadership strengths from an entirely different field could translate to corporate environments.
A methodical, targeted job search approach that highlights your skills and impact rather than just industry experience can open doors in both familiar and new sectors.
Research Market Fit Before Any Move
Usama Chaudhry
CEO & Founder, Primus Workforce Ltd
Being laid off can be difficult, but it’s also a chance to reset your direction with clarity and purpose. Here’s how to decide whether to pivot or stay the course:
Assess Your Passion and Skills
Ask yourself what genuinely motivates you and where your strengths lie. If your current industry no longer excites you, consider exploring a new path. But if you still enjoy your work, focus on leveraging your existing expertise to grow further.
Research Market Trends
Study which industries are expanding and align with your goals. Pivoting is smart only when it positions you for long-term growth, not just short-term change.
Leverage Your Network
Reach out to mentors or peers for honest feedback. They can help you evaluate your options, share insights, and connect you with opportunities.
Test Before You Commit
Take on side projects, freelance work, or short-term contracts in a new field. This allows you to explore new directions without fully stepping away from your current path.
Weigh Your Risk and Finances
Consider your financial cushion and risk tolerance before making a big shift. Sometimes, staying put while upskilling can offer stability and progress without a complete restart.
Assess Passion, Test, Then Commit
Pamela Cournoyer
Leadership Development Coach & Trainer, Powerful & True, Inc
When facing the uncertainty after a layoff, I recommend taking time to thoroughly research your options before making any decisions.
In my own experience with career transitions, I found that gathering information about different paths and consulting with trusted colleagues in my network helped overcome the initial fear and confusion.
The key is to approach this decision methodically rather than reactively, weighing both the practical aspects of each choice and your personal fulfillment.
With careful consideration, you’ll find clarity about whether to stay your course or pivot to something new.
Research Deeply, Choose With Intention
Meenal Patel
HR/Finance Administrator, Sociallyin
It’s normal to feel pressure and move fast after losing a job. But then, slowing down helps you to make better choices.
You should think about which part of your past work made you feel proud and which one drained you.
If your skills still fit what the company needs, staying in the same field might be smart. If not, take your time.
Try a short course or a small side project to test something new.
The goal is to find work that feels right for the person you are today.
Slow Down, Reflect, Test New Paths
Harriet Cohen
Management Consultant Advisor, Training Solutions
Before making the decision to pivot or stay, self reflection is required.
Often people are afraid to leave an industry, so I ask them to list what they love and hate about every job they have ever had.
Then I ask them to take the strengths found in Clifton 2.0 to identify their strengths which are more than skills. From this information they can target what they want to do more of to enjoy working and feel satisfied.
Next review ads on LinkedIn or wherever to see who is looking for what they have. Network with people working at the desired company. Create a functional resume and cover letter focusing on the skills needed by that company and submit it.
Strengths & Loves Guide Your Next Step
The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.
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