Career Confidence

24Job Hunting in a Terrible Job Market

I have a client who we began working with right at the outset of the Covid pandemic, an executive sales representative in the durable medical industry. She has been laid off or let go from her job three times since 2020. You heard that right: three times!

Is that just bad luck? Or a sign that something else was going on?

Well, since she's an amazing human, an amazing lady, and an amazing salesperson, I am going to say she has either been in the wrong place at the wrong time, or she has had some bad luck when it comes to her jobs.

The first layoff was because no one was having elective surgeries during the pandemic. She primarily sells products that are used in a surgical setting. Since they were not needed, her company RIF'd (reduction in force) half its team. She had only been there for 18 months, so low woman on the totem pole.

The second time she was laid off, it was because the company was struggling financially, and while she brought in a lot of revenue, the company decided to outsource its entire sales team of 30 people, and everyone lost their job.

The third time, she had taken a role quickly without really knowing what her job was going to be, and that was a mistake. When she started job No. 3, she found out she'd be covering eight states, was expected to travel five to six days a week, and was being paid 100% commissions on products that no one really wanted. When she complained about the lack of support, the lack of resources, ...