Laid Off... or Just De-Titled? 6 Unspoken Truths About Losing Your Job Title

Read time: 2.5 minutes

6 Things No One Will Tell You: What It Feels Like to Have Your Job Title Removed

1. Your Title Was Your Identity.
You thought of yourself as a manager and that was your identity.
Solution: Create a one-sentence identity statement that doesn't use a title.

2. LinkedIn Only Makes It Worse.
Seeing all of the people with titles is a constant reminder of what you no longer have.
Solution: Mute 10 people on LinkedIn for 30 days to protect your focus.

3. You Have Value When You Are Producing.
When you have no meetings, it feels like you have no value.
Solution: Start tracking your daily skill development rather than your employment status.

4. You Are Not Behind... You Are Simply In Between.
You feel like you are failing during a transition because there is no noise associated with it.
Solution: Treat the first 90 days of your transition as a planning phase.

5. Titles Are Given To You, But Skills Are Yours.
Companies give you a title, but you develop your own skills.
Solution: Promote your transferable skills instead of your last title.

6. Your Title Has Been Removed... Now You Have A Chance To Rebuild Your Ego.
Not having a title creates uncertainty about your identity.
Solution: Re-establish your identity by building on your strengths and values rather than on your job title.

💡Key Takeaway: 

Your title is not permanent... however, your competency is cumulative. Losing your job title does not diminish your ability as an individual.