The Journey to Finding the Right Role: Why Your Layoff Isn’t a Failure and What 92 Interviews Taught Me

Eight months ago, I set out on a job search with optimism. After working in product management for over a decade, I was ready for a new challenge that would fully align with my skills and career aspirations. What I didn’t expect was the journey that would unfold across 300 applications, 92 interviews, and countless hours on product cases. Eventually, I found a role that felt right—a Product Delivery Lead position at IAG—but it took persistence, resilience, and many lessons to get there. One of the biggest insights? The ups and downs of the job market don’t define your worth. Often, the struggle is about timing, market dynamics, and fit rather than any personal shortcoming.

In this post, I’ll share what I learned and why, if you’re facing similar challenges, it’s essential to remember that layoffs or setbacks aren’t failures. They can even be the spark for new growth and career re-evaluation, something that resonated with me in Lenny Rachitsky’s podcast episode featuring Kayvon Beykpour. In it, Twitter’s former Head of Product shared his experience of being let go and the transition that followed. Listening to his journey confirmed what I had started to realize during my own search: a layoff isn’t an end; it’s a pivotal moment to reflect, reset, and sometimes even reimagine where you want to go next.

1. Understanding the Layoff: It’s Not a Personal Failure

Being laid off is tough. Emotions like self-doubt or frustration can easily arise, especially since our society often links personal identity with career success. When a role ends unexpectedly, it can feel like a reflection of your abilities or potential. But the truth is that layoffs are usually driven by broader company needs, often with little to do with individual performance.

In my case, my layoff was less about my skills becoming irrelevant and more about the company’s strategy evolving in response to market conditions. I came to understand this more clearly after hearing Kayvon Beykpour’s story. In his podcast interview, he explained how his departure from Twitter gave him a chance to re-evaluate his career path and personal growth. This idea—that a layoff can be a transitional point rather than a failure—stuck with me. It’s a chance to pivot and assess whether your next role aligns better with your values, goals, and skills.

2. The Numbers Game: Why 300 Applications Don’t Equal 300 Opportunities

Starting a job search, you might assume each application is a real shot at a position. But after hundreds of resumes, I saw how many factors influence the process—job descriptions that shift, roles posted out of formality, or positions already pegged for internal candidates.

One of my biggest lessons was to focus on quality over quantity. Tailoring each application to reflect your fit for that specific role often yields better results than casting a wide net. And still, even with a strong application, elements outside your control, like hiring freezes or changing leadership priorities, can impact the outcome.

3. The Interview Marathon: How 92 Interviews Taught Me Resilience

Every interview is a chance to put your best self forward, but it’s also a time and energy commitment. With 92 interviews under my belt, each experience offered lessons about handling challenging questions, understanding company culture, and recognizing when a role wasn’t the right fit.

While some interviews went well and others not so much, each one refined my narrative and clarified my understanding of what I wanted in my next role. Learning to handle rejection and see it as part of the process not as a personal judgment—helped me keep moving forward with renewed focus.

4. Reframing Product Cases: Why They’re More Than a Test of Skill

Product cases became a regular feature in my job search, each one requiring hours of research and creative thinking. Instead of seeing them as hurdles, I started treating them as opportunities to showcase my problem-solving skills and vision, and as a way to assess if the company’s approach matched mine.

Through these cases, I learned that hiring teams are often more interested in your thought process than in a “right” answer. Cases became a chance to explore real-world problems and share my strategic approach to product challenges.

5. The Market Factor: Timing and Economy Matter

Another important insight from my job search was how much timing and external factors shape hiring. The economy, industry shifts, or internal reorganizations can all affect hiring, which often has little to do with the candidate. This realization helped me stop taking rejections personally.

During my job search, I saw companies post roles only to freeze hiring soon after or pivot priorities due to budget constraints. Sometimes, being the right person simply comes at the wrong time. Staying open to this idea helped me navigate the job market with patience and resilience.

6. The Right Fit: Why You’re Not Just Looking for Any Job

After months of interviewing and applications, I realized I wasn’t looking for any job—I wanted the right one. Interviewing across industries and companies helped clarify what I wanted in a team and role, refining my focus.

In the end, I joined IAG as a Product Delivery Lead, a role that aligned with my experience, values, and goals. It reinforced that sometimes, waiting for the right fit is worth more than taking the first offer.

7. Takeaways for Fellow Job Seekers: Lessons for the Journey

Here are some takeaways from my journey that helped me along the way:

• View Setbacks as Transition Points: If you’re between roles, see it as a chance to reflect on what you want next. Sometimes a layoff is just the push you need to explore new paths.

• It’s Not Always About You: Hiring decisions depend on multiple factors, many outside your control. Remember that a company’s decision doesn’t define your abilities or potential.

• Reflect and Refine: After each interview, take time to assess what went well and what could improve. Each interaction is a step toward becoming more prepared for the right role.

• Seek Support and Stay Connected: Talking to friends, mentors, or colleagues can help you stay motivated. This journey is often shared by many, and hearing others’ experiences can be both reassuring and inspiring.

• Trust the Process: Setbacks are part of the job search, but they bring you closer to the right fit. Persistence, patience, and resilience are essential.

Closing Thoughts: Redefining Success Through Resilience

Looking back, my job search was full of learning, growth, and re-evaluation. Though challenging, it clarified my goals and reaffirmed that finding the right fit is worth the wait. Listening to stories like Kayvon’s taught me that a layoff doesn’t define us—it can instead be the beginning of a new chapter.

So, if you’re navigating a similar journey, keep going. Remember that your worth isn’t defined by setbacks but by the determination to find a role that aligns with who you are and what you bring. When you do, you’ll see that every step, every interview, and even every rejection was leading you to something better.

Have you had a similar experience, or are you currently job searching? Share your thoughts or questions below. Let’s support one another in this journey.