I Was Laid Off Almost Immediately After Getting Promoted. Here’s What I Learned!
I devoted my life to CNN. I volunteered to work every shift, edited many crash packages for Anderson Cooper 360, juggled multiple job titles, and was the first at CNN to be a hybrid Assistant Editor / Editor-Producer. I was, in my mind, Mr. CNN.
My hard work at CNN was recognized and rewarded with a promotion from Media Coordinator to full-time Editor Producer at CNN+.
I felt immune to a layoff. But I wasn’t.
Just eight months after my promotion, the newly-hired CEO shut down CNN+ and I, along with everyone else at CNN+, was unceremoniously let go.
It was devastating. My career seemed over.
Only, it wasn’t.
Despite being laid off, I had learned so much in those eight months as an Editor / Producer with CNN and in my transition to CNBC.
Here are valuable lessons I learned from this experience that will be relevant for those entering the media industry or currently working in it; the opportunities in the obstacles.
You can control a lot about your career but some things are simply outside your control –. You can’t control C-Suite decisions that impact your job or the volatile nature of the industry you’re in, but you can control your desire to learn, grow, and improve how hard you work and the quality of your work product.
The media industry is in a constant cycle of change - Due to the growing influence of social media and AI, the very nature of the media industry is changing almost daily. To keep pace with these changes, the media is constantly chasing the next big thing, whether it’s mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, or jumping on the “Streaming Revolution.”
You Are a Brand - The quality of your work product, the lessons you learn from the experience you gain, and the media relationships you forge, both within your company and your industry, help you build your Brand. After CNN, I realized that I needed to branch out and focus on building my brand beyond one company.
Evolve or Die. I was hell-bent on remaining a Video Editor-Producer. However, I took a job with CNBC in Technical Operations as a Transmission Coordinator, where I remained up until the end of last month. Moving to CNBC expanded my knowledge of the media industry and the more knowledge you have, the more power you gain - Knowledge is Power.
Invest in Yourself. I always went with the flow. In many ways, I was a passenger on my career journey. After CNN and while at CNBC, I decided to take control over my career and my brand - I went back to school on a part-time basis for a master’s degree at the prestigious Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. I’ll be finished with my three-year Master’s degree program in one year. By making investing in myself a daily habit, I am transforming myself into a media expert. I intend to use that expertise to become an innovator, educator, and creator in this rapidly changing industry.
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone to Grow and Improve. CNN and CNBC taught me that it is critical to become an expert in what you do. It forced me to realize the importance of consistently stepping outside my comfort-zone, to grow and improve. And when you grow and improve, your competency and expertise grow your brand. The funny thing is we keep having to take the same test in life. I recently had my freelance position cut from CNBC due to another restructuring. What will I learn this time around? It’s my chance to again look for opportunities in the obstacles in my career.
