Written by Associate Director, Michael Grasso

20 years. 20 years in an industry that I loved. 20 years in an industry that I believed in. 20 years in an industry I never imagined leaving.

As a (very young!) Gen X-er, I did not witness much, if any, job switching among the adults in my life growing up. You went to college, discovered your passion, and became loyal – either to a job or an industry. Right or wrong, your career defined you. It gave you a professional foundation and solidified your path forward because who you were became synonymous with what you did.

That way of thinking made sense to me because what I did (i.e. who I was) made sense to me. As a higher education practitioner, I worked in Student Life for 20 years. In college, I was involved in student clubs and organizations. I was a Resident Assistant. I had a work-study job. I had a life outside of the classroom that was built on connection and through that, I discovered who I was and who I wanted to be in the world upon graduation. I knew that I wanted to help students the way I had been helped. This led me to a masters in higher ed administration and a wonderful decades-long career spanning multiple roles, universities, cities, and states.

I paid attention. I learned from the best. I followed the rules. I did what I was supposed to. All of that came crashing down on October 9, 2024 when I was told that I was being let go because they “decided to go in a different direction”. In that split second, I felt stripped of my accomplishments, my accolades, and my purpose. My entire career felt negated and because so much of my identity was tied into what I did, I no longer knew who I was. Losing your job is one thing; losing your sense of self is quite another.

In my 20 years, I had rarely seen a “good” person fired. People lost their jobs because they’d lied about their credentials or they had made some sort of horrific mistake. There was a specific reason and those instances were very few and very far between. Knowing that financials likely played a role and that there had been quite a few layoffs throughout the year should have given some comfort but they did not. Any way you slice it, job loss is job loss.

I wish I had been strong enough back then to own my story but I couldn’t. I felt embarrassed, ashamed, purposeless, and at times, worthless. 20 years of loyalty to a field and 20 years of finding your identity in your work is not something you get over or figure out quickly. Thankfully I had the support of a wonderful partner who gave me the space to figure things out while he ensured we would stay afloat. For the longest time, he was the only person who knew what had happened. Hindsight is 20/20 and of course now I realize that people lose their jobs everyday for a variety of reasons. Good people. Solid people. Even people I look up to.

I had to do a lot reflection. Welcomed or not, I was now at a crossroads. If who I was before was no longer an option, who was I going to be? And how would I balance everything this time around to ensure my identity was not directly tied into my career?

I looked at the traditional higher ed job boards and nothing really resonated anymore. My last job had been my favorite job and it was going to be difficult to match. I decided maybe it was time to pivot. As a mid-career professional, maybe what I had done thus far wasn’t what I was meant to do anymore. Maybe it was time for my second act. But what? I knew I loved connecting with people, helping them find their place, and providing resources and support. Maybe that didn’t need to be in the higher ed world in a college/university setting.

A friend of mine who, in a past life, was a college career coach sent me a job description one day for the Associate Director role at Engage! Cleveland because she thought I had the transferable skills to be a good fit for the role. As I reviewed the job posting, I immediately became excited. This was a role I could see myself doing and, even more importantly, would love doing. I submitted my application materials and am pleased to say that I began my new role this past March!

Nearly five months in, I am thoroughly enjoying my next chapter. I get to work with some incredible colleagues and I get to connect with so many people and places in Cleveland. I have discovered so many facets of what makes Cleveland great and I love that I have found a job that affords me the opportunity to grow and build upon the skillset that I bring to the table. My new role builds on my previous roles. My experiences are not lost, they are valued. The right job came along at the right time.

Now that I am on the other side, I can reflect back on some lessons that I learned along the way.

1. Good people get laid off. There is not always a reason or something you could have done differently. At the end of the day, it’s business not personal – even though it feels personal.

2. Redirect your loyalty. We do not need to be loyal to a field. What we need is to be loyal to ourselves. What do we want? What are our goals? What do we want to do next. “To thine own self be true” still rings true.

3. It’s okay to pivot. Gone are the days where you stayed in one job or one field your entire career. Be open to other possibilities that you may not have previously considered. Broaden your circles, your network, and your mindset.

4. Your identity is your own, not your job’s. Creating balance is easier said than done but at the end of the day, what you do should be an extension of who you are instead of all you are. We are all more than one thing and that should be celebrated!

While I don’t wish what happened to me on anyone, I am grateful for the opportunity to hit the reset button and reflect on what I want. This is why the Mid-Career professional development series that Engage! Cleveland hosts holds a special place in my heart. It is an amazing opportunity for mid-career professionals to really look inward and reflect on what they want professionally and personally. Is it a pivot? Is it a promotion? Is it a pathway of a different sort? Join us and let Engage! Cleveland help you decide where your next chapter lies!