I understand the hiring room.

I am a Certified Professional Career Coach and built my corporate career inside recruiting, including roles at Google and Indeed. I saw how hiring teams interpret experience, compare candidates, question career changes, and make decisions.

I also saw why exceptional experience can still be misunderstood.

I was a top performer. I exceeded expectations. I was trusted with high-level initiatives and had every reason to believe I was building a future there.

Then I was laid off from Google.

I was in shock.

The experience broke the assumption that strong performance, important work, and loyalty would create protection.

I learned what career disruption feels like when it is no longer a situation you are helping someone else navigate.

I knew I was capable. That capability did not protect me from questioning my judgment, replaying what happened, or wondering what the market would see next.

The experience changed the way I approach career strategy.

The work has to be commercially intelligent. It also has to account for the person carrying it out.

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