I was laid off several months ago too. Looking back, I realized I had gotten too comfortable doing the same job at Cigna for years. Over time, I was pulled into so many unrelated projects that were far beyond the scope of my role, and I was underpaid the whole time. But in a strange way, that turned out to be a blessing.
The job market is brutal, and being laid off pushed me out of my comfort zone. I started applying to roles I never would’ve considered before. Fast forward to now, I landed a director-level position, largely because I had such a wide range of specialized experience from doing “too much” at Cigna. On top of that, I got a significant pay increase.
This didn’t happen overnight. I went through rounds of being ghosted, rejected, and lowballed before finding the right fit. My biggest advice: when you're laid off, your new full-time job is job hunting. It’s stressful, exhausting, and can be downright depressing at times, but if you keep at it, the right opportunity will come.
Bumping this from @ec+1jvjebzkq for good advice.