Forecast: Cloudy with a Chance of Going Into the Office

The job market feels a lot like fall. The air’s a little cooler, the days a little shorter, and the world around us is changing in quiet but noticeable ways.

After a few years of remote freedom and flexible schedules, we’re entering a new season; one where more companies are asking people to come back together. Not everywhere. Not all at once. But enough that the breeze has shifted enough to feel it.

And just like the changing leaves, this shift is neither good nor bad. It’s simply a sign of transition.

The Forecast

The bright, sunny days of “work from anywhere” are fading into something a bit more grounded. Organizations are re-centering on collaboration, connection, and culture, which are all good things. But that return often comes with new limits: commutable distances, fewer remote options, and more (or less) competition for localized roles depending on the location.

It’s a cooler climate, not a stormy one. And like any change in weather, it calls for a bit of adjustment from both sides of the table.

For Leaders: Preparing for the Season

Autumn is a time for pruning; making thoughtful choices about what to keep, what to reshape, and what needs room to grow again.

Communicate early and often. If flexibility is limited, be upfront. People adapt better when they understand the why.

Think beyond the office walls. If the goal is collaboration, there are ways to nurture that without shrinking your talent pool to one zip code.

Make in-person time meaningful. If you’re asking people to show up, make it purposeful; connection, mentoring, or creativity that can’t be replicated through a screen.

For Candidates: Adjusting Your Layers

Just like trading summer clothes for sweaters, this season asks for flexibility and perspective.

Know what keeps you steady. Maybe it’s work-life balance, growth, or a manager who values autonomy. Let that guide your search.

Stay open to new arrangements. Hybrid, regional, rotational; balance looks different now, and that’s okay.

Lead with impact. Focus less on where you work, more on how your work creates value.

Stay connected. Networking is like keeping the fire going, it takes consistent care, not a last-minute spark.

The Season of Reconnection

This isn’t the end of flexibility, it’s just a new phase of it.

We’re learning how to blend what we loved about remote work with what we’ve missed about in-person connection. Like fall, it’s a moment to pause, take stock, and prepare for what’s next.

The leaves may be turning, but that’s how growth happens, by letting go of one thing to make room for another.

So grab your coat, pour the coffee, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

What Rafiki Taught Me About Letting Go (After a Layoff)

"It's times like this my buddy Timon here says: you got to put your behind in your past." -Pumbaa

If you’ve been laid off recently, take a deep breath.

You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re not the news headline. You’re a human who just experienced something that shakes identity, confidence, and rhythm, all at once. And you’re far from alone.

But before you lose all hope and open the Ben and Jerry's in front of the TV watching reruns of Dawson's Creek in your favorite sweats with a glass of wine (wait... that doesn't sound TOO bad), let’s talk about something that can change the way you move through all this: radical acceptance.

The Rafiki Philosophy of Career Chaos

Remember The Lion King? Simba’s moping around, haunted by his past, and Rafiki, everyone’s favorite chaotic monkey therapist, appears out of nowhere...

He hits Simba on the head with his stick (aka, your layoff). “Ow! What was that for?” Rafiki grins: “It doesn’t matter! It’s in the past!”

Then he swings again (the job market, ghost recruiters and application black holes), and Simba ducks. “Ha! You see?” Rafiki says. “You can either run from it… or learn from it.”

That’s radical acceptance in one scene. You acknowledge what happened and you don’t let it define your next move.

Step One: "Hakuna Matata!" - Timon, Pumbaa and Simba

There’s no fast-forward button for disappointment. You don’t have to slap on a brave face or pretend you’re “fine” after an earth rattling event.

Radical acceptance starts with honesty: “This sucks and I definitely don't want this. But I can’t change it and I don’t need to let it control me.”

Feel it, name it, breathe it out. Then take one small step forward, no matter how tiny.

Step Two: "Being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble." -Mufasa

There’s real power in recognizing what’s actually yours to influence.

You can control:

• How you respond. (Your attitude, your effort, your next steps.)

• Your story. (How you explain this chapter, “laid off” or “redirected.”)

• Your daily rhythm. (Even small structure keeps motivation alive.)

• Your self-care. (Food, rest, and connection are not optional.)

• Your community. (Reaching out, staying visible, being human.)

You can’t control:

• Corporate restructures, AI “efficiencies,” or budget shifts.

• The market.

• Ghosting.

• The timing of your next opportunity.

• The past. (Rafiki voice: “It’s in the past!”)

When you stop spending energy on what you can’t influence, you free up energy to invest in what you can.

Step Three: "I laugh in the face of danger." - Simba

This is not about being fake-positive or toxic-positivity. It’s about survival.

Laughing at the absurdity of it all gives you your humanity back. Post a meme. Name your resume “The Comeback Tour.” Text your friend something ridiculous about “re-onboarding into society.” Maybe you give yourself a promotion to "Chief Nap Officer." Rename your job search spreadsheet “Operation Plot Twist.”

You’re not trivializing the pain, you’re reminding your nervous system that you still have joy, perspective, and power.

Step Four: "What's a motto?" "Nothing, what's the motto with you?" -Simba and Timon

A layoff can feel like a personal rejection, even when it’s not. It messes with identity, belonging, and stability, which means it’s not just a career event, it’s a human one.

So take care of the human, YOU.

• Sleep. Move. Hydrate.

• Eat something that isn’t leftover conference-room snacks.

• Talk to someone, a mentor, friend, therapist, or peer group.

• Celebrate the smallest wins (yes, updating your résumé counts).

• Set boundaries on doom-scrolling job boards - 9am-5pm schedules work here too!

You don't rebuild from burnout. You rebuild from rest.

Step Five: ”It Is Time!” - Rafiki

Here’s the thing about radical acceptance, it’s not resignation. It’s recognition. It isn't saying “I’m fine.” It’s saying “I’m real.”

You don’t have to love what happened — you just have to stop resisting it long enough to move through it.

You are not “unemployed.” You are in transition. You are not “rejected.” You are being redirected. Speak kindly to yourself. Words have wings.

When you stop fixating on the closed door, you finally notice the dozen open ones nearby.

The Circle of (Career) Life 🦁

Here’s the thing, The Lion King isn’t just about kings and savannas. It’s about identity, fear, courage, and coming home to yourself.

Simba spent years hiding, haunted by what he thought he’d done wrong. He lost sight of who he really was until Rafiki held up that reflection and reminded him: “You are more than what you have become.”

That’s the moment you may feel like you are in right now. It's not the end. It's not the downfall. It's the plot twist.

Radical acceptance is how you get there. It’s how you remember your power when life tries to convince you that you’ve lost it.

So, take a page out of Simba’s story. Look at what’s behind you, nod at it, and say, “It’s in the past.”

Then lift your head, step into the light, and roar again.

You’ve still got that fire in there and you’ve still got your pride (pun intended). The next chapter? It’s all yours to write.

✨ Remember who you are. ✨

An Onion Walks Into An Interview... How Layered Experience Adds Flavor To Your Team

There’s a funny thing that happens in interviews when someone has a broad or layered background. At some point, the question comes up:

"You've done a lot of different things - what do you actually want to do?"

It’s a fair question. And it’s usually asked by those who have built deep expertise in a particular area or industry. That focus has its own tremendous value. But for many professionals, especially those who’ve had to adapt, lead across functions, or operate in smaller or fast-changing environments, their career path naturally becomes more layered.

The challenge? In interviews, that depth of experience can sometimes be mistaken for indecision, when in reality, it’s a reflection of capability, curiosity, and range.

The Concept of “Layered Experience”

In today’s job market, layered experience, meaning exposure to multiple functional areas or perspectives within an industry, is often misunderstood.

Sometimes it gets labeled as indecision rather than depth. But in reality, professionals who’ve operated across multiple sides of the same ecosystem, whether it’s buy-side and sell-side recruitment, or project and program management, bring something incredibly valuable: a panoramic understanding of how all the moving parts connect.

It’s the professional equivalent of being both the chef and the food critic, you know how it’s made and what makes it great.

The “Buy Side” vs. “Sell Side” Analogy

Take the recruitment industry, for example:

Sell Side: Client-facing, business development, agency-style recruitment, all about relationship-building, negotiation, and service delivery.

Buy Side: Internal talent acquisition, workforce planning, and vendor management, focused on governance, efficiency, and alignment with business goals.

Someone who’s worked on both sides doesn’t lack focus, they have a 360° perspective. They understand the pressures, motivators, and challenges of both the client and the supplier.

That cross-functional empathy creates better partnerships, stronger negotiations, and smarter, more strategic problem-solving. It’s like knowing how to bake the cake and how to slice it in a way everyone gets a piece.

Why Employers Sometimes Misread It

Here’s where it gets tricky.

When asked, “Which do you prefer?” and the candidate answers honestly, “I enjoy both for different reasons”. It can sound like indecision. In truth, it reflects adaptability and confidence in navigating complexity.

The disconnect happens because many hiring processes are designed to look for someone who fits neatly into a single lane, not someone fluent in several.

But the modern workplace isn’t a single-lane highway anymore. It’s more like a roundabout — full of moving parts, interconnected systems, and the need for people who know how to merge without crashing.

The best professionals today aren’t just specialists; they’re cross-trained operators who understand strategy, process, execution, and relationships and can move fluidly between them.

Beyond Recruitment: The Multi-Hat Reality

This isn’t unique to recruitment.

Program Managers, Operations Directors, and Project Managers often wear multiple hats especially in mid-sized or fast-growing organizations.

They’re part strategist, part implementer, part service-delivery expert — covering everything from discovery → design → implementation → optimization.

Sometimes, when these professionals interview for more siloed roles, it can cause confusion. But the reality is this:

End-to-end understanding isn’t a lack of focus, it’s proof of ownership.

It shows you can connect dots, anticipate challenges, and execute with full context. It’s the difference between knowing how to decorate a cake and knowing how to bake it from scratch when the oven breaks.

When asked “Which area do you prefer?” or “What’s your focus?”, try this:

“I’ve had the opportunity to work across both sides, which gives me a holistic understanding of the entire lifecycle. While I can absolutely specialize where needed, my strength lies in bridging perspectives, whether that’s client and supplier, strategy and execution, or design and delivery. That range helps me drive better outcomes for the teams I support.”

This reframes layered experience as strategic range, not indecision; and shows that your variety isn’t random; it’s intentional.

Final Thought

Having a layered background isn’t confusion, it’s comprehension.

Some careers are cake: steady, structured, and built layer by layer. Others are onions: complex, nuanced, and full of unexpected depth. And some are bread: foundational, reliable, and essential to every great recipe.

All are valuable, they just add flavor in different ways.

So whether you’re the cake, the onion, or the bread, remember: It’s not about what you are... it’s about the value you add to the table.