Disentangling my Career from my Identity

Isn't it wild how things can change in just a year?

I mean, this time last year, I was knee-deep in those tech layoffs. And now, here I am, writing a blog post after wrapping up a research presentation at my new job, ready to chat with my corporate girlies💁🏾‍♀️👩🏾‍💻.

In a recent interview with The Washington Post, I was asked a question that struck a chord:

📜 "What was the hardest thing you had to overcome in your professional life?"

It wasn't a technical challenge or a project gone wrong; it was something deeper, something personal.

My response? Disentangling my career from my identity.

In today's world, it's all too easy to let our occupations define us. From LinkedIn bios to social media profiles, we're constantly asked to sum ourselves up in a few words or characters. But what happens when our job, our title, is suddenly stripped away?

Last year, amidst widespread tech layoffs, I found myself grappling with this question. Being personally impacted by layoffs was a wake-up call that forced me to confront the extent to which I had intertwined my worth with my work.

Despite years of education and prestigious positions, I realized that my identity extended far beyond my job title. It's a lesson I've carried with me into my current role. While our careers are undoubtedly important, they're not synonymous with our identities or our purpose.

In the tech industry, where "What do you do?" is often the first question asked, it's easy to blur the lines between who we are and what we do. But our worth isn't measured by our job titles or the companies we work for.

Recently I’ve been reminded that my identity is rooted in the Lord, not in the gifts He has given me. Our gifts, big titles, projects, company we work at. They were never designed to be held so highly that they become lowercase gods in our lives

That realization empowered me to set boundaries between my professional life and personal identity, ensuring that who I am extends beyond the confines of my 9-to-5 responsibilities.

So, to the person who's ever felt defined by their job or biggest project or struggled to separate their identity from their career, know this: You are more than your title, more than your company, more than your LinkedIn profile. Your worth lies in who you are, not just what you do.

🔗Read the full interview here.

— back to the corporate girlie grind, but this time with a new perspective.

〰T.