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What If This Job Was Never Meant to Be Forever?
When Your Dream Job is Over
A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to the Titanic exhibit. The one you’ve heard about with the haunting soundtrack, staircase backdrop, and souvenir boarding passes. You could upgrade to a VR headset to experience it more realistically. Hard pass.
Somewhere between the “unsinkable” engineering and the first-class accommodations, I had this flash of insight:
A severance package is just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s the visible part. The money. The timeline. The benefits.
But underneath it?
🧊 Identity
Who am I without this title, team, or access? Most people are surprised by how much their work was their identity, until it comes to an end. Maybe you didn’t lose your job. Perhaps you’ve lost the version of yourself who became really comfortable. Severance doesn’t just separate you from a paycheck; it separates you from a version of yourself who settled.
🧊 Trajectory
Where was I really going? And was I ever in control? It’s easy to confuse momentum with direction. A severance package can feel jarring because it interrupts the narrative arc you assumed you were following, but maybe never consciously…
