As layoffs continue to ripple through corporate America, leadership strategist Devika Brij told listeners that the current climate, while unsettling, also presents rare opportunities for career reinvention, if professionals approach it with deliberate strategy rather than fear.
Ms. Brij, author of Thrive in Color and a former employee at LinkedIn and Google, described the prevailing mood in workplaces as one dominated by uncertainty. She pointed to years of organizational restructuring, widespread layoffs, and shifting priorities as the backdrop for many professionals’ anxiety.
“A lot of uncertainty,” Ms. Brij said when asked about the state of corporate America at the start of the new year. “I think that’s been the common theme the last few years with layoffs and impacts to organizational changes and things of that nature.”
Yet she refused to frame the moment solely as crisis. Instead, Ms. Brij portrayed it as a season of potential transition, urging listeners to view disruption as a catalyst for exploring new roles, industries, or leadership paths they might have previously overlooked.
“I think it’s a lot of opportunity as well that if people apply strategy, they can find new lanes to consider as well,” she added.
Central to Ms. Brij’s message was a clear call to reject the paralyzing “noise” of constant layoff headlines and economic pessimism. She advised shifting energy from passive consumption of bad news to active career management, starting with a strong, keyword-rich LinkedIn profile.
Ms. Brij, drawing from her years inside LinkedIn, emphasized that 80 percent of recruiters actively search the platform for candidates. She criticized the common habit of treating LinkedIn as a static online résumé and instead encouraged users to treat it as a living showcase of expertise.
She highlighted two often-neglected elements: the headline beneath a user’s name and photo, which should boldly state areas of strength, and detailed job descriptions that include measurable achievements rather than just titles and dates.
Ms. Brij stressed that without these elements, talented professionals risk remaining invisible to the very recruiters trying to fill open roles.
The conversation also turned to self-advocacy, a skill Ms. Brij said is especially critical, and challenging, for underrepresented professionals, including women, people of color, and immigrants, who may have been socialized to prioritize gratitude over visibility.
“You can have thanks for what you have today and also desire more for yourself,” Ms. Brij said. “In the workplace, that means showing what you’re doing, your contributions, your achievements, your results, and reminding people of that.”
She recommended framing contributions in data-driven terms during regular check-ins with managers, essentially proving one’s return on investment to the organization. Ms. Brij acknowledged the discomfort many feel when speaking up, particularly amid imposter syndrome, but insisted action must come first.
“You do it anyway,” she said plainly when asked how to self-advocate without feeling fully confident.
Other topics included the ongoing debate over return-to-office policies, the value of hybrid work models, the importance of internal referrals to bypass applicant tracking systems, and the enduring need for generational diversity in workplaces.
To listen to the full interview, click the link above.