I got fired from Google and started working at Trader Joe's 10 days later.

This essay is based on a conversation with Kim Kyung-sook, 55, also known by her English name Lois Kim. She was laid off from Google in 2023 and had been working three part-time jobs for about a year. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider confirmed her current and past employment status.

I was shocked. For the past 30 years, I had always felt job security. I was also feeling angry, disappointed, and frustrated because five years ago, I moved from Korea to the San Francisco Bay Area after being offered the Global Communications Director position at Google.

I felt like I had been dumped by my boyfriend. I was depressed and questioned what to do next and what my worth was.

The weekend after I was laid off, I went through the five stages of grief and started thinking, “I've been working in a corporate world for 30 years, but isn't that enough? What else do I want to do?”

So I sat down and started writing about jobs I'd always wanted to do, and within 30 minutes I had a list of 10, including working as a cashier at Trader Joe's, a driver, a bartender, and a librarian.

Kim started working at Trader Joe's 10 days after she was fired from Google.

Writing this list gave me energy and made me want to take action right away, so just 10 days after I was laid off, I started a part-time job at Trader Joe's.

Balancing work and life

On my first day, I was worried about how people would perceive me as a former Google director who now works in a grocery store. It's normal to act for appearances in Asian culture, but I quickly got over it.

After getting the job, I applied to be a Lyft driver and started driving a few weeks later, and shortly after, I also started working as a part-time barista at Starbucks.

I started out working 20 hours a week at Trader Joe's, 15-20 hours a week at Starbucks, and 15-20 hours a week at Lyft. I was working about 70 hours a week for the first few months. After 6 months, I was promoted to Section Leader at Trader Joe's and my hours increased.

I worked three morning shifts at Trader Joe's, one afternoon at Starbucks, and worked as a Lyft driver in between.

Working three jobs at once wasn't a financial decision. It was difficult and unsustainable in the long run, but it was how I chose to cope and get through difficult times.

Lois Kim says she's not a great barista.

Working in three different places opened my eyes to a different world, I learned a lot, gained confidence and met some amazing people.

One of the biggest takeaways from this experience is that I learned more about myself. Learning how to do a job from the ground up is a humbling experience.

I considered myself a great talent in the corporate world and thought I was good at everything, but not as a barista. After nearly a year, I left my job at Starbucks and was promoted to a managerial role at Trader Joe's.

Your work is not your identity

Another big lesson I learned from my gap year is that the company you work for or your job title doesn't define who you are. Outside of that, you can be yourself and be valued and recognized by others.

If you're in a similar position to me — laid off after a long career — think of your next step as a project. It can be three months or six months, but having a project can help you feel energized because it allows you to shift your focus and open yourself up to new experiences.

Also, keep meeting people. Losing a job can usually make you feel disconnected, but continually talking to friends and old colleagues can lift your spirits and even help you land new opportunities.

Within the first month, I made a point of learning the names of 100 people who work at Trader Joe's. My gap year allowed me to meet people I wouldn't normally meet in a corporate setting.

I wasn't looking to leave the corporate world and embark on a gap year project, I just wanted to find a way to keep myself busy.

About three months into my journey, I realized how much I was learning and enjoying it, so I decided to continue for a full year, share my experiences with others, and start writing a book.

Did you choose a different career path after being laid off? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-google-juggled-jobs-trader-joes-careers-corporate-life-2024-7 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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