I Lost My Job During COVID and Ended Up With a Better One
The call came on a Tuesday. My HR job was gone, my baby was a few months old, and I had absolutely no plan.
I'm not going to tell you I saw an opportunity. I didn't. I saw a problem — a big one — and I had about three weeks before the panic really set in.
What I didn't know was that this was the beginning of the best career move I ever made. Not because I had it figured out. Because I didn't — and I moved anyway.
If you're sitting with a layoff, a baby, or a life that just got turned upside down and you're wondering if there's another way, this is for you. I'm going to walk you through exactly what happened, what I tried, what worked, and what I wish someone had told me.
What a Career Pivot After Job Loss Actually Feels Like
Let's start with the part nobody talks about.
It doesn't feel empowering at first. It feels scary. It feels like everyone else has a plan and you're Googling "how to make money from home" at 11pm while your baby sleeps.
The freelancing success stories online make it look clean. Woman loses job, discovers her passion, builds a six-figure business in six months. You've seen the posts.
That is not what happened to me. And I'd be willing to bet it's not what happened to most people you follow, either.
The Real Timeline Nobody Posts About
My first few months looked like this: a lot of Facebook group scrolling, a lot of reading things I only half understood, and a whole lot of figuring things out as I went.
I had a newborn, no income, and no desire to put her in daycare and go back to an office job. That last part mattered. It narrowed my options down to one direction: online.
That's not a pivot story with a clean narrative arc. That's a mom in survival mode who got resourceful.
And honestly? That's a more common story than anyone admits.
How Her HR Background Became the Unexpected Advantage
Here's the thing I didn't realize until later: I already had the skills.
I'd spent years in Human Resources sourcing candidates, interviewing for fit, negotiating offers, onboarding new hires, and tracking data. I was the person who made sure everything ran smoothly and everyone had what they needed.
That's not a corporate skill set. That's a people skill set. And people skills translate everywhere.
The Transferable Skills I Didn't Know I Had
When I started learning about the online space — social media management, engagement strategy, community building — something clicked.
These weren't new skills. They were the same skills wearing different clothes.
Sourcing candidates = identifying and reaching out to potential clients
Qualifying in interviews = qualifying leads through real conversation
Onboarding new hires = onboarding clients with clear expectations
Tracking compliance data = tracking engagement metrics and reporting results
Building trust fast = showing up consistently in comments and DMs
If you've ever worked in HR, customer service, recruiting, or any people-facing role, I want you to hear this: you are not starting from zero. You are starting from experience most online business owners don't have.
That reframe changed everything for me.
"About 60% of freelancers who transitioned from traditional employment reported earning more than they did in their previous salaried positions." — Quantumrun, 2025
How I Actually Started Freelancing Online (The Unglamorous Version)
In true millennial fashion, I started in a Facebook group.
I found out you could actually get paid for social media work, virtual assisting, engagement, and managing online communities. And I remember thinking — this is basically HR. It's just online.
Finding the Right Community Changed Everything
I found a course called The Engagement Academy and connected with hundreds of people who were building in this same space. People who were specializing in building relationships and qualifying leads — just like I had done in HR.
That community gave me two things I didn't have: knowledge and people.
I learned the landscape. I started understanding how the online space worked, what clients needed, and where I could genuinely add value. And I made connections — real ones — that led to my first clients.
My first clients didn't come from a perfect website or a huge following. They came from relationships. From showing up consistently, being honest about what I could do, and letting people get to know me.
What the First Few Months Looked Like
I'm not going to pretend it was smooth. I was learning and parenting at the same time. I was working during nap times and late nights and early mornings. I made mistakes.
But here's what I noticed: the skills that had made me good at HR — listening well, asking the right questions, following through — were making me good at this, too.
By the time I had a few clients, it didn't feel like a side hustle anymore. It felt like work I was actually good at. Work that fit the life I was trying to build.
What the Career Pivot Taught Me About Work, Life, and Confidence
This is the part that surprised me most.
I thought the biggest change would be financial. It wasn't. The biggest change was that I finally stopped shrinking.
In a traditional office environment, I was good at my job. But I was also performing a version of myself that fit the role. Professional. Measured. Careful about what I said and how I said it.
Online, I just... said things. I shared my actual opinions. I showed up as the real, unfiltered version of myself — the loud version, the emotional version, the one who thinks everything is on fire while wearing a hoodie that says "Everything is Fine."
And people responded. Not in spite of that, but because of it.
What She Knows Now That She Didn't Then
The freelance workforce has grown 90% in the U.S. between 2020 and 2024. (Quantumrun). That's not a coincidence. COVID forced a lot of people into the same realization I had: there's another way.
By 2027, freelancers are projected to make up more than half of the U.S. workforce. (Upwork, 2025). The online space isn't a backup plan anymore. It's a real career.
And the skills that corporate America trained you to have — communication, organization, follow-through, people reading — those are the skills that make a freelancer great.
If You're Sitting Where I Was, Here's What I'd Tell You
You don't need a plan. You need a willingness to start moving.
I didn't have clarity when I started. I had a problem to solve and a direction to walk in. The clarity came from moving, not before it.
A few things that actually helped:
Start looking, even without a plan — the plan builds itself as you go
Your last job was not wasted. Name the people skills it gave you.
Find people who are doing what you want to do and get close to them
Send the DM. Go to the event. Take the call. Confidence is built through action, not waiting.
The most meaningful things rarely come easy. Struggling doesn't mean you're on the wrong path. It usually means it's worth fighting for.
If you're trying to figure out the online space and what your next move looks like, come find me on Instagram — that's where the real conversation happens. Or join my email list and I'll show up in your inbox with the honest version of what this work actually looks like.
You don't have to figure it out alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Career Pivots After a Layoff
Can you really make a full-time income from freelancing online?
Yes — but it takes longer than the highlight reels suggest. Full-time income from freelancing came from building real relationships over time, not a single viral post or overnight launch. According to Upwork, skilled U.S. freelancers earned a collective $1.5 trillion in 2024. The opportunity is real. The timeline just requires honesty.
What if I don't have obvious skills for online work?
Most people underestimate what they already know. If you've ever managed people, communicated under pressure, or built trust quickly in a professional setting, those skills translate. The platform changes. The human element doesn't. Start by listing what you did every day in your last job that involved other people.
How do I start freelancing when I have a baby or young kids at home?
In the margins, at first. Nap times, early mornings, late nights. The work expands to fit the time you give it. The key is starting small and building systems as you go — not waiting until the conditions are perfect. They won't be. Start anyway.
Do I need a website or a big following to get freelance clients?
No. Most of the first clients came through referrals and direct relationships — not a big following. A clear offer and consistent, genuine engagement go much further than follower count. Learn more about relationship-based client acquisition here.
Is it too late to change careers in your 30s or 40s?
No. And the life experience you bring is actually an asset most 22-year-olds don't have. The online space rewards real, specific voices. The more life you've lived, the more you have to say. Start there.
