Laid Off: A Social Media Producer at Condé Nast

"What I'll say is that layoffs are a constant in my industry."

Margaret L., 28, was laid off from her social media job at Condé Nast in May 2024.

“I was told I was laid off since I was working as a single-role incumbent position,” she said. “You tell me what that means!”

Margaret was first informed about the layoffs in November 2023, but due to management delays on getting their union a fair contract, the process was dragged out until May of this year.

“I’m really grateful for my union for giving me the time to reflect, getting a nice severance package, and being able to figure out my next career moves.”

She ended up with three months of severance, an extra $2,000, and three months of paid Cobra. She’s still figuring out what she’ll do about health insurance once the extension ends — she’s been trying to find something on the NYS Health Plan marketplace but hasn’t settled on which plan yet.

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Where were you when you found out?

I was working from home that day when one of my union stewards called me about it.

Was this the first time you were laid off?

Yes!

Did you see it coming?

What I'll say is that layoffs are a constant in my industry.

What was your greatest financial concern with the sudden loss of income?

Though I've spent the majority of my time in NYC living with roommates, I currently live in a studio apartment so I was concerned about whether or not I would have to move back in with roommates. Otherwise, I'm super fortunate that I've always tried my best to fight for my worth and get paid for the social media expertise that I bring to the table.

Who was the first person you told after getting laid off?

I told my mom over text and then called her afterwards.

What was the first thing you did after receiving the news?

I'm a Virgo who is still working on healthily processing their emotions so there wasn't a big emotional outburst from me at that instant. I did message a few folks in my network about my availability to take on work, if their company or team saw a need for it.

Has being laid off changed how you view your relationship to work?

My desire to be in journalism was driven by watching way too many rom-com movies so I'm trying to find the best way to be my girly-pop self without having to try to conform to an industry that isn't ready for the digital revolution of the 2020s. It's sad to see teams like mine be at the top of their game and deliver everything and still be laid off because we don't know how to be profitable and sustainable.

Say you’re playing lay-off detective. What signs would you be looking out for to predict whether they’re coming?

Don't work at a company that had a public DEI scandal (involving chefs) where leadership holds firm on the fact that the current processes don't need to be changed.

What advice would you give someone who has just been laid off?

It's important to process emotions at some point and better to do it sooner rather than later.

What’s something nice a person can do when their friend or peer gets laid off?

My community really showed up for me which also played into why I felt more calm about the situation. One of my friends took me out on a short day trip so we could just forget about our real lives for a bit which I loved.

What do you wish people would stop saying or doing after someone gets laid off?

I personally struggle with trying to look for reasoning behind the layoff when a bad answer is given to me, when the best thing to do is just to move forward.

What’s something cool you’ve worked on since the lay-off?

I just finished my first-ever video game development jam where my team and I created a platformer game in just five days.

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Margaret is looking for work right now. She is a social media expert who has led Instagram and TikTok at major editorial media companies and is looking to bring her skills to elevate your brand’s impact through strategy and/or content production.

Are you looking for someone like Margaret? Drop your opportunity in the comments or hit reply.