Meet Chrissy Clark

We were lucky to catch up with Chrissy Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chrissy, really appreciate you joining us to talk about a really relevant, albeit unfortunate topic – layoffs and getting fired. Can you talk to us about your experience and how you overcame being let go?

In 2019, I started my career in journalism and thought — just like my friends entering corporate America — that I’d stay at one company for 5-10 years. But in my five years in journalism, I’ve already worked for five different companies. My career was, quite literally, the exact opposite of what I anticipated!

Of the five jobs I’ve held, I was let go from three different companies. What stunned me about these layoffs is that I’m an incredibly hard worker. In fact, I’ve never been terminated for my skills, effort, or lack thereof.

In these numerous situations, my perseverance didn’t come from the work that I did in between these multiple jobs, it came from the off-duty work I did. Every job I took afforded me the opportunities to network, utilize a brand name to reach out to people who (probably?) otherwise wouldn’t have responded to me, and through this, I grew my network. I was also kind to everyone I met. And sometimes that was incredibly difficult in Washington DC! I took coffee dates with anyone who would chat about work and life, and always took opportunities to attend conferences designed for college students or recent graduates.

When the time came for a job switch, I was blessed to never spend more than a few days unemployed as I had connected with others when I did not have an agenda. Being kind to people and caring about their lives, outside of wanting a job from them, could be the very attribute that lands you a job one day (ironic, I know).

One of the hardest parts of losing a job is wrapping your mind around being “punished” for problems that aren’t necessarily our fault. Budget cuts, downsizing, change in company direction can be really tough to grasp. I understand more than I can say. But the truth is that you’re not being “punished,” you’re about to find new light and purpose in a new direction.

And as I ALWAYS say… No one wants to read a boring memoir! If you’re going through a layoff, your memoir certainly won’t be.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m Chrissy Clark and I’m an independent journalist and host of Underreported Stories, a news podcast on stories that mainstream and corporate news outlets fail to report on. I have the privilege of working as a contributor at conservative media organizations like Turning Point USA and Newsmax. Watch my show on YouTube and Rumble or listen on Apple or Spotify!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three best qualities are being confident, personable, and having a good work ethic. There are some phrases that boomers use like “look me in the eye, son,” or “put down the screens,” that sound dramatic… But they make a big difference!

Older generations have very little faith in people aged 27 and younger (Gen Z + Gen Alpha). If you can look them straight in the eyes, maintain eye contact, and have a genuine conversation with a future employer you are beating out a very solid portion of our generation. These skills are great in every aspect of your life, so seriously, look people in the eyes and put the phone on Do Not Disturb when there are people around.

Having a good work ethic takes dedication and consistency, so I always encourage people to find a job they’re passionate about so that it’s easier to maintain that good work ethic, because hey, you love what you’re doing!

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My parents told me my whole life that “Clarks don’t quit.” When I wanted to drop out of sixth grade choir, nope! “Clarks don’t quit.” When I wanted to stop college. Nope! “Clarks don’t quit.” Whenever there was a challenge in my life — as crazy as free scaling a rock wall outdoors — I was always reminded of the mantra “Clarks don’t quit.”

I’m very grateful for this lesson and I keep it with me every time I’m in a difficult situation.

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