Corporate Kate

If you are a new grad trying to break into your first role, or someone who has lost their job because a company tried to have AI replace your work, it might feel particularly dire right now. You may be wondering if you need to make an entire career pivot, or if the degree you just got was worth the cost.

But it turns out, I actually didn't have a non-compete in my contract. Only VPs and above had them. If I had not ever looked back at my employment agreement to check, I would never have applied to the job I hold today. That is exactly why this document deserves a real read. It decides whether you get severance, whether you can take a job at a competitor, whether you can call your old clients, and even what you are allowed to say about the company on your way out.

But my reality every year for that stretch was that I had to gear up for January. When the consultants started pouring in to talk about our India office, or when our company was sold to a new PE firm midyear, I knew all of these changes would come home to roost in January. What made sense for that company, though, might not hold for every company. Our fiscal year followed the standard calendar year, so clearing out costs before heading into a new year with new goals made sense.