After being laid off from LinkedIn in May this year, Oscar Cecena Fujigaki decided to finally finish a project he had been putting off for years: his science fiction novel. Writing the book had been a slow, on-and-off effort while he worked full-time, leaving him too exhausted to write on a daily basis. But after he was laid off one morning over an email, he saw an opportunity to dedicate himself fully to his passion, Business Insider reported.
‘Felt angry, sad, confused’
“I received an email stating that I had been laid off. I was shocked to be affected,” he told Business Insider. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked at the company for over three years as a senior customer success manager.
Fujigaki added, “Based on our performance metrics, my understanding was that I was doing well. It was the first time I had ever been laid off, and I didn’t know how to process it. I felt angry, sad, and confused all at once.”
But how did he decide to skip job hunting and focus on writing a book?
A few days after being laid off, the 47-year-old attended his cousin’s wedding, which gave him some time to think about his next steps. When he returned home, he decided to finally finish the science fiction novel he had been working on for the past five years.
By June, he had set a strict daily routine, treating writing like a 9-to-5 job. “I began treating writing like a 9-to-5 job. I woke up early, made breakfast, and instead of logging into work, I opened my manuscript,” he was quoted by Business Insider as saying.
He set a goal for himself – 2,000 words a day, including rewriting portions of the novel he had already drafted. By August, he had completed the book.
The book is a 112,000-word cyberpunk story about an assassin whose mission goes horribly wrong. You are guessing it right. He hit the wrong target, and things went out of control.
For Fujigaki, finishing the novel was a major personal achievement, even if publication and editing still lay ahead.
He seeks a job that lets him balance work and writing
While writing, he would sometimes scroll through LinkedIn and apply for jobs. Thanks to severance, unemployment benefits, personal savings, and his wife’s support, he could afford to focus on writing without the immediate pressure of income. But he knew that eventually, he would have to return to work.
Initially, Fujigaki applied for senior roles in customer success, hoping to land a position better than the one he lost at LinkedIn, which had paid nearly $1.1 lakh (roughly around Rs 1 crore). He quickly realised, though, that applying only for high-level roles wasn’t helping.
He further told the outlet, “Looking back, I think I was still feeling a bit bitter towards LinkedIn, and subconsciously I wanted to prove something – to land a better job than the one I’d just been laid off from.”
“In hindsight, that mindset wasn’t helpful. I was applying for roles that didn’t quite match my experience, which made it harder to land a job,” he admitted.
He then broadened his search and prioritised jobs that offered a balance of pay, stability, and flexibility, allowing him to continue writing on the side.
‘When US sneezes, Canada catches cold’
The tech job market has been challenging both in the US and Canada. Yet, Fujigaki remains hopeful. His LinkedIn profile says that he is open to work. He’s reconnecting with former colleagues and expanding his professional network to find new opportunities.
At the same time, he is revising his novel with feedback from his longtime writing group and plans to seek a literary agent soon.
‘Don’t take layoffs personally, focus on present’
Reflecting on his experience, he shared three pieces of advice to those who have recently lost their job.
- Don’t take it personally. “Layoffs are business decisions made by people who don’t even know your name or situation. Don’t take it personally,” he expressed, per the outlet.
- Take time for yourself if possible. He added, “Start a personal project, go on a trip, spend time with family — whatever matters to you.”
- Focus on the present. “The past is gone,” he further told the outlet, before stressing, “Focus on what you can control today, whether that’s your project, applying for jobs, or networking. The present is all that really matters.”
