Ready Either Way
For the raise, the promotion, or the pink slip. Walk into your review with your case written, and walk out of any layoff with your next move ready.
Apply for a spotQ4 is review season. It's also layoff season.
The same quarter that decides your raise, your promotion, and your bonus is the one when companies quietly trim budgets. Sometimes the performance review and the "quick sync" invite land in the same month.
For women of color, the stakes are higher. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 60 Black women are, and only 82 Latinas and Asian women. So much of that gap gets decided in documents like your self-review: how you describe your work, and whether anyone can overlook it.
He was right. You deserve to walk into Q4 prepared for both outcomes.
Two pieces. Ready either way.
The Year-End Review
You know the line. Talk about your wins too plainly and you're "not a team player." Give everyone credit and you disappear from your own year. I'll help you walk it.
The Next Chapter Kit
Sometimes you do everything right and the layoff still comes. Your next opportunity shouldn't have to wait for you to rebuild from scratch.
Built around your life, not a calendar.
Ready Either Way
Good questions.
Is this coaching?
No. This is done-with-you writing. You bring the story of your year; I turn it into documents you can submit, send, and use.
Why not just use AI?
AI can polish your words. It can't tell you that you're underselling yourself, which wins matter most, or how to navigate the line between owning your work and sharing credit. That judgment is what you're hiring.
Is my information confidential?
Yes. Everything you share stays private and is deleted 30 days after delivery. Please share only what your employer permits.
Can my company pay for this?
Often, yes. It's eligible for most professional development stipends, and I'll provide an invoice. If you have budget left this year, use it before it resets.
What if my review isn't due until next year?
Even better. You'll walk in with your case already written, and your Next Chapter Kit done in the meantime.
Whether you stay, go, or get pushed, be ready either way.
I've never offered this before, and I'm keeping it to five women so each one gets my full attention. If you've been waiting for a sign to take your career seriously this quarter, this is it.
Gala Jackson · TEDx speaker · Author of Courage, Clarity, and Confidence · Certified executive career and leadership coach
