Ep 126 Career: Understanding the 2022 job market, a shift is coming

Show notes

Welcome to the 126th episode of The Crazy One Podcast. I’m your host, Stephen Gates, and this is the show where we talk about creativity, leadership, design, and all kinds of things that help empower creative people.

You can listen to all episodes and get the show notes over at thecrazyone.com—that’s thecrazy and the number one. And don’t forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave a quick review. It’s the only thing I ask—it helps more people discover the show.

Also, The Crazy One is now on YouTube with career coaching, masterclasses, old keynotes, and new interviews. Head to thecrazyone.com/youtube to check it out.

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A Personal and Industry Shift

This episode has been six months in the making. Back in May, I got laid off from my last job—something I talked about briefly on social media and in earlier episodes. That experience has changed my perspective and, ultimately, the direction of my career.

Why? Because I believe we’re on the verge of a major shift in the creative industry—one that will bring both opportunity and challenge.

Here’s what we’ll explore in this episode:

• What’s going on in the creative industry as we near the end of 2022

• What’s driving so much change in the job market

• The major shift I see coming

• How this moment shaped my next step—and what it could mean for your career too

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Six Months of Searching

In the six months since the layoff:

• I applied to over 150 jobs

• Had 70+ initial interviews

• Advanced to 30+ second-round interviews

• Was ghosted by over 20 companies

• Received 3 offers, but declined them all

 

That’s humbling.

When I made the announcement that I was laid off, it got over 400,000 impressions in 72 hours. Honestly, I never thought I’d still be jobless six months later. Given my resume, background, and what I’ve contributed to this industry, I assumed another opportunity would come quickly.

But it didn’t.

That triggered a lot of self-reflection, imposter syndrome, and doubt.

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The Industry Isn’t What It Used to Be

I started realizing that maybe the industry—and in-house roles in particular—don’t align with who I am anymore. Out of 150+ applications, I only got truly excited about 4–5 opportunities. That’s telling.

I found myself in interviews with companies that felt uninspired—repeating the same broken patterns I’ve seen before. I know how those stories end. I’ve seen this movie.

I realized I was institutionalized in my thinking—believing the only future was with another in-house team. But that’s not necessarily true anymore.

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Why It’s Not Just Me

As I started to share more of this journey, I was flooded with support—thousands of DMs and emails from others going through the same thing.

That’s why I’m sharing this. Because too many people feel alone in this journey. Alone in their shame. Alone in the layoff. Alone in their frustration.

You’re not alone. We are not alone.

And no, I’m not naming names or companies. This is about telling the truth, not burning bridges.

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The Illusion of “Making It”

I want to kill the myth that there’s a point in your career where you “make it.” Where you don’t feel imposter syndrome, rejection, or self-doubt.

That’s not real.

I’ve felt like a fraud. I’ve questioned whether I even had the authority to host this show anymore.

But the truth is, no one is immune to these feelings. The only difference is whether we talk about them.

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What’s Really Going On

So what’s driving this moment?

We’re in the era of defensive employment—a term coined by my friend Mike Tingland. Here’s what that means:

• Layoffs have flooded the market with talent.

• Job openings are down, and competition is way up.

• Compensation and seniority levels are shrinking.

• Hybrid vs. remote work tensions continue to rise.

• Hiring practices are broken and in many cases, dehumanizing.

• Design maturity is still low: 83% of design teams are stuck in the bottom/middle of the maturity model.

• In-house creativity is contracting as compliance takes precedence over creativity.

 

We’ve shown up, learned the business, got a seat at the table—but business never took the time to learn design. And we’re still paying the price.

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The Gig Economy Is Now All Of Us

We used to think the gig economy was just for freelancers. That’s no longer true.

Even full-time employees are operating with the mindset of freelancers—because we’ve all learned the hard way that stability doesn’t really exist. We’re all free agents now.

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Trust Is Fractured

Can trust still exist between companies and employees?

I don’t think it can—at least not at scale. It might exist within teams or individuals, but not broadly across a company.

And that loss of trust has a price.

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A Moment of Reinvention

But this isn’t just doom and gloom. Historically, moments like this lead to innovation—Airbnb, Uber, countless startups were born from downturns like this.

We’re seeing:

• True radical transparency (salary sharing, anonymous forums, etc.)

• The rise of the design founder

• A shift away from in-house teams toward smaller, more nimble creative collectives

 

Many of the traditional consultancies and agencies got acquired, leaving room for new models of creative work—remote studios, distributed networks, design-led founders.

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Introducing: CRZY Design

So here’s my answer to this moment: I’ve launched my own independent studio called CRZY—short for Crazy. Because let’s be honest, doing great work, changing culture, or speaking truth to power takes a little crazy.

CRZY will focus on:

1. Strategy: Business, product, and org strategy

2. Design: Brand, product, and digital design

3. Inspiration: Keynotes, workshops, coaching, and mentoring

 

It’s built for honesty, creativity, partnership, and community. We’ll build remote teams on demand, keep things nimble, and prioritize transparency—especially when it’s hard.

We’ll also give back: everyone who works with me will spend at least 90 minutes a week mentoring others.

Check it out at crzydesign.com.

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What’s Your Version of Crazy?

Maybe your next job isn’t what you thought. Maybe this moment is asking you to rethink your path.

If you’re job searching, go listen to Episode 120 (How to Short-Circuit the Job Market) and Episode 122 (How to Know When to Quit). Those are there to help.

And if you need more support:

• I still do three free mentoring sessions every Friday via adplist.org

• Every Monday, new sessions open up

• I offer paid coaching and in-house workshops for teams

• If you want to work with CRZY, reach out

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Final Thoughts

Don’t let this moment defeat you. Let it inspire you.

Give yourself permission to think differently. Prioritize your mental health and happiness. And remember: believing in yourself right now might be one of the most rebellious things you can do.

As always, thank you for your time. It’s the most valuable thing we all have. If I can help, reach out.

And until next time, stay crazy.

Tagged as:
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