Something that has unfortunately become an increasingly common human experience is unemployment. At the time of writing this, many tech companies are experiencing layoffs, my professional network is full of people searching for new jobs in a chaotic market, and I am no exception.

Five months ago, I received the dreaded call from my manager: I was being let go from my position. While it initially felt like the end of the world, I quickly bounced back, updated my portfolio, and started networking. There was no shortage of tech-focused networking events in NYC, and after attending my first event, I discovered even more opportunities. At one point, I was averaging two events per week!