Layoffs are an employee’s worst nightmare. This Binghamton grad helps people bounce back

“Your role is eliminated.”

Vanita Capobianco ’09 has never forgotten how she felt upon hearing those words. She was in shock. She never saw it coming.

Her career in human resources spanned a decade at that point, beginning at CBS Corporation and continuing through the 2019 merger between CBS and Viacom, later rebranded as Paramount Global. But when another merger approached, her luck ran out, and the senior director of HR technology operations was being called in to hear the words no one is ever ready for: she was being laid off.

Questions and raw emotions swirled; Capobianco had hit her own “rock bottom,” and even though she later became the associate director of HR process optimization at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, she realized a layoff can happen to anyone. Now, through her “Laid Off to Lift Off” podcast, Capobianco shares stories of others affected by layoffs from across the business world and offers inspiring lessons on rebuilding your career.

“We see it in the news all the time, but if you’ve never been through a layoff, it can feel very lonely. Not everyone truly understands the pain of not knowing where that next paycheck is going to come from,” said Capobianco, who earned her business administration degree from the Binghamton University School of Management with concentrations in marketing and leadership and consulting.

“When I realized someone could put my name on a spreadsheet and change the trajectory of my life without me having a say, a light bulb went off in my head,” she said. “I knew I needed to change how I viewed work.”

Capobianco believed others might feel motivated to do the same, and that inspired the launch of her podcast. Throughout 14 episodes, she’s secured guests by scouring LinkedIn and TikTok for people posting about their layoff experiences. Her interviews have included people who worked in HR, at media companies and in advertising.

What’s surprised Capobianco most about the stories she’s helped share is discovering not only how many are willing to share their journeys of navigating unemployment, but also how they shared her realization that tying too much of your identity into your work can hinder future growth, especially if that job is suddenly taken away.

So, how can people bounce back?

“You still have your experience, you still have your education, you still have all those great things that are transferable skills,” Capobianco said. “Tap into your network — it doesn’t always have to be about whether they have a job posting. Sometimes you gain more in the long run just by having a 15-minute conversation about your experience, so don’t underestimate the value that could bring.”

Capobianco credits the foundation she built at Binghamton and SOM with giving her the confidence not only to pursue her dream job in a competitive business field, but also to emerge from unemployment with a fresh perspective on her career path.

Her favorite niche has been working at the intersection of HR and technology. Much of her professional experience has involved taking the lead on major HR technology rollouts, streamlining processes, and improving the employee experience through practical, data-driven solutions.

Capobianco, who has implemented applicant tracking systems for companies covering more than 30 countries and worked with 100-plus recruiters at a given time, believes it’s essential to leverage new technology to improve existing business processes wherever possible.

That’s why she encourages today’s business students to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” and to seek out opportunities to grow beyond their initial career aspirations.

“The business world is changing. The way we work is changing, so don’t get stuck in the day-to-day grind of your nine-to-five,” she said. “If there are conferences that you can attend or want to attend, bring them up to your boss and get to understand the different companies and industries around you and your area of expertise. Be curious and put yourselves out there, because that’s how you’ll truly grow and learn.”