After a long job search, this 45-year-old is ditching corporate for nursing school—she wishes she'd done it earlier
Kristy Layden spent over a year job searching after losing her job as a senior manager in e-commerce and fulfillment. Now she's going to nursing school instead.
TL;DR
- Kristy Layden, 45, lost her job as a senior manager in e-commerce and fulfillment in early 2025.
- She experienced over a year of unsuccessful job searching, sending more than 250 applications and progressing in the hiring process for only about 25.
- Layden observed a trend of "forever layoffs" in the corporate world, with companies announcing over 1.2 million job cuts in 2025.
- She decided to enroll in nursing school, drawn by the healthcare industry's job growth and the resilience of nursing roles.
- Layden is interested in becoming a nurse anesthetist or a nurse injector in esthetics, believing these roles are less likely to be replaced by AI.
- She is financing her education through loans and family assistance, and is working part-time remotely to cover expenses.
- Layden anticipates being in nursing school for approximately two years and hopes to work in the field until retirement.