I was laid off from Nike after 20 years. 3 actions helped me land a new executive role within months.

Tim Perks Courtesy of Tim Perks Tim Perks spent two decades at Nike before being laid off in 2024. Four months after he was laid off, he relocated across the country to start a new executive role. Perks shares the three strategies he used to help him, including how he activated his existing network. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tim Perks, a 58-year-old vice president of store design and planning at DICK'S Sporting Goods in Pittsburgh. It's been edited for length and clarity. After two decades at Nike, my team and I got cut from the company in a major reorganization. It was my first corporate job . I wasn't freaked out when I heard the reorg was coming — it had been announced some months before, so everybody knew it was on its way.