As I was engaged in a job search, I moved through the obligatory stages of surprise to being bummed and finally to a good place where I was excited about future opportunities. The rest has done me a lot of good and given me time to think about my career trajectory and the next team I want to be part of.
The first thing I did was contact former freelance clients and colleagues. Within days, some projects started rolling in, which was awesome. I had no doubt that would be the case, but you never know. This current global economy is weird. Businesses are struggling, and with international competition, getting freelance work isn’t as easy as it used to be.
Which is why your reputation and business network matter. Now, more than ever. You know that adage about positive versus negative experiences. If someone has a positive experience with you, they may tell 1-2 people about it. However, if they have a negative experience, they will tell an average of 20 people. Word of mouth can tank your business and your professional reputation.
However, if you love your employer and team (and have any sense of decorum and honor), you should be just as respectful after you leave. I mean, that’s how I was raised. A separation agreement wasn’t necessary. I have that professionalism ingrained in me, but I signed it nonetheless.
Turn The Page and Move On
They say nice people finish last. We don’t. We get there a little more slowly but with our integrity intact. I always shake my head at former employees who rant and rave online, especially on LinkedIn. It’s cringeworthy. Brent is an IT executive and had to let someone go recently, and he ranted and raved for weeks. I wish people would take time and space to consider how inappropriate, unprofessional, and career-limiting that is.
I’ve made it my professional ethos never to disparage a past employer publicly for a negative experience. Turn the page, move on, and don’t denigrate your professionalism by being vindictive. What’s the point? It’s best to take a “thank you, next!” approach.
I caught up with a friend who is a highly paid executive leader. She deliberately doesn’t stay longer than 1.4 years on average. Job jumping has increased her salary by over $40k in the past three years! Hmm…I have that old-school streak that prefers tenure, not as a matter of comfort but because I am a relationship person. I enjoy building things as a team, and that takes time.
The younger generations don’t look at “job jumping” the same way. They gamify it to their advantage. I prefer to be “all in” because it’s my default setting. Maybe it is a marketing thing. I have to love what I do to be good at it, so I choose brands I am passionate about. I’m loyal to a fault.
Ultimately, everything has an expiration date, and employment opportunities are no different. I had been very passively interviewing since March, looking for a change of industry. I like learning new things.
I was at one of Brent’s shows where a bunch of friends talked about the job market. I think they were expecting me to speak badly about my employer. Instead, I told them I was grateful (and kind of happy about it). Rather than trying to balance a job search and interviews on my lunch breaks and in the middle of a heavy workflow, the time to relax, recharge, and consider what I wanted to do next has been a great gift to me.
I can take my time and find an opportunity and culture that is a perfect fit. That is precisely what emergency savings are for. I’m an aggressive saver.
After talking to a few headhunters and recruiters, I learned that my salary potential is much (much) higher. All clouds have a silver lining. I’m excited about the next chapter and the new people I will meet.
Keeping Busy With Some Referred Projects
I’m the kind of person who often connects other people to freelance work. That is quite common in the marketing industry. Previous clients reach out looking for help, and I usually know a person or two that I trust who are talented and will get the job done well for businesses (and people) I care about.
During the first year, my job was seven days a week. I haven’t freelanced since July 2022 because I didn’t need to, financially. I also did not have the bandwidth with the demands of my salaried role. So, I paid it forward to the self-employed professionals I know (and love).
For example, I have referred over thirty people to SEO providers in the last year alone. I keep a spreadsheet of contacts and try to “spread out” my referrals to trusted professionals. Some people take a cut or referral fee, but I never have. It is not that I don’t like money; I value my business relationships (and friendships) more.
The flow has been good. I do a little work to keep me busy (and hopefully delay unemployment benefits if possible) and send out my CVs and cover letters. Each is customized and checked for ATS, and each employer is thoroughly researched.
I look at their website and social media (typical marketing scope of work and brand review). However, I am also looking at things like their reviews from past employees. What is their culture really like? Are people proud and happy to work there? Will I be happy working there? It pays to put in the time to ask these questions. Employer reviews will tell you so much and, hopefully, help you find a successful role and culture fit.
Helping Others Where I Can
Everyone should have a friend who is a communications professional or writer. Since January 2023, the Facebook social group I founded has grown to over 2,300 active members. It’s awesome! At gatherings, people often talk about the economy, inflation, and the current labor market. Suffice it to say that many Americans are struggling with the cost of living and more.
I made an open callout to anyone who needed help with their CV. One lady told me she had spent over two weeks working on her resume. I had to help her. In a couple of hours, I wrote her three variations for different roles for which she was qualified and a great cover letter that she could edit as needed. I also shared some of my tips on making your CV stand out.
I’ve helped three people in the past four weeks, which felt good. I have the time, so why shouldn’t I help where possible? I’ve already cleaned our closet, helped Brent organize the garage, and completed my twice-annual clothing purge and donation. We also got Kelsi off to college, and I’ve been running her around to take the heat off Brent until she gets her license. In a weird way, the timing was perfect.
I signed up for Udemy and have been trucking through some courses. Again, why not? I like to bring my A-game, and marketing (like IT) requires continuous learning. Having the time and energy to do more continuing education is nice. From HubSpot Academy to Google Analytics and Adwords certifications, I’m enjoying it. #Flex
Anytime I have had a “loss” of any sort, I end up in a better place—every. single. time.
What people don’t know is that I had a health scare this year. I’d spent February to July worried that the abnormal results I had received in my mammogram meant the worst. My partner, BFF, and sister knew, but I kept it down low otherwise. The mammogram rescan kept getting canceled and rescheduled (ad infinitum), and my anxiety about it was getting worse and worse.
Cancer has robbed me of many people I loved. Still love. And miss terribly.
The recheck was perfect. The first scan was done poorly, and there was absolutely NOTHING wrong. You can imagine how relieved I was to get a 100% clean bill of health. I’m not ashamed to admit I actually burst into tears in the consultation room. They had scheduled a post-mammogram ultrasound, which was actually not required.
The technician hugged me. She was awesome.
My stepfather in Canada and the mother of a close friend here in Texas had just been diagnosed with colon cancer. I know another remarkable woman, an IT professional and Mom, who has two sons in cancer treatment right now, and a former colleague I care very much about was also recently diagnosed.
I pray every day for them all. Knowing what these good people are navigating is a perspective check. Poor me, I have to find a new job? No. Compared to many people, I have little to nothing to complain about. In fact, how dare I even think about complaining about having to look for a new job when 3.49M Americans experienced job loss this year (as of July 2024).
My Attitude Of Gratitude Returns
I’m grateful I got to do some cool things. I’ll never forget the marketing conference in Denver and the great people I met there, who remained in touch. I’d never been to Denver before, and it was fun. The trips to Clearwater Beach in Florida and dinners with our crew were also great. Oh, the seafood in Florida!
I’m grateful to have a fantastic life partner who has my back financially, as I had his when he lost his job in August 2023. We’re a great team. I can’t believe it’s been almost three years already! Time flies when you are with someone who makes you happy every day. We work. We plan. We pivot. We also laugh a lot. 🙂
I’m grateful I had Labor Day off to cook, relax, play with my dogs, and write. I’ve missed long weekends.
I’m grateful for the fantastic recruiters who are working with me. The job opportunities they present both validate (and excite) me.
I’m grateful to be in good health and consider that a blessing.
I’m grateful for my business community.
I’m grateful for my talents and my career.
I’m grateful for my kayak.
The next adventure is around the corner. 🙂
