Did that really just happen?
Yes, it did. It was March 20, 2020 and I had just logged into my 12:00PM Zoom work meeting from my desk/dining room table of my cozy sublet in the heart of Queen Village, Philadelphia.
A few minutes later, I am staring at a blank screen, unemployed and wondering…did that really just happen?
As much as I wished I was dreaming, I was not. The biggest pang of sadness was simply from the loss of a team I truly loved. When you groove with people, it just feels magical. I am no stranger to changing jobs and I know I will be OK, but it’ll be hard to top these folks.
Right after it happened, I remember thinking about how grateful and lucky I was to have been able to experience the digital nomadic lifestyle I had always dreamed of. Traveling is something I prioritize, and when you have a job that encourages you to do it and do it often - well, it makes a wandering soul like myself very happy! Not to mention, all my teammates welcomed me into their homes with open arms.
I’d been waiting for this trip to Philly for months, pining to be back in one of my absolute favorite cities of all time that I’ve missed dearly since I moved away in 2018. I would also like to quickly add that I am the queen of finding affordable Craigslist gems and this place was NEXT level amazing, with views of the city sparkling at me right out the living room window. See for yourself:
I will find you great Craigslist apartments or roomies for a small service charge.
My immediate reaction after the initial shock wore of what just happened was to start applying for roles immediately. I knew in my gut this job search was going to be unlike others before. So that’s exactly what I did - I began prowling LinkedIn, Indeed, Twitter, you name it for hours on end searching for any roles similar to my most recent experience.
But then…I stopped. (insert car screeching sound here)
I started to ask myself questions…what do I really want to do next professionally? What is this whole situation trying to teach me? Was I really happy with the way path my career was headed? I needed to let myself think for a moment…and have a good cry or two, which I did indeed do!
Then I started reflecting. Hardcore re-fleckkk-shun. It's so easy to forget all of the things we’ve accomplished in our lifetimes, but I can guarantee if you take some time to look back, you will be both surprised and proud of yourself. Some of the skills you learned at your very first job have likely touched everyone thereafter, even if the roles look completely different.
Here are a few things I’ve been doing since the big layoff that I have found super helpful:
Write down every single one of your roles in the past and pull out the projects/tasks/assignments that really lit you up inside. The ones you were really excited to work on, even if it wasn't your main responsibility. The stuff you didn't care working on til' the wee hours of the morning to make sure it was your best work.
Update your LinkedIn and resume to reflect these awesome things you've done over time to showcase your skillset. Just because your role is managing clients doesn’t mean you weren’t working away in the background writing email copy and articles to help market the business and spread awareness. It's a great first step in boosting your confidence in seeing just how qualified you are in so many different ways!
Start compiling a list of the roles you ACTUALLY want. The ones that spark a little fire inside of you. Do not let a job description scare you into thinking you aren’t qualified. From personal experience working at a staffing agency, I can tell you that a majority of the time, the job description is just a small component of what the job really is.
Use your network! Do you have any common connections at any of these company’s you are interested in? A connection through a friend, former colleague, an old college buddy? Reach out and ask if they can introduce you to the right people. Politely ask someone would who has a role you are interested in would be open to a quick coffee chat. You will be amazed at how many are open to it and how good you feel after these calls. Networking is the most important thing you can be doing right now. Jobs are scarce, but people out there do want to help. Start connecting.
Spend quality time on each application on your curated list of jobs. This means tailoring your resume, cover letter, and anything else you are sending over to cater to each individual role and company. No two applications should be the same…and yes, this is really time consuming, but worth it. Think about how you can make yourself stand out in a sea of applications.
Reach out to your network. Tell your crew on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, group texts, Twitter (you get the gist, whatever platforms you frequent) in a tasteful way what has happened to you and that you are looking to get back to work ASAP. You never know who will come out of the woodwork to lend a helping hand.
You can catch me on LinkedIn 24/7 because it’s my favorite platform in all the land!
After I did all of the above, I realized something big.
I miss being creative…I miss it a lot.
Creating is something I find time to do all the time. For example, building this website, making little videos on YouTube, posting pictures I take on my social platforms. It’s what I am doing when I am supposed to be working…and I try to weave it into my work as much as possible. Take note of what you do when you procrastinate!
Do not get me wrong…I love being the face of a company to clients both big and small and creating those genuine relationships. I am a people person through and through. I also love brainstorming ideas for content that that will spark curiosity. Crafting messaging that speaks directly to the soul of the customer…that makes them feel something. Thinking of new ways to educate customers on a product. I revel in being in any creative process, so how do I start searching for roles that utilize all of these skills?
This made me all nostalgic thinking about the start of my career at Fox Sports, running all over the city on production and photoshoots. Heck, even if my main responsibility of the day running around Detroit to get coffee and food for the crew on set, it made me feel all Anne Hathaway in the Devil Wears Prada and you bet I almost spilled 9 coffees at once, multiple times.
This was my first professional experience in the real world that taught me about adaptability, the importance of genuine professional relationships and using my imagination on the job. It was one of the most dynamic experiences I’ve had. I was given the chance to try so many different roles and work with so many awesome people throughout various departments. From marketing to production, on-air promotions to graphic design - it all helped shape me and built a foundation that I would carry with me.
And here I am, years later, circling back to those very things at the start of my career that taught me so much and still excite me the most. I just didn’t know it would take a global pandemic to make my way back here.
Moving forward, I am applying to roles that speak to me. The ones that cause me to slowly smile when I think about the possibility of hearing the words, “We want to offer you the job”. I am also going to keep creating for myself, because maybe I also have a dream of becoming my own boss one day. Who knows what will happen over the course of the next few weeks, months, years - but one thing is for sure, my vision for my future seems more clear and the brain fog seems to have cleared a bit with all this free time to think about my life.
I will keep you all posted!