August 30 - September 7
While transitioning out of my typical career-based routine, I made sure to prioritize fulfilling all of the commitments I had made prior to the news of my pending departure. Not wanting to wallow in the harsh feelings of my new reality, I tried not to feel too guilty for having any amount of fun while now looking down the barrel of unemployment.
I’d say it was about a 60/40 mix of fun, social engagement with job search-related events and meet-ups. As the days go by, that scale tips closer to center split, and I can see October being a big month for being “on the grind”, as the hype-beasts say, looking for that next chapter to unfold.
The month started off with a weekend outside: cheering on racers at TriFest for MS, followed by a lazy afternoon at Beaver Lake for Labor Day. On Tuesday, I fought back (most) my tears during a heartfelt and emotional dinner organized by a group of incredible and caring women I’ve come to know over my years at BlakeSt. The first Wednesday in the month calls for a Night at WOW (Wednesdays Over Water), at the Crystal Bridges Great Hall with a group of colorful, wonderful women from the NWA area. Still committed to my invitation to sit as a judge for the year’s first round of presentations from the IGNITE Global Business students, I sat for six groups to present their findings on who would essentially come out on top for sales in 2040: Walmart vs Amazon. The following weekend meant a trip to Joplin for their Pride celebration, and a chance to watch one of my favorite performers from Las Vegas live on the mainstage.
And so it begins…
What I wouldn’t give to be able to resurrect my original blog from it’s forgotten, cringe, and what some might call “cheugy” grave. Maybe it’s better left buried beneath the soil of early internet days. Hidden not as an effort to erase, but as a landmark to showcase how far that thirteen-year-old girl in Ohio has come. But like all good things, we’ve now come full circle. Here I sit, a rainy September day in Northwest Arkansas, typing away at a blog post with an unknown audience, trying to uncover the purpose of this post as I write.
While my departure from social media was not entirely planned, I’m so fortunate to be far, far away from the Instagram likes, the TikTok Shop, the retweets, and the rage bait woven between. Even the idea of setting up a LinkedIn page seems truly awful at this point. I think I got about 45% of the way done with set-up before thinking, “nah, rather not”. I know it’s “necessary” for recruitment, but at what cost? Wasn’t the point of this entire website to skirt around the popular career-based social networking platform?
What people don’t tell you about the job search is the glaring juxtaposition of a successful hunt. To potential employers or investors, this is your moment to be your best version of self. The luxury model of Kelsey, not the Great Value brand. You need to move through the job market with vigor, momentum, drive, enthusiasm… all while feeling dejected, heartbroken, embarrassed… what a terribly vulnerable place to be.
So as I wrap up this inaugural post as an official “Free Agent” of the job market, I can only feel comfort from the fact that so many people I look up to have sat in this exact seat before. Every mentor and influential person on my life has been through this journey. Sure, maybe they weren’t sitting in a doctor stool, hovering over a natural light tracing table, swallowed by an XL Kum & Go shirt, but they have felt the pain, the sadness, the frustration, and the vulnerability of being open for new work. And every single one of them have powered through, found their next step, and continued to positively impact the world, often with more resources and a bigger platform than they had before.
I’m ready to traverse this unknown plain, eager for the next stop on this journey of life.