In 2022, I lost my job and have faced a challenging path since, submitting 200 job applications and returning to live with my parents. I’m navigating this journey one day at a time.
Imagine embarking on a career journey, only for the road to suddenly stop short. That was me in June 2021 when the startup I was pouring my energy into paused my marketing position due to financial constraints. Those initial weeks were surreal, like a plot twist in a novel no one saw coming. Contract gigs became my new norm until December 2021, when I finally found myself in the comfort of a full-time role again.
Yet, in a narrative as unpredictable as life itself, I faced another layoff. This time, the safety net of a new full-time job never appeared. It was a realization that stings, doesn’t it? Life became a mosaic of emotions—hope, doubt, resilience—all mixed into the reality of my situation.
Before long, my life felt like a roller coaster, far from the controlled ascent I had imagined. Over 200 job applications, stints on unemployment, and even food stamps became part of my daily routine. In October 2024, the reality clawed deeper, urging me to return to my roots—back home to my parents in Alabama. A blend of despair and hope accompanies me daily, as if asking me, “Where do we go from here?”
The Modern Job Search: A Mental Marathon
Post-layoff number one, the six-month gap to my next job felt like a temporary hiccup. The hiring process was brisk, the market cooperative. But fast forward to my second layoff, September 2022, and the landscape stretched long and winding. Multiple rounds of interviews, assignments, references—each seemed to tease at the door to opportunity, only to close it in my face by choosing other candidates.
I vividly recall an Atlanta marketing job pursuit, a whirlwind process that included a phone screening, a comprehensive interview, and a tasked strategy presentation. Forty slides and a half-day’s drive later, the possibility seemed promising, until I was left in silence. With a sinking heart, the ghosting led to a curt rejection I pried out after a week.
The Decline of Contract Work
As the curtain rose on 2024, my monthly hours of contract marketing work typically ranged between 100 to 140 across two companies. Yet within scant months, one contract evaporated, the other trickled from up to 60 hours to a mere six by January. My supervisor mentioned dwindling clients, which left me grappling with significantly fewer opportunities. It’s a drought I feel viscerally, both in freelance pursuits and in searching for any full-time roles.
A Return Home: A Mixed Blessing
Alabama became my refuge, albeit a reluctant one. Living independently in my apartment since October 2022 had carved a sliver of certainty in my life. Relying on food stamps and unemployment, the whispers of possible rent inflation in June 2024 made the decision unavoidable—packing up a life and returning to Alabama.
It’s challenging not to succumb to feelings of failure or self-doubt. Sometimes, they rear their heads like unwelcome houseguests, a not-so-gentle reminder of where I am versus where I intended to be. But amidst these emotions, I strive for grace, leaning on the support of networking and job applications. Every attempt is a step, albeit small, toward something better.
The Battles and Triumphs of Mind
Some days linger in shadows—heavy with sadness, numbness, and apathy. Yet, I cherish the days where ambition courses through like a much-needed lifeline, propelling me to network, apply, and innovate. The lesson learned? It’s okay to be still, to find solace in stillness amidst this whirlwind.
Often, the relentless drive to conquer more threatens to suffocate. The burden of expectations festers with doubt. But as the journey teaches, much of this is beyond control. The job search is a beacon of uncertainty, yet each moment is embraced with patience and the hope not to succumb to defeat.
If this resonates, and your journey dances alongside mine, know there is a community to share this path. Feel free to reach out to Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com if you wish to share your story too.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
