Jacqueline’s Story
One door closes and another door opens
For over 20 years, I worked in a fast paced, challenging, easy-to-burn-out industry, with twelve of those years in a leadership role. Then the day came when my employer let me go.Yet, I consider myself lucky; I saw it as a gift.
They forced my hand to leave an industry I was ready to part ways with but never had the courage to do so on my own, because it was all I had known. Though I didn’t know what the future would hold, I was very clear on what I did and did NOT want in my next career and employer. It was my driving factor.
I knew I wanted a balance between my career and spending more time with my kids. This was my second chance, and I wanted to do what felt right for me. I wanted to be part of an inclusive company where I felt appreciated for the work that I was doing. I also wanted flexibility. In my next career, I wanted to do something that was not only fun, but also inspiring.
Feeling Totally Lost
Before I was let go, I was in the process of getting my backup plan in order. Even with that idea in mind, changing careers can be daunting. It was really confounding to try and figure it out on my own.
I felt confused, unsure, and lost. It’s only natural that I had all sorts of questions, yet so many unanswered ones too: What am I looking for? How do I start? Where do I go? How do I do this on my own? What about medical benefits for my family? How will we manage without my salary?
I didn’t expect this to be so overwhelming.
I applied to various job postings, sent out a bunch of resumes and cover letters and was not only turned down many times, but even more shocking to me was how many employers just didn’t respond to my application.
Though I don’t recall the exact turning point, I knew I needed to turn to a professional for guidance to help me navigate and better understand these uncharted waters. So, I went to a resume writer for help. She said that I wasn’t ready to work with her yet and suggested that I work with Cardy Career Coaching to get clear on what I wanted first.
Moving On to Success with the support I needed
My Cardy Career Coach helped guide me through a lot of self-discovery. Never in my lifetime did I envision being terminated from my employer, and part of the process I needed to go through was healing from that setback.
My coach was kind, gentle and supportive and gave me a gentle nudge when I needed it most. It’s almost as if she knew what I needed without asking; my coach told me things I needed to hear. At the same time as I was working with my coach, a recruiter found my resume online, felt I was a match for the position he was trying to fill, and contacted me soon after that. At first, I didn’t know if it was the right opportunity, but I talked it over with my coach and accepted the job.
This was the perfect position that not only granted me the flexibility I was looking for but also allowed me to get my foot in the door to an entirely different industry and learn from the ground up. I’m happy to say that I’m still with that same company, just recently promoted into a different, new, and exciting position.
Cardy Career Coaching has such great tools, and I loved that they are available even after I worked with my coach. The whole process was very relevant for my situation at the time. I can’t think of any way that the experience could be improved upon. Thanks to the time spent with my coach and tools available to me, I was able to figure things out so that I felt confident going forwards. Being able to close one door and open the next has changed everything for me.
Close one Door and Open Another!
