The Other Side Of My Resume
I’ve got some big news.
Last week, I accepted an offer for a new job.
It honestly doesn't feel real.
I know I’m not alone, but job hunting has been really hard for me. The whole process. From the very beginning, finding a career and applying over and over again has been so difficult.
Granted, I have a job. I've always had a job, but never one I really wanted.
I've got a relatively interesting resume, and there are reasons for all of it, and yet, on paper, it doesn't add up.
You see, a resume doesn't give you the full picture. A resume doesn't explain growth, life changes, or passions. It just doesn't.
On paper, I went to college, got a degree in International Relations, then worked in Customer Service in two different industries, and now I'm at an entry level position in healthcare.
Seems a little scattered, I know, but let me give you the full picture.
I studied International Relations for several reasons. First, I wanted to be Jack Bauer from 24. I think a small part of me always knew that I could never actually be Jack Bauer (I mean, obviously, he's a fictional character), but I loved the thrill and complexity of counter-terrorism and thought I would enjoy doing that.
I also chose International Relations because I didn't really know what I wanted to major in, but I loved my A.P. History class in high school, and I knew that I would enjoy learning more about not only American history and politics, but also the history and politics of countries around the world. It was fascinating, and I loved my major. I still do. There's a very good chance that I would choose it again today, even knowing what I know now (i.e. - I don't actually want to be an FBI agent).
After I graduated, I worked at Apple for a year or so, met Elliot, and then got a job as a flight attendant. The FBI required 5 years of full-time work experience, it didn't matter what kind, so I decided to use that time to travel and see the world. I learned a very important lesson as a flight attendant - one that changed my entire trajectory.
I hated being on call. With a passion.
I realized very quickly that I valued work-life balance, and wanted to enjoy my time off. I wanted to be free to spend my time as I liked, and not have cancel or put plans on hold.
It occurred to me that if I were an FBI agent in a counter-terrorism unit, I would likely be on call. My weekends and holidays would be compromised, and that was not the life for me, no matter how exciting.
I spent 2 years traveling the world and going on spontaneous trips until my airline completed its merge with another airline, and the contract changed. We had also just purchased a home and were less than a year out from our wedding when this merge went through and changed the entire scheduling situation. I didn't want to pay a mortgage on a house I was never in, and I knew that I would want to be home more with my husband and pup when we were married.
I joke that I took the first job "on the ground", but that's what I did. The hospital was hiring clerks, and I was overqualified, but it was closer to home, had a flexible schedule and gave me the time I needed to plan not one, but two weddings in 2019, and spend some time with family and friends I had been missing.
I've been a unit clerk for over 2 years now, and I have spent the last two years looking for a job that actually suited me and fit my passions and skills. Which are, if you’re wondering - writing, creating and encouraging others to achieve their goals.
It's been two years of learning, applying, and receiving rejection emails. A lot of rejection emails. I’ve honestly lost count. There were times it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, and a lot of times I felt like I wasn't enough. Not experienced enough. Not skilled enough. Not enough education. Not enough.
And yet, last week I was offered a job. A job where I get to write, and edit and create. A job that is close to my home, with regular hours and no weekends and no holidays. A job that can help me grow and learn and cultivate new skills. A job that I've been praying for for years, before I even knew it.
For ten years, I was convinced that federal law enforcement was the path for me. It wasn't. I don't know if it was me stubbornly insisting on my own way, even though God was pushing me in another direction, or me simply not listening, but eventually, He made it clear that I was meant for a different plan. A better plan. His plan.
Like I said, it feels so surreal. In the midst of all the discouragement and rejection, God was there, guiding me every step of the way. And now I get to work with joy and passion, and see where He leads me next.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6