Life Threw Me a Curveball

Life has thrown another adventure my way. After ten years of working at Heritage School, I was laid off. It was a complete surprise, especially considering when past layoffs were made I was always reassured that my productivity and ability to do such a wide variety of things would keep me safe. I owe my parents a debt of gratitude for teaching me to have a good work ethic and to make myself invaluable. Still...change happens and we must deal with it.

All the appropriate emotions have hit me. I admit that anger and bitterness have had their moments. After all, how can they make it without someone as amazing as me working there? Tomorrow will mark one week of being eliminated and they seem to be making it just fine. That leads me to depression. The day after the layoff, a dear friend passed away. Last week was just not a happy one for me.  It was hard to go online and clearly see that I had been removed from the Facebook page and blog I created for them.

Surprisingly, I actually handled things fairly well. When I was being told I was losing my job, I alternated between tears and trying to figure out how to make the transition easier for the company. Dramatic news like this normally freaks me out and I totally lose it. This time, I felt a calmness and peace that was hard to explain. As I cleaned out my office, I joked with coworkers. I really felt a sense of hope for what the future might bring.

Because I had finally made it to a more administrative position, I was worried about finding another job that would fit me and pay enough to keep our family going. I started meeting with an outplacement coach to help me with this. He is a global partner with Lee Hecht Harrison and has oodles of experience in helping people not only find a new job, but to find one that fits them well.  Searching for a job is now my new full-time job. On Amazon, I found an earlier version of the book I am using for my job search.  I'm sure at least a few things have changed in the last eight years, but the basic principles should still apply. 
So far, I have determined that the ideal positions for me are in this area:  project manager, communications manager, media relations manager, academic coordinator, staff development educator, employee trainer, or events and communications manager.  My experience is in development (fundraising), marketing, public relations, and social media management.

Follow me as I continue on this journey.  I'll also share some things I learned from a book my hubby gave me. That book helped me tremendously and is part of why I was able to handle all this so well.