Man, looking back at June 2018. That whole period? It wasn’t about some fancy career strategy I read in a book. It was pure survival mode, sparked by something that just plain felt like a kick in the teeth. It’s funny how all those “Virgo successes” everyone saw that month really started with me almost quitting everything.
I was in this job, right? For years. I mean, I poured everything I had into it. Late nights, fixing everyone else’s screw-ups, the whole deal. The management kept promising me this big promotion—the Team Lead slot—for like, eighteen months straight. Every review, it was, “Next quarter, Bob, it’s yours.” I bought it. I really did. I played the good soldier, thinking loyalty actually mattered.
Then, May 2018 hit. I walked into the office one Monday, saw a generic email announcing the new Team Lead was a guy named Derek. Derek had been there six months. Six. He was the boss’s golf buddy’s nephew. I read that email three times, just sitting there in my cubicle, feeling my blood go cold. That’s when I knew. Loyalty? It meant squat. I was just the reliable workhorse they could keep underpaid and stuck.
The Flip-the-Script Strategy: Systematic Self-Rescue
I didn’t storm in and quit. That would have been too easy and too emotional. Instead, I just flipped the script. I decided to treat the whole thing as a systematic project. A Virgo trait, right? Instead of being mad, I got meticulous. That promotion they promised me? I was going to find a job that offered it, and do it on their time.
First thing I did was draw a hard line. No more staying late. The minute my shift ended, I was out the door. All that extra time I used to spend “investing in the company”? I invested it in myself. I started this tracking system on a simple spreadsheet. Nothing fancy, just basic columns:
- Company Name
- Role Applied For
- Date Sent
- Networking Contact (Yes/No)
- Outcome
I committed myself to sending out three customized applications every single night. Rain or shine. Even if I was tired. I ignored the daily office politics; I just put my head down, did the minimum required to keep my paycheck coming, and saved my energy for the applications. I used my lunch breaks to scroll LinkedIn, not to gossip.
I refreshed my portfolio, grabbing all the projects I could safely port over without breaking confidentiality rules. I reached out to old college contacts I hadn’t talked to in years. It felt awkward, sure, but I just powered through it, because the alternative—staying there and watching Derek mess up my hard work—was worse.
June 2018: The Unpacked Achievements
By the time June rolled around, that systematic grind was paying off. I had logged 58 official applications. I had done nine phone screens. I was exhausted, but I was focused. The big wins that month? They weren’t singular moments; they were the culmination of that quiet, methodical effort.
The first major thing I secured was an offer on June 11th. A Team Lead role, $20k more than I was making, full benefits, and a title that matched the responsibility. This wasn’t some lateral move; it was a huge jump. That moment I saw the official PDF—I literally just sat there, staring at the screen, and I felt this massive, heavy weight lift off my shoulders. It felt earned, not handed over.
The second big achievement? It wasn’t the new job; it was the exit. I waited until I had all the paperwork signed, sealed, and a start date confirmed. I wrote a two-sentence resignation email that was the most professional thing I’d ever written, and I copied HR and the CEO. I purposefully didn’t tell my direct manager until I walked over to his desk, handed him a printed copy, and just said, “My last day is in two weeks.” No long explanation, no drama, just: “I’m done.” He tried to talk me out of it, throwing in a last-minute counteroffer for the promotion they’d owed me. I just smiled and walked away. Man, that was the sweetest feeling of control I’d ever had.
- Achievement 1: Securing the New Role: The final offer came with a 25% salary increase and the actual Team Lead title I’d busted my butt for. This validated the entire tracking strategy.
- Achievement 2: The Exit: My refusal of the counteroffer was the ultimate victory, proving I valued my time and effort more than their sudden, forced recognition.
- Achievement 3: Total Clarity: I finally understood that when a company treats you like a resource, you owe them nothing more than the minimum contractual obligation. The rest of your energy belongs to you.
So yeah, June 2018. It looked like a big “Success Month” on paper, but really, it was the month I took back my power. It took months of grinding, of being a meticulous Virgo behind the scenes, but I got there. The key? Don’t get mad, get organized. That’s the only lesson you really need.
