Man, September 2023. That month just hit different, you know? I remember waking up one morning and just feeling this heavy weight in my gut. Not like a bad burrito, more like that feeling when you know something’s gotta change, but you ain’t got a clue where to even start. My job, it wasn’t terrible, but it just felt like I was stuck on a loop. Every day, same thing. No real growth, just going through the motions. And honestly, that started grinding on me, big time.
I knew I couldn’t just quit. That ain’t my style. My brain just doesn’t work that way. I needed a plan. A proper, step-by-step breakdown of how to get out of this rut and into something new. So, I grabbed a notebook – yeah, a real one, paper and pen – and just started jotting down everything that was bugging me. What I liked, what I hated, what I was good at, what I sucked at. Just a raw dump of thoughts.
Figuring Out the What-Ifs
First thing I did was try to figure out what kind of “next move” even made sense. I sat there for hours, scribbling. I thought about staying in the same field but moving companies. Then I wondered about a totally different industry. Even considered going back to school for a hot minute, but quickly nixed that idea. Too much debt, too much time. What really helped was just listing out all my skills. Not just job skills, but like, stuff I actually enjoyed doing. I realized I actually loved organizing things, breaking down big problems into small bits, and just making sense of chaos. That was a lightbulb moment.
- I started by quietly cleaning up my resume. No fancy stuff, just making sure all the dates and bullet points made sense.
- Then, I hit up some old contacts. Just casual chats, asking what they were up to, seeing how their industries were doing. Not really asking for a job, just fishing for info.
- I spent evenings just browsing job boards. Not applying, just getting a feel for what was out there, what the requirements were. What kind of words were they using? What skills were popping up everywhere?
Taking the Leap, One Small Step
After a couple of weeks of this quiet digging, I started seeing a pattern. A few roles kept catching my eye, things that actually sounded like they aligned with what I enjoyed. But man, the imposter syndrome kicked in hard. “Am I even good enough?” “What if I bomb the interview?” All that crap. But I pushed through it.
I decided to apply to just one or two jobs that seemed like a reach, just to test the waters. My thinking was, “What’s the worst that can happen? They say no, and I’m right back where I started.” So I polished my cover letter, made it sound like I actually knew what I was talking about, and hit send. That first click was terrifying, I’m not gonna lie. It felt like I’d just stepped off a cliff.
Then came the waiting game. It felt like forever. I kept checking my email, refreshing every five minutes. Nothing. Crickets. For a while, I thought, “Well, that’s that. Back to the old grind.” But then, out of nowhere, an email popped up. An interview! My heart practically jumped out of my chest. It was for a role I hadn’t even thought I’d get a call back for. Totally unexpected.
The Interview Rollercoaster and the Big Switch
The interviews were a blur. I mean, I prepared like crazy, practiced answers in front of the mirror, even had a buddy grill me with tough questions. Still, I stumbled on a few. Walked out of some thinking, “Well, that’s a bust.” But then others felt good. Like I actually connected with the people and showed them what I could bring to the table.
It was a long process, spanned a good few weeks into October and even a bit of November. There were multiple rounds, different people, different questions. I got rejected from a couple of places, which stung, but also kind of made me tougher. Each “no” just made me analyze what went wrong and how I could do better next time. It became less about getting a job and more about learning the process of finding the right job.
Finally, I got an offer. A real one. For a role that genuinely excited me. It wasn’t perfect, nothing ever is, but it felt right. It felt like a true “next move,” not just a lateral shuffle. I put in my notice at the old place, which was a mix of relief and a bit of sadness, saying goodbye to some good folks. But the feeling of stepping into something new, something I actively planned and worked for, that was just… something else. It was rough, it was stressful, but man, I’m glad I pushed myself to plan that move back in September 2023.
