“Every morning I would wake up and dread the day ahead”
So, 2017 started just how 2016 ended; sad, miserable and tedious. With only a few days to enjoy my Christmas break and time away from work, I used it to my full advantage…long lie-ins, box-sets, not forgetting quality time with my friends and family. That soon came to an end, as I had to drag myself out of bed and back into work; yippee! Every morning I would wake up, and like most people in a less than enjoyable job, dread the day ahead of me.
I would get into work and begin my usual routine…which also consisted of staring at the time on my laptop, waiting for it to hit lunchtime/home time so I could zone out and forget the world around me. Or at least try to. I didn’t feel like an “employee”, I felt like a weight on their shoulders. Somebody who had no worth or purpose in their eyes.
All day every day, I would be staring at the phones, hoping somebody else in the office would pick them up and save me from my social awkwardness…I got anxious and embarrassed every time somebody made me pick up the phone; I felt like I was messing up, stuttering and letting everybody in the team down as a result. I would get those horrible butterfly sensations accompanied by a bright red, embarrassed face.
To put things into perspective; I worked with a bunch of financial advisors who were way more superior to little ol’ me. That working environment gave me a taste of what I don’t want in life. It helped me see the bigger picture and what sort of companies are out there; after all this was my first job and a huge learning curve for me. I would wake up and dread the day ahead. Dread it when I was there. Then I would come home, try my best to relax, but keep being reminded of the horrible thought of going back again in the morning. My weekends were full of worrying about Mondays.
After months of being unhappy, anxious and tired of the life I was living (sounds deep, I know), I got myself into gear and something inside me just clicked. If you don’t go out of your way to find something and make a better life for yourself, it won’t come running to you. YOU do the work. So I set up my LinkedIn account and started connecting with businesses I was interested in, in the hopes that something good would come out of it. At this point I was still in this job I called hell. I then received a message from a guy called Wesley, from a music company called ‘Leaf FM‘ (Leaf Music) and they were based in Newcastle! A tech/music/marketing company…in Newcastle! This was everything I had wanted, I just never knew such a thing existed so close to home. So we got talking and arranged an informal interview.
After my day at college (for my apprenticeship), I met up with Wes and we got talking about JBC (Justin Bieber Crew), Leaf Music and their background (Costa Rica), etc. I went home with a huge smile on my face at how I could potentially be given such an incredible opportunity to work for Leaf, and how the chat went so well. At this time, all of the other team members were back in Costa Rica, so Wes said he’d like to arrange a second interview to meet the rest of the team (UK based) when they were back.
Now for the crazy part…In February 2017, I was made redundant from hell – they didn’t find a need for social media in their business anymore, and quite right too. Mortgages aren’t fun to market. Even the largest mortgage companies have small follower-counts and they were expecting far too much, as if I was some wizard who could just magic up thousands of leads and followers in a second of working there. But anyways. I actually went for a celebratory meal after finding this out; I felt free (and poor).
It is weird how things work out. Knowing I possibly had this job with Leaf made me feel good and a little less stressed about the current “no job” situation. I didn’t apply or go to any other interviews; I was determined to get this job. A couple of months of being unemployed had passed and my second interview was just around the corner; I was filled with nerves, adrenaline and happiness; just hoping they would like me.
The day came…I met the team (and the new office) and told them about JBC, learned a bit more about them and their background, why they moved over to Newcastle from Costa Rica, etc. It didn’t even feel like an interview; it was such a calm and relaxed environment and everybody was so lovely. Long story short, I got the job! My dream job! Social media! Music! Marketing! Aaah!
Whilst in my previous job I had been crying behind closed doors, feeling anxious, sad and miserable. This job is the complete opposite – I’m doing what I love with such an incredible team who made me feel so welcomed. I was lucky enough to be flown out to Costa Rica for what was meant to be 2 weeks, but extended to a month, to meet the team out there! We also bagged tickets to see Ariana Grande in concert when I was out there…such a surreal experience and somebody I had always wanted to see in her own show. Going from THAT to THIS in the space of a few months…wow, just wow. Words cannot explain how happy and appreciated this makes me feel, after coming from a job where I felt so unworthy.
I am also going to be a part of a mentoring scheme, where I will be helping to inspire kids/teens, by telling and showing them how I managed to do what I have and how I have accomplished what I have through JBC and Leaf.
I just want to stress how important it is to strive for big things to make a better life for yourself (cheesy, yes, but true). If something doesn’t feel right and you don’t feel happy in a job, or whatever else it might be, change it. Try to find alternatives, if you can. Apply for different jobs that are more catered to you; get your CV/resume out there. Sign up to LinkedIn and connect with people in your field; push the boundaries! In fact, there are no boundaries when it comes to your happiness. Wasting time in something that makes you unhappy is the worst thing for both your mental and physical health…it’s draining and I want you to do better. Put yourself first…you are number one.
