For everyone who's going through a career transition right NOW, here's some small solace from the perspective of TIME... ⏳
When the entire faculty of my charter school was laid off at the beginning of my career, I thought it was the END of the world.
I had just spent my entire collegiate career preparing for this exact job, even sticking around for a 9th semester to earn my teaching certificate.
I had ridden frozen buses at 6 AM to get to substitute teaching jobs in the middle of a Philly winter to build up my experience.
And I had spent my last penny moving to NYC... all for this job.
That was now... GONE.
In other words: ROCK BOTTOM. 🪨
But 20 years later, I realized it was the exact kick in the pants I needed. 💥
Because without that forcing function, I would never have tried my hand at nonprofit marketing...
Would never have gone to grad school to build up my skills in that field...
Would never have broken into tech...
And would never have had the chance to share what I've learned with the next generation... as a teacher once again!
So very much like George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life," you sometimes need the time/space to zoom out a bit and see that even your darkest moments are actually windows to your next opportunity.
And yes - that's the absolutely smallest solace possible when times are tough RIGHT NOW. But just remember: Your career isn’t defined by *this* moment—it’s shaped by everything you do NEXT! ⚡️