As you may, or may not know, at the beginning of May, my contract at RBH was terminated due to reasons beyond my control. And as a situation I had never faced before, I won’t lie and say it wasn’t harrowing – trust me, the many tears shed will attest to that.
I was lucky enough to secure my job ahead of finishing university, meaning over the space of a weekend I went from university student to junior account executive at a creative communications agency – a daunting prospect, well at that moment in time anyway.
So, upon leaving the company, I decided to give myself a break – a week of unwinding switching off from all things digital. Removing myself from all things online was liberating, however, in the process I found myself consumed by a mixture of emotions.
Upset? Absolutely.
Disappointment? Undoubtedly.
Doubtful of my ability? Naturally.
Confusion? In varying waves.
Now you’re probably thinking given the circumstances, that they are all perfectly justified, and I’d agree. However, what I wasn’t anticipating throughout this process was how confident and proud I felt as an individual.
I’d walked straight into a graduate job from studying, knowing that a large number of my class would not be as lucky as I was.
I’d developed my written and verbal communication skills significantly from when I first entered the world of PR and social.
I’d built strong relationships with clients, one of which was one of the most rewarding outcomes within my year with the agency.
Not to mention, having spent a year working with an amazing group of talented individuals who not only value the clients, and the work they produce, but also each other.
But where did this leave me?
I’ve spent the last few weeks, despite doubting whether or not I was made for this industry, reaching out to various recruitment agencies and apply for vacancies that took my fancy.
To begin with I wasn’t sure how I’d find the interviewing process, having only taken one before accepting my first job. But as I sat down in my first interview, I remembered not only why I picked the degree I had but also why I enjoyed it – a welcome revelation.
Not only this, but I’ve travelled to both ends of England visiting friends for a much-needed change of scenery. I’m talking a trip to the south during the mini heatwave, the buzz of Manchester during Parklife weekend (without being knee-deep in mud at the festival) and an evening in Liverpool watching the Champions League Final – all of which I will not be forgetting anytime soon!
I was determined not to let this experience completely cloud my judgment going forward – nor do I feel as though I’ve let it.
The team, or I’d rather say, family at RBH welcomed me with open arms when I was just getting started and they’ve helped me develop both personally and professionally since then. It was hard to say goodbye to a great group of friends, but I embraced it whole heartedly with a confidence in myself, they’d all helped me grow.
So where am I now?
Still on the lookout for my next opportunity – for those of you reading who may be interested, I’m looking for an account executive role in PR and/or social media – preferably somewhere I can exercise my love of writing.
(I’m also preparing to jet off to Croatia for a week of exploring – and hopefully a tan, but that’s beside the point!)
I’m not entirely sure why I decided to pen this, maybe it’s because after everything, I’m finally comfortable with the unknown...So, I may not have secured a job yet, but I feel confident in my ability and happier in myself than I did a month ago.
I’m a strong believer in what will be, will be – but in the meantime, you’ll probably find me wondering through various doors as I’ve heard for every one that closes two open, right?