I would have never guessed replying to a message on LinkedIn would lead to the amount of change I’ve experienced in the past year and a half. This message was about a job that seemed like I would be a good fit for. I hadn’t heard of the company and was not aware of what they did, but something about it sparked my interest and I decided to talk to the hiring manager. After speaking with him, it sounded like a good opportunity and I decided to go for it.
That decision meant leaving my safe and comfortable corporate job at a company that is almost 100 years old for a company that had been around for less than 10. I decided to make this change because I didn’t want the safe, “pre-defined” path of corporate life. I wanted to explore and make my own path. Right from my first day, I noticed a difference. Training involved our Directors, VPs and CEO. I was not accustomed to this level of access to the executive team before. It was refreshing and motivating.
Unfortunately, this new job didn’t last very long because the office I was in was going to close and I had to look for another job.
Luckily, that same week I was reached out to by a recruiter and it could not have been better timing. Again, I had never heard of the company he was recruiting for, but at this point what did I have to lose? I was a bit skeptical because of my latest experience, but I decided to give it another go. I got the job and I was excited because the people I had met during the interview process were people I could absolutely see myself working with.
Now a year later, most of those people are gone. The amount of change I’ve experienced since I started is astonishing. I have gotten to witness an acquisition and what it means for the business, employees and customers. It’s interesting to watch how people react to change. Some are not troubled by it, while still others can get sucked into a never-ending frenzy of irrational thoughts rooted in fear. Fear of instability, fear of job loss, fear of change.
Trust me, I’ve had my moments. There have been moments of curiosity, stress, sadness, uncertainty, relief, and optimism. But fortunately, I’ve also been able to step back, see the bigger picture and embrace it as an opportunity. This hasn’t been easy, but I’ve had the support of others around me – people who I am so thankful for.
As with many changes, it’s been exciting to see how everything has fallen into place or… not – but that’s okay. It’s all a part of the experience. I’m almost certain that the likelihood of this situation happening again in my future is very minimal, so why not learn and take in as much as possible? When I made the decision to change jobs, all I was thinking about was changing my career path, but instead it has given me insight and knowledge that is rare, and along the way, I’ve met some of the most amazing people I know. Our paths may not have crossed if I never made the decision to change. Some of the people that I’ve met this past year have made some of the biggest impact in my life and I know they have changed my life forever.