My Truth
For all my unemployed millennials
I’ve worked ever since I was fifteen years old. It has always been a part of my life. I started out as a babysitter and ended up as a sales executive at a dc luxury hotel. As many of you know, covid has badly hit the hospitality business. I was furloughed in mid March until beginning of May and then furloughed again end of August. It has now officially been a full six month of being unemployed.
Being furloughed the second time around definitely hit differently. It was clear covid was not going anywhere and the hospitality industry was just trying to survive. Knowing this, I had to think about what my next steps were going to be. I decided to take on real estate. I registered for the 60 hour course, ordered my text books and was ready to learn. I felt excited to re-introduce structure back into my life and take the first step towards a new career. I finished the course mid December, passed the PSI exam end of January and in February interviewed with different brokerage firms. As I was moving a long the process, I felt proud of myself for getting my licensee and being in demand. I received several offers and decided to move forward with a particular brokerage.
The brokerage is one of the highest performing firms, the broker is absolutely wonderful and the compensation potential is very attractive. After all my hard work of studying the real estate business, it was paying off. I started going through the paperwork process, joining zoom calls, and really just diving a bit deeper into the industry. As this all began to feel more real, I was hit with this overwhelming feeling that this is not what I want to do…
At first I thought this all stemmed from the learning curve and natural discomfort that comes with starting anything that is new in life. As days went by this feeling became to get heavier and heavier. I felt lost, anxious and disappointed. I didn’t even want to say this feeling aloud. I was afraid of what people would think about me but I was more afraid of ignoring my feelings.
I shared this sentiment with my brother, parents and partner. And as always they were all nothing but supportive. The next conversation I need to have was with my broker. I was nervous to let him down and appear unprofessional. In this moment, I knew I needed God’s strength to provide the courage to have this phone call. I drove to my church, prayed and made the call. Although, it was difficult, there is true power in being honest with yourself. After making that call, I felt free.
So what’s next? Well, I am still kinda figuring it out. For many years I’ve had a business idea and well it has remained an idea. I am looking more into my concept and setting some goals. I do think I need a job to save some more money for this business venture but for now I at least have direction. There are still times where I feel I have done absolutely nothing and just lost time but then my dad made me see things differently - more positively. Although, I am not employed - what I am is - learning, growing and experiencing - and that is what life is about. In one way this post is an attempt at manifestation and in another it is a post of solidarity for all my unemployed millennials. We will figure it out.
