Is it just me...Or is everyone else doing really well?

Please note that while this article focuses on the trials of job hunting and personal resilience, it is written with full awareness of the broader challenges facing our world today. It is not my intention to diminish the significant issues that are impacting communities globally but rather to provide solace and recognition for those of us struggling with our career paths.

Scrolling through my LinkedIn feed every morning, it’s become part of my new routine and there are days when I think, maybe this is not the best way to start every morning because of the difficult job hunt I've been on.

It’s hard not to notice the wave of celebratory posts: promotions, new jobs, career milestones. Each post showing success and joy, deservedly so! But despite my congratulatory comments and excitement for others' new adventures, I've been grappling with my own challenges, making these moments bittersweet.

Since being made redundant last December, my journey back into full-time work has been anything but straightforward. Health issues demanded surgeries and recovery periods, extending my time away from the professional world. Making ends meet (sometimes unsuccessfully) through freelance work and project work with old clients, I've been grateful for the opportunities I've been able to work around my health troubles. That on top of making job hunting a full time job, with each job rejection, my confidence ebbed a little more, making it increasingly difficult to view each new application with hope rather than hesitation.

Each morning, as I prepare to dive back into the job market, I’m confronted with the reality of my situation. Hundreds of applications lie ahead, many for positions I know I’m over qualified for. Yet, each rejection email feels like a small erasure of the skills and experiences I’ve worked so hard to build. It’s disheartening to wake up to messages of ‘thanks but no thanks’ especially for roles that seemed like a perfect fit. How do you muster the courage - or even the ego - to keep putting yourself out there?

This emotional rollercoaster feels like my norm now. Some days, the motivation to continue feels as distant as the job offers themselves. Never in my career have I struggled to get an interview, and yet this time, I’m struggling to even get my resume seen. But never the one to be completely negative, I realise how important it is to dig deep and find that inner resilience. Reminding myself that every application sent is a step forward, regardless of outcome. It’s just one small way of showing myself (yourself) that we still believe in our abilities. We have to keep showing up for ourselves right?

Watching my peers navigate out of their own periods of redundancy with triumphant returns to full-time, permanent work is genuinely uplifting. Yet, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t also stir a whirlwind of self-doubt and envy within me. The questions, ‘Why not me?’ ‘Maybe I’m not actually as good as I thought?’ ‘What if it never happens for me?’ ‘Is this the end of a career I’ve worked so hard to build?’ often echoes in my thoughts.

This mix of emotions has been a tough but enlightening teacher. It’s shown me the skewed lens through which we view our peers’ lives on social media. We see the achievements and the highlights, seldom the setbacks or the sleepless nights. It’s a perfect curation of a glimpse into a much larger, deeper story, one we rarely see in full.

But here’s something I've come to realise…Each of us is on a unique path, and the only fair comparison is with the person we were yesterday. I know, I know, it’s corny to say, but it’s the truth. I want to remind you of how crucial it is to remember that the seeming overnight successes of others are often years in the making, filled with unseen struggles and perseverance.

So right now, I’m learning to clap genuinely for others without feeling that it diminishes my own worth, progress or struggles. Our turns to celebrate will come, at the time and pace they’re meant to. Until then, the best thing we can do is focus on our own growth and happiness. Invest in ourselves, be kind to ourselves and try to find the joy in the little things that enrich our lives each day.

To anyone feeling left behind, please remember, it’s okay to feel this way, but let these feelings guide you toward self-compassion rather than self-criticism. Our journeys are not races, and they are certainly not linear. Your value is not defined by your job title or employment status but by the richness of your experiences and the resilience of your spirit.

Today I hope to start fresh, showing my support to those in our community by sharing not just successes but the struggles that give them worth. And if you’re in a similar boat to me…I would love to hear how you’ve navigated similar feelings and what keeps you moving forward when it feels like the world is against you.

And one final note, a reminder if you will, that your time will come, success and progress take time and effort, and you are worth every bit of it, so give yourself a little more today please.

Always rooting for you,

Jessy x