My New RA Career Path: Meeting My Job Developer
I previously wrote about my insecurities, anxiety, and fears of diving back into job searching. My journey into a new career path continues after I shared my feelings.
Meeting with a job developer
The next phase of my road to a new career path started with a referral to a job developer. I have to be honest with you: before I started on this path, I had no idea what a job developer did. However, I pushed aside my fears of the unknown and set up an appointment.
On the day of the appointment, I found myself sitting in a coffee shop waiting for my job coach to arrive. As I sat there, I had a sudden rush of emotions flood over me. Sweat began pouring from my forehead, my mouth got dry, and I felt like I was going to be sick. To be honest with you, I wanted to flee the meeting.
Dealing with the loss of my career
I’m not sure if any of you can relate to this or not; however, being diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease (RA) did a number on me mentally. Dealing on a continual basis with living a life that you didn’t plan or ask for is a lot to deal with. Losing the ability to perform my duties in a career that I loved crushed my existence. I live not only with the mental scar, but also the many social and emotional scars that accompany the diagnosis and career loss.
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View all responsesAs I was sitting there trying to compose myself, I decided to walk toward the entrance to bail on the appointment. However, as I was nearing the exit, my job developer was walking into that same door. I knew it was her because I looked her up on the internet. I took it as a sign to stay.
Searching for a new job with RA
As I stood there at the door with a glowing smile, which I have learned to turn on in a moment’s notice, I shook her hand. We then ventured outside on the patio for our meeting.
My job developer explained that she was there to review my skill set, assess my interests, and assist me into a new career path. She explained I would work with a team of people who would help with navigating jobs of interest, assistance with rebuilding my resume, job application assistance, and job interview coaching. My job developer worked with many companies, agencies, and employers in the area.
It is important to me not to be placed into just any position. It needs to be something that interests me, that is flexible, and that will financially allow me to meet my needs. After all, my RA is not going anywhere, and I need to consider that during my job search. I really wish it would, but that is just simply not my reality.
Taking back control of my life
Not going to lie, I don’t always feel like the concerns I voice in my new career search are being heard. It was causing me more anxiety than I started with. I definitely do not need help increasing the level of anxiety in my life.
Experiencing these feelings got me to realize that I have say and control over this entire process. It also got me to see what I was really meant to do in my life. Many times, I find that it is the struggles I go through that end up pointing me in the direction I was always meant to go.
Chronic diseases like RA have a way of taking over your life and making you feel like a passenger in your own daily journey. I realized that the way the job process was going for me was beginning to feel the same way. I am happy to say that I am taking back control over where my search direction, resume, references, and life are going.
It’s okay to feel a little lost. Sometimes it takes those moments so you can find yourself again.
Remember to always just keep swimming!
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