“Unfortunately, we’re going to have to let you go.”
A sentence I have now heard for the third time in my career. I am clearly in need of learning a lesson in knowing my career worth. In my mid-30s I had learned the lesson when it comes to how I show up in relationships. I had already learned the lesson when it comes to how I take care of my health. AND I had already learned the lesson around pursuing something new (when I became a yoga teacher). However, in 2022, I apparently still need to learn the lesson that I am worthy of building a career that feels good.
The Definition of Worth
You know how much I love my definitions so let’s dive into this one…
That was all well and good but didn’t truly embody what knowing our worth means. So another definition that I discovered for worth is that of “high value or merit”. If we know our worth then we know we are valuable and merit a great relationship or a great career.
Knowing Your Worth In Relationships
In 2014, I wrote a blog post about learning my worth when it comes to dating and relationships. 2012, marked a year where I left a toxic relationship and called off a wedding. Back then, I was finally starting to understand my worth when it came to dating. What it truly meant to be in a healthy relationship. There were so many times when I re-entered the dating world I would diminish myself or not speak my truth. I would start dating a guy who had many red flags or just wasn’t right for me. Somehow I was shocked when they would ghost me or break up with me for no reason. I would start asking myself:
“Why am I not good enough for this person to stay in my life?”
“Why am I not worth fighting for?”
“Why am I not enough?”
Why can we be so wrapped up in finding another human to spend my life with? I wasn’t taking the time to be completely ok on my own. I didn’t truly grasp that I was worthy of a great relationship because I had a great one with myself first.
Knowing Your Worth In Health
A funny thing happened around the same time that I was diagnosed with MS, I actually found myself in healthy relationships. My evolution in knowing my worthiness then came as I discovered how to live with a new autoimmune sidekick.
I had to stand up to doctors who were insistent that I go on disease-modifying treatments. And know that I was worthy of healing myself in a holistic way.
I had to speak up for myself when going out to eat at restaurants. I knew I didn’t have to shy away from communicating my food sensitivities. That I was worthy of taking care of myself and to feel nourish when I went out to eat.
I learned how to communicate details about my health as I was dating so I could find a respectful partner. One who honoured how I was choosing to take care of myself instead of seeing it as a burden. I met my now-husband at the end of my first year of living with MS and by then I knew my worth in relationships and in how I take care of myself.
Knowing Your Worth In Pursuing Something New
Fast forward a few years to 2019, and I was still learning lessons about worthiness. This time it had to do with feeling worthy enough to become a yoga teacher. My husband’s wedding present for me was a trip to Bali to do my yoga teacher training. At the time, I didn’t feel worthy enough to pursue the training. These were the questions that kept running through my head as I went through the 3 week-long training:
“Who am I to become a yoga teacher?”
“Are you just following in the footsteps of your friends who are already yoga teachers?”
“You already do too much, why would you add something else to your plate?”
What I failed to recognize immediately was that I needed to flip the switch on each question immediately.
“Who am I NOT to become a yoga teacher?”
“People have always gone before us in professions.”
“You are multi-dimensional and this compliments everything already on your plate.”
So how does all this talk of worthiness apply to being let go from a job?
Knowing Your Worth In Your Career
In 2014, I also shared a blog post on “why being let go from a job can be good for your career”. I had been fired from my first job way back in 2011. The lessons learned at that time were many. And although that was a very difficult time in my life. I recognized years later that I wasn’t completely without fault. However, I learned a lot about being let go from a job and how I would handle it in the future if it should happen again or if I as a manager had to let someone go who was on my marketing team.
2011 Lessons Learned
- I should’ve acted differently toward my co-workers, despite being stressed.
- I have ensured to never let someone go from a job the way it was done to me.
- My staff has always had thorough one-on-ones and development plans so they could work on things that needed improvement and I’ve asked for that for myself as well.
- I was and am confident in relying on my network and my skill strength to find my next job.
Unfortunately, I have also been let go from other jobs at no fault of mine due to different factors. Including the downsizing of companies or poorly managed companies. It’s hard to have the foresight to know if a company that’s hiring you is financially healthy enough or lives up to the corporate values on their website. How can you be sure that the role you’re accepting will be there in the future?
If I was able to discover that I was worthy of being treated properly, respectfully and actually being loved in a relationship then you’d think I would be able to do the same when it comes to choosing a company to dedicate time and energy to. But I haven’t been able to yet. So here are the things I’m learning to look out for as I move forward. Especially if I decide to stay in the corporate world and grow my marketing career.
Job Red Flags To Watch Out For
- Work/Life Harmony: It’s one thing for a company to tell their employees they value work/life harmony (or balance). It’s another thing to see executives and senior leadership exemplify this quality. Are they taking time to be with friends and family? Do they send emails at night? Are they prioritizing movement in their day? I’ve learned to look for this in the interview phase by simply asking questions of the hiring manager. For example: “What do you like to do in your free time?”
- Comprehensive Benefit Plans: Ask to see the entire benefit plan before accepting a job offer. I, unfortunately, chose to accept a job where there were no maternity leave benefits, unlike prior companies I’ve worked for and didn’t find out until after starting.
- Financial Health: Unfortunately due to the reality of business, marketing is usually the first thing to go when a company is struggling. A marketing leader’s salary is also the first thing to get cut over more junior roles. This is something that I haven’t figured out how to research proactively yet. If you have tips, let me know in the comments. However, it’s something I need to be careful of once I’ve been onboarded and I see financial red flags.
- Glassdoor Reviews: There are mixed feelings over Glassdoor reviews. This is definitely a resource I now use during the interview process. I compare the positive vs. negative reviews that a company has. In the past, I’ve been so excited to receive job offers that I have definitely overlooked this key research platform.
I think the hardest thing in the corporate world is leaving a role you’ve taken soon after accepting or starting. Sometimes it’s not until the onboarding process that you can recognize warning signs. And maybe just like dating, I needed to experience the gamut of dating scenarios so I could finally recognize when I was in a positive relationship. I wasn’t scared to only go out on one date or break up with a guy because I knew they weren’t the right person for me. If I was able to learn that in relationships I should be ready to now implement that in my career.
Looking Forward To The Future
I was let go from my last job in early February of 2022. My current time is being spent looking through job boards, applying to roles, interviewing and even considering a few job offers. I’ve taken an educational course to learn more about the crypto industry to potentially make a shift in my career. I’ve also launched a website under my new married name offering fractional marketing services. I’m spending time with my family. I’m also exploring focusing on side hustles with more time and energy and building them up. And last but not least, I’m decompressing from physical and emotional stress on my body.
I am truly excited about what the future holds. I don’t have a crystal ball and I have no idea if it includes finding a dream company to grow my Marketing career with. Or growing my dōTERRA business. Or growing my Autoimmune Thriving business. Or growing my fractional CMO services. I am truly grateful for this space in my life at the present moment.
In January 2021, when I was let go from my job while on mat leave, there was a frantic pace to my job search. I had planned on going back to work in February of 2021. After having been on mat leave for 6 months I felt rushed to get back to the working world so I could support my family. This time around, I’ve financially made sure our family is well-taken care of. I’m able to see this time as “space”. I know that I don’t need to rush to just jump into another job because I have a financial responsibility to earn money. I can take this time to ensure I am doing something that truly lights me up in the future. That way where I choose to dedicate my time and energy won’t feel frantic and calm, passionate energy will be present in my career choices.