24/02/2026
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I once lasted two weeks in a job.
After business school, it took me three months to find work.
The job I finally landed?
Processing orders at a watch company.
The boss had carrot-coloured hair. When he got angry, his face would turn red β starting at his chin and climbing upward until it matched his hair.
One afternoon he called us into his office and started swearing.
I remember going to the bathroom and crying.
I lasted two weeks.
And then, slowly, the jobs got better.
Recently, I came off what felt like a truly promising opportunity. There was alignment. There was possibility. And then⦠there was a mistake.
I redesigned something mid-process. It wasnβt malicious β but it wasnβt aligned either. The feedback wasnβt explosive. No red faces. No shouting.
Just a subtle shift in tone.
And at the end:
βWe are starting in April and should there be a collaboration possibility, we will let you know.β
That word β should.
I expected to feel devastated. I expected tears. Instead?
I felt tired.
And if Iβm honest, I was more disappointed in myself for something else: I used AI to assist β and I didnβt check its work properly.
I know better.
That part was on me.
But hereβs what Iβve learned over the years:
Not every missed opportunity is a verdict on your worth.
And not every mistake is a character flaw.
Sometimes things donβt work out because they werenβt meant to.
Sometimes they donβt work out because we misjudged.
Both are part of being human.
The job search β whether youβre a graduate, changing careers, or moving from freelance back to full-time β is humbling. It stretches your confidence. It tests your ego.
But you are not your βno.β
You are not your misstep.
You are not the word should.
A while ago I read something that stuck with me:
You are loved simply because you exist.
Not because you secured the role.
Not because you never slipped up.
Just because youβre here.
If today didnβt go the way you planned β take a breath.
Step back.
Do something that gives you joy.
Start again tomorrow.
Everything looks different with rested eyes.
