My letter of abandonment to my first company

Hi friends! I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, life has gotten a little crazy as it tends to do! I got a cat in July, so I owe you all an update on that. Her name is Ember, and she is very true to her name as a fiery orange beast that’s of course, extra cute and cuddly. Shes 3 years old from Alabama and she’s just adjusting pretty great to Chicago (if I do say so myself). Can highly reccomend Felines & Canines animal shelter if anyone is looking to adopt a cat or dog, they are super duper great and my former roommate and I make up a pretty solid 2/2 success rating:)

Besides that update, I also made a pretty significant corporate move as I resigned from the first company I’ve ever been at and took an external role opportunity. It was by far one of the trickiest career decisions I’ve had to make thus far and took a lot of thought, so I figured I would dedicate this entry to what things played on my mind. Just a quick note first to empathize with those of you who are in the thick of a similar pivot or unsure what the right answer is, especially if it’s your first time navigating it. There is no right answer, and to make a decision like this it’s important to first completely, 100% trust that you ultimately know what is best for you. Your friends and family can give you great advice but until you’re willing to swear by your own actions and the consequences of them, you won’t be able to fully accept what’s next with an open mind. This blog began when I first started studying in London, but without meaning to, it’s sort of captured my own journey of trusting and growing with myself. And I’m super proud that with just a tiny bit of coaxing and some self reflection, I was able to get to feeling fully secure and happy with my next chapter.

1.) Passions

I’m sure everyone could anticipate that this would make the top of the list, but doing the things that actually bring you joy is without a doubt the number one thing you should be considering when evaluating any career move. In some situations, that’s a black and white decision- one thing you hate, one thing you love, with a tiny gap between the two options. But I’ll be honest, with the way the job market stands right now, those black and white career options are getting steadily less likely. In my case, I’ve been in a brand marketing role, but realized a couple months in that shopper marketing was where my passions truly aligned. This came as a total surprise, and it wasn’t until I reflected on the work I was proud of from my previous role that I realized my skill set was a better match for it. By nature, it fit my desire to be a sort of consultant for customers, to apply my sales experience to personalizing an array of creative tactics to drive a brand priority. When I started though, I would have had no idea that a role like shopper even existed, nor would I have considered for a moment that I would choose it over a brand role.

The moral? Passions are built over time, made from trial and error, and rapidly evolving. If you’re confused about what you want from your career, getting clarity on what you’re actually passionate about is going to be the first step. Write down the parts of your job or a potential opportunity that you find exhilarating and the parts that bore you to death. And then go from there!


2.) Strategic career plan

Once you’ve identified your passion points, you have to lay a blueprint that actually answers the question “what does the next 5/10/15/whatever years look like?” This is like the “thinking with your head” that compliments your heart in the above. Sometimes I hear it referred to as the building blocks of your career.

For instance, I’ve always had this dream of being a marketing director before I turn 30. To logically make that work, I realized I needed a promotion to a manager title within the next year, and that ultimately was one of the major factors involved with the career decision I made. But everyone’s “branding blueprint” (the strategic timeline they follow) is going to look different based on their aspirations, so sorting that out is going to play a critical role in determining what career choices you make down the road.

3.) Community

Ah community, one of the most subconscious players in the career choices you make, the one that makes you feel all the feels. Leaving the job was most difficult because of the cycles of admiration, guilt, and uncertainty that I went through. Admiration, because I’ve met some of the best people in the coworkers and managers I’ve had in the past three years. Many colleagues have become friends and even those that haven’t, I still have a great deal of respect for. Guilt, because of the thought of making anybody’s lives harder at the company I’m leaving or hurting anyone’s workload or outlook long term. And lastly, uncertainty, because it’s scary to leave a place you’ve been for three years, where you’ve developed meaningful relationships and community, to start building that again from scratch. It can be an overwhelming experience filled with a lot of first impressions, and it gets harder the more years of history you have at a company. So just know that those feelings are normal and like passions, communities evolve.

4.) Progress vs History

Building off that uncertainty that comes from starting from scratch comes weighing the future possibilities that might stem from the decisions at hand. I’ve always said it would be great if we could somehow treat life the way the board game Life is set up, where you can test two different paths out, see which will give you the best outcome, and then finally make your choice. For better or worse, life is not a board game, and while that makes things more exciting, it can also be a source of anxiety. Getting off the tightrope or current path you are on means acknowledging you may never get back on the tightrope. What helped me make the hard call anyway is realizing that might even end up being for the better. There might be a better path you never considered before, or maybe you’ll come back to the tightrope when it’s the right time again. Regardless, you’re not “getting off path” by taking a risk. Changing career paths can often be looked at as an inconvenience to your current plans, but usually it’s in service of a brighter outcome for a future you. There’s beautiful opportunities in front of you no matter the decision you make, and part of the fun of free will and fate is embracing that.


5.) So what do you actually need to do?

Once you’ve figured out what’s best for your passions, brand building, community, and future opportunities, if you’ve decided you’re ready to take the plunge, what comes next?

-Consider the right way to break the news. Be firm and know exactly what you want out of the conversation with your manager (it should be in-person or at least a synchronous digital conversation), but also be kind and share your rationale with them
-Don’t jump the gun: wait to have the conversation once you have a written job offer and don’t be too hasty with things like LinkedIn or spreading the news
-Don’t burn bridges: send a note to the top leaders you’ve interacted with thanking them for making your experience meaningful. Share authentic, constructive feedback if asked for it, and remember to come across as a person, not a robot
-Ask the right questions of your new opportunity so there are no surprises down the line
-Move on: once you’ve made the decision, don’t overthink it. Stick by it and get excited for this change! It helps to have a couple of days in between to fully process the situation, so give yourself some time but don’t hang on and torture yourself once you’re sure.

So with all of those considerations on my mind and about 95% reassured in my personal plans, I’m so excited for this next chapter! If you’ve provided a listening ear to my rambling this last month, I appreciate you. If you’re a former colleague, I appreciate you - and will miss you! Here’s to this next role and making it one for the books! I’ll be back here as soon as I can!

Sincerely,

Sharon