What I Gained During a Year of Being Unemployed
April 1, 2021. It is opening day in baseball. It is April Fools’ Day. But for me, it marked the one year anniversary of losing my job.
I’m not in mourning per se, but I am pausing for a moment to look back at this past year and consider all that I have gained.
Here are a few things that I’m proud of accomplishing:
· Building my own website
· Continuing to give talks on Connecticut wineries – now over Zoom
· Enrolling in a certificate program for Social Media Management
· Becoming a member of the New England Coastal Creative Group
· Registering and starting a four-week program “The Basics of Building Your Visual Brand” next week
· Completing a Pinterest course
· Teaching myself how to use Canva
· Attending several online one day summits to learn about career development, money and mindfulness
· Completing a Social Media Masterclass
· Learning all about LinkedIn
· Editing work for a friend
· Networking online, through Zoom and social media
· Co-creating a script and recorded a video segment about Connecticut wineries for a virtual charity event
· Interviewing a local wine owner for a Q&A on my website’s blog
· Promoting local businesses including wineries, breweries, and boutiques through my online brand, The Nutmeg Nose
And there are many other classes, courses and connections I’m missing, but this gives you an idea of what I’ve been up to during a pandemic while being unemployed.
I realize how fortunate I have been to attend the workshops, join the organizations, and build my skills. I take none of this for granted. I’m still “pounding the (virtual) pavement” so to speak and working hard to find my next opportunity. One of my favorite sayings is: “Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.” And I live by that every day.
Here’s to the second quarter of 2021! May it be one of lifelong learning, successes and moments we never forget.