The Detour That Changed Everything
When the job market said no, I built my own.
I didn’t plan on becoming a business owner.
I planned on getting hired.
After losing my job, I did what so many of us are told to do: update the resume, tailor the cover letters, apply consistently, stay positive, and trust the process. I applied to roles I was qualified for—and roles I was overqualified for. I refreshed my inbox more than I care to admit.
And then…nothing. No callbacks. No interviews. No rejections with feedback. Just silence.
But then I realized something powerful: maybe I wasn’t being rejected — maybe I was being redirected. The quiet forced me to ask a hard question: What if I stopped waiting for permission and created my own path?
If you’ve ever been laid off or unemployed, you know this part well. The silence starts to feel personal. You begin questioning your experience, your skills, and your worth. You wonder if you’re asking for too much—or somehow not enough.
I followed all the advice. I networked. I optimized my LinkedIn. I stayed “professional” and patient.
But behind the scenes, I was discouraged, frustrated, and exhausted.
What no one really talks about is how emotionally draining it is to keep putting yourself out there and getting nothing back.
At some point, a quiet question started forming in my mind: What if I stopped waiting for permission?
What if, instead of trying to fit myself into another company’s box, I used my skills to build something of my own?
That thought felt both terrifying and liberating.
I didn’t suddenly feel brave or confident. I didn’t have everything figured out. But I did know this: I had real skills, real experience, and a strong work ethic—and they weren’t being used.
So, I decided to try.
Starting my own business wasn’t some perfectly planned leap. It was a small, shaky step forward.
I began offering services I already knew how to do—administrative support, organization, client communication. Things I had done successfully for years, just under someone else’s company name.
This time, I did it on my own.
I doubted myself. I questioned whether anyone would take me seriously. But I also felt something I hadn’t felt in a while: momentum.
Each small win rebuilt a piece of my confidence.
The job market closing its doors forced me to open one I might never have considered otherwise. It pushed me to trust myself, to value my skills, and to stop waiting for external validation.
Starting my own business didn’t magically erase fear or uncertainty. I most certainly still feel it today. But it gave me ownership. It gave me agency. It reminded me that my value doesn’t disappear just because a recruiter doesn’t reply.
If you’re reading this while refreshing your inbox, questioning your worth, or wondering what comes next, I see you—and I know how you feel.
You are not behind. You are not failing. And you are not alone.
Sometimes the path forward doesn’t look like another application. Sometimes it looks like taking the leap and betting on yourself. And sometimes, the thing that feels like the biggest setback becomes the beginning of something entirely your own.
If you’re navigating career uncertainty or considering building something of your own, know this: you don’t have to have it all figured out to take the first step. You just have to start.
— Jazmin
