When Your Plan B Becomes Your Purpose

Why is it that when things are good, we don't mind sharing what's going on in our lives, but when things aren't going so well, we tend to keep it to ourselves, like some embarrassing family secret? This is especially true when it comes to our careers. Perhaps it's the fear of being seen as a failure or of what people might say. One thing I've learned throughout my transition from broadcast journalism to community management is that people will talk regardless. But what if they say you're brave for making such a bold career move? Or that you're resilient for pressing on even when things looked bleak?

I used to be one of those people, afraid to fail. I believed failure was never an option, and I worried about what people would say if I did fail. Well, the question wasn't if I would fail, but when, because we all fail.

Twelve years into my career in broadcast news, I couldn't see myself doing anything else. I aspired to be an executive producer. I remember going above and beyond, training and helping my fellow producers. I'll admit, I was an exceptional producer, and I loved my job. But I wasn't climbing the ladder. All of my moves as a producer were lateral. Even when they came with a step up in market size and more pay, I was still in the same role.

As I approached the fifteenth year of my producing career, I began to feel frustrated by the lack of growth and burned out. I'd worked the graveyard shift for most of my news career, and it was starting to take a toll. The industry was also changing, and not for the better, in my opinion. Mandatory, one-sided political pieces started to become the norm. When I pushed back, feeling that I was standing up for the integrity of my show, I was often seen as insubordinate. I knew then that it was time for a change. So, when my contract ended, I made the hard decision to leave news altogether.

It took two years to find my footing again. I thought I'd made the biggest mistake of my career by leaving news. To be honest, there was a time when I tried to go back, but even with all my experience, I never got past the initial interview. For two years, I felt like a failure. Had I been blackballed for my "insubordination," or did the universe have other plans for me?

It turns out it was the latter. Between job searches, I looked for career support and advice and came across a Facebook group of former journalists called What's Your Plan B. I learned I wasn't alone. We were all in different phases of our post-journalism careers. One word kept coming up over and over again: reinvention. Many of those who had found life after journalism said they had to reinvent themselves. So, I did some research to learn how I could do the same.

The biggest revelation came after I applied for work through a temp agency. After months of not getting a job, I asked my representative, "What's the problem?" I had all this communications experience, two degrees, and a wealth of skills that could translate across industries. I remember her looking at me and saying, "That's the problem. You have so much experience and various skills that I honestly don't know how to market you."

After that, I guess you could say I went through a career identity crisis. I loved journalism, communications, and public relations, but I didn't know what else to do with my skills beyond what I'd done in broadcast journalism. Was there another industry where I could use all of my skills? Besides, I didn't want my parents to feel like they'd wasted their money sending me to college for a bachelor's and a master's degree that I wasn't using.

My big break came in March 2020. Yes, right before COVID shut down the world. I had applied for a communications coordinator position with a community association. Beyond paying my monthly assessment and keeping my home in compliance with HOA rules and regulations, I had no idea what a community association involved. I needed a job, and the pay and benefits were good.

It turns out this was the beginning of the next chapter of my career. I fell in love with the common-interest community industry, an industry you either hate or love. There is no in-between. It's a tough industry, but I'm always up for a challenge. In six years, I went from communications coordinator to lifestyle director. Most recently, I earned my community management license and became an assistant general manager, all with the same company.

Looking back, I had to go through what I went through to get to where I am today. It was failing over and over again, applying for jobs and not getting them, that led me to where I'm supposed to be at this moment in my career and my life. I honestly couldn't be happier, and I truly love and enjoy what I do. It gets stressful sometimes, like any job, but the good days definitely outweigh the bad.

I wanted to share the good and the bad, the highs and the lows of my career path, in hopes of inspiring someone else who may be at a crossroads in their career. Failure, trials, and tribulations challenge us and make us stronger. In the end, we'll end up where we were always meant to be.