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Just one month ago, it felt like my career and my partner’s career were going well. We both had projects we were excited about. We felt we’d built some clout. We woke up passionate and excited about our work. We had things we were looking forward to. We were also fortunate enough to have just moved into a condo we’d worked and saved long and hard to purchase. It felt like things were moving along. It felt like, perhaps, how things should feel for a couple in their mid thirties who’ve been working hard for well over a decade. Now, I’m realizing that having any sort of notion how things “should” be is selfish, naïve, and futile.
Fast forward to today. My boyfriend’s work has come to a complete halt. As someone who creates ads for mostly physical businesses like smoothie shops and workout equipment, he’s in a tough spot. The economy has shut down. Gyms are closed so they aren’t buying fitness equipment so the people who manufacture said workout equipment aren’t hiring anyone to help them market their stuff. Smoothie stores have not been deemed “essential businesses” by the government, so they’re closed, and aren’t paying anybody to create engaging and quirky Facebook banner ads for them. I’m fortunate that my work still stands. But, just a few weeks ago, I was doing it from our finally furnished new condo, feeling really grateful and really hopeful. I’d made a nest for myself. I’d worked hard for that nest and was starting to make it feel like home. And now, I’m in my boyfriend’s family cabin in Colorado which is, naturally, a wonderful place to be but we are here because we escaped the big city. We weren’t sure how bad things would get as the pandemic worsened, so I had to kiss my new little nest goodbye for…I don’t know how long.
These are admittedly rich man’s problems. But it’s okay to admit if we’re struggling with some of the emotional implications of the changes that are occurring. And for a lot of us, those can surround our career. Here are career existential crises you may be having right now.
Have people forgotten me?
It’s natural to wonder if people in your industry have totally forgotten that you exist. And, honestly, they may not be thinking about you, but that’s only because they aren’t thinking of anyone besides themselves and their loved ones right now. I can promise you that there isn’t someone else in the industry who has their attention. Their family has their attention.
