Life Update: Finding My Path Again

Finally, I’m back to blogging after almost 6 years since my last post! 😅

What’s the sign? Well, I resigned from my last job—more like I was fired, honestly. Can you believe I stuck it out for almost 5 years? I’ve had so many ups and downs there that I could probably write a whole series about it! But for this post, I want to share my life journey over the past year.

I officially left my job in October 2023, and honestly, I felt relieved! I managed to exit without the awkward excuses or a month’s notice. I had been planning to resign quietly and started sending out applications back in March. I even had a few interviews, but nothing seemed to work out, so I thought I’d just hang tight until something better showed up.

Oh, by the way, I stopped working just 8 days before my birthday, and it was a real wake-up call. I realized there aren’t many job openings for my age group, and I didn’t have the skills to switch careers, which made me feel stuck—especially after getting fired for those same reasons. (I might spill the tea on that later if I’m feeling it, haha.)

Imagine being 29 while your friends are climbing the career ladder, dating, getting married, and having cute kids, and here I am, starting over! 😊 That really hit me. 

I realize I haven’t achieved many of the things I thought I would by now—no big career moves, no exciting travel, and definitely no savings. It feels like everyone else is moving ahead while I’m just stuck. I often scroll through friends’ photos of promotions and new homes and feel a bit envious. It’s tough to see others thriving while I’m still figuring things out. But I remind myself that everyone’s journey is different, and maybe my path will show up when the time is right.

Lucky for me, a friend had just landed a freelance gig with Appen, now known as CrowdGen. At first, I underestimated it because I thought a stable office job was better for consistent income. While waiting for interviews, I decided to apply to Appen without any expectations.

Then, on my birthday, October 31, 2023, I got an email about the qualification test from Appen! 🎉 Long story short, I completed it and passed! But the freelance setup has a lot of stages, and there’s always a chance of getting ghosted.

Another stroke of luck: on November 24, 2023, I received an email saying I could start working on a project with Appen! I’m so grateful I was only unemployed for a month. And guess what? I finally got to experience working from home! During COVID, I was stuck in the office because my job wouldn’t let us work remotely.

Sadly, I could only freelance with Appen for 6 months because my contract ended. But it was honestly life-changing! I earned three times my last salary! 💰 I still can’t save much, but I managed to pay off all my pay-later debts (and I might share that story too if I feel like it, haha).

Oh, and I finally bought a new laptop that I hope will support my freelance work! 😇

So, that’s my journey to finding a new job. I’ve decided to embrace freelancing for now; it seems to suit me better. No more corporate drama or emotional stress. I finally have time for myself to regroup before potentially reconsidering onsite work. Right now, I’m saving up to join a bootcamp to figure out what skills to learn to boost my job prospects. Fingers crossed everything works out!

Looking back, I realize that sometimes a fresh start is just what you need, even if it feels scary. Here’s to new adventures and discovering what works for me!

Catch you later! ✌️