The Pivot

The first strategy had been simple.

Aim high. Prepare well. Land the next step.

When those paths closed, the search had to change.

I widened the field.

Different industries.
Different types of companies.

Energy.
Telecom.
Media.

For a while, it felt liberating.

Instead of waiting on a handful of long shots, the conversations multiplied. New sectors, new problems, new possibilities. It felt like momentum again.

But something else started to become clear.

Experience does not always travel the way you expect it to.

Skills may transfer.
Credibility often doesn't.

It wasn't personal. It just wasn't the right fit.

Three months went by like that.

By then it was winter. The days were shorter and hiring slowed down.

Sometimes the only thing left to do was to walk it off.

And the severance clock was already halfway through.