Right before I finished grad school, I landed my first real job. Although it didn’t feel quite right, I signed up to be an investigator with a major child protective service agency. It was clear that I was not qualified, but my thirstiness for a job coupled with their desperation to fill the position closed the deal.
As an investigator, I was the first point of contact for cases of child abuse and neglect. I had to investigate allegations and remove children from their homes if necessary. Outside of some classes in college, a little bit of street smarts, and a few kids I knew growing up that claimed their whippings bordered on abuse – I was way out of my league.
Over the course of almost two years, I saw some treacherous stuff. I went in crack houses, jails, spent half of my time in court, removed kids from their home, and saw some cases of abuse that gave me PTSD. I also caught a glimpse of kids who felt they would use the system to avoid being disciplined. All in all, it was an eye-opening experience. Some of the things I experienced have helped me navigate through life. For that I am grateful.
About year and a half into that job, I knew it was time to go. Looking for a new job became my mission in life. For months I sent out resumes and followed leads with no results. I felt like someone had put roots on me. I couldn’t buy an interview. Finally, I decided that if I didn’t find a job in three months I would quit. During that time, not only did I job hunt – I worked every possible hustle that came my way and stacked enough to pay bills up for a few months.
The day finally came. It was a Friday. I was free. My colleagues celebrated my departure and with not one interview in the past six months, I wasn’t sure what my future held.
I rested that weekend and surprisingly the Monday after my last day, my phone began to ring. I was shocked. Over a two week period, I got calls from jobs that I had applied for months before I quit. Within one and half months, I had a new job with a corner office and a considerable pay increase.
It was during that period that I learned that sometimes you have to close one door for another one to open. There is a small chance that I would have still gotten that job- but I doubt it. By releasing that situation, I allowed another opportunity to enter my life.
Some people are able to easily transition from one blessing to another without any closure. That hasn’t always been the case for me.
If you are having difficulty going to the next level in any area of your life, perhaps it may be time to close a door so another one can open. What do you think?
With love,
Courtney!
Courtney Bell coaches 