How to Navigate Job Search Uncertainty

[00:00:01] The world of work is changing. AI, automation, and technology are reshaping how we find jobs, build careers, and connect. But behind every resume and career transition is a human story, and the mental and emotional impact is real. This is Ghosted by the Machine. Welcome to Ghosted by the Machine. I'm Mark Lane, and today's guest is a familiar face.

[00:00:28] Katrina Kibben was actually one of our very first guests when we launched the show back in October. At the time, we talked about her job search, how AI was affecting the process, and what was keeping her hopeful. Lisa, welcome back. It's really good to have you here again, although I probably would like to say I'd rather have you here on other circumstances. Like, you got a gig, right? Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm going to be back either way. No, I appreciate it. Well, so you were one of the first guests, and this really feels like we're checking back with an old friend.

[00:00:57] So bring us up to speed. What does the journey look like since we last talked in October? All right. So I still, it's so crazy to call, I was just saying to you earlier, it's so crazy to call a full-time permanent job my ultimate goal. Like, why can't I be aiming higher? Like, anyway, I still haven't reached my ultimate goal of getting that full-time permanent role. But I will say it's going better than it was in October.

[00:01:22] So backtracking back then, when we last spoke, I was kind of ramping down my job search temporarily because I was in the homestretch of wedding planning. And ironically, it was during this time where I kind of wasn't applying as much that a recruiter reached out to me about a contract opportunity that she thought I'd be good for. And so, like, it was like two weeks out from my wedding. I interviewed with them. And then a week after my wedding, I got offered the role. So it was a bit of a whirlwind, kind of unexpected, but I was so happy to have any kind of work at all.

[00:01:52] And it was going to be like a three, I think it was like three months that they were going to have me for. I ended up being there for six. Yeah. And during that time, I picked up another short-term contract. So I was working, like, properly during that. Even though it was a contract role, I was putting in like a nine-to-five workday most days. And both of those contracts did end, like, at the end of June. Both of those ended. And that was really hard. It was really scary for me to be out of work again. There were a lot of really hard moments in that time.

[00:02:22] I felt like I was back at square one. Like, oh my God, I have to, like, go through all of this again. Like, I can't do this again. And I really just kind of knew something had to change. So I made a real effort at broadening my search beyond copywriting and exploring what else I could be doing. And I know I probably should have done that a long time ago, but it's hard to let go of a career that you've worked hard for and that you love.

[00:02:46] But since making this effort and, like, redoing my resume again and kind of exploring other roles, I feel a lot better about my search because I feel like I have both more options and more control. Because I'm not limited to just the roles that I've had. So I can take charge and broaden my search. And for right now, I'm actually starting a new contract in a few weeks, which I'm excited about.

[00:03:11] So I'm getting ready to start that. And I'm also interviewing for a few other opportunities that sound cool. There are times where I still feel like I'm kind of on that constant hamster wheel of, like, hustling for the next thing. And that's never the life that I wanted to have. I wanted to just have a full-time job to, like, put down roots in and grow. But that's not how it happened for me. But I'm grateful that I'm working at all, honestly. And I'm trying to stay optimistic that my full-time job is coming.

[00:03:38] So your time with RisePoint lasted three months longer. What was that experience like? Did you learn anything about yourself or the type of work you want to do next? Yeah, I'm really grateful for my time there, honestly. It was the most I'd worked. I alluded to this earlier, but it was the most I'd worked since losing my full-time job in spring of last year. And it did a lot to kind of restore my confidence and my abilities, which had all but dissipated in the time that I wasn't working.

[00:04:08] I met a lot of amazing people there, and I got some really thoughtful feedback on my writing and my work. And I genuinely did leave RisePoint a better writer. RisePoint, for the listeners, is the contract that I had that I started late last year that recently wrapped up. Yeah, I'm really proud of the work I did there. I met some great people.

[00:04:29] The one thing it also—another thing that it taught me that was sort of not so much about my work—was about how to kind of manage the uncertainty of being a contract worker, which mainly is about, like, the inconsistency of hours. You know, I was so used to being a salaried employee where you make the same paycheck every week regardless of how much you're working. But it wasn't like that there. So I was—some weeks I was really feeling the pressure of, like, I have to get—I have to find more hours. Like, I need to make more than this.

[00:04:57] So it really taught me a lot about how to, like, maintain that resilience in the face of uncertainty. And especially when it comes to—when it came to the renewal of the contract, the company wasn't in a place where they could—the company wasn't really in a place where they could offer me extensions that were longer than a month or two at a time. And I didn't know about—and they couldn't finalize the renewal until the end of every month. So it was this constant kind of waiting game, which made me—it's like what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

[00:05:24] So it was like I built up that resilience in the face of uncertainty. And also I learned how to handle disappointment a lot better because, you know, there were a lot of writers there that started as contractors. And I thought that was going to happen to me, and it didn't. And it sucked. But yeah, I learned a lot both about navigating the contract game and also about the craft itself. Sounds like it also strengthened your mental capabilities. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Because when I was done with that contract, I was like—like, there were times before I got that—

[00:05:54] job that I felt like the copywriting role that I had, the full-time one, was a fluke. And that I was never going to land another job like that ever again. And I think getting this contract and the, you know, getting the renewals and getting such positive and constructive feedback on my work reminded me like, oh, I'm still really good at this. And when this ends, I'm going to find something else. And what a great confidence boost for you. Yeah. Yeah, it was great.

[00:06:18] So you're exploring opportunities in copywriting, corporate and internal communications, creative strategy, brand strategy. Do you think having this experience all across those areas opens more doors? Or can it sometimes make it harder for employers to understand exactly where you fit those transferable skills and getting that resume right to showcase all that? Sure. I mean, I think it kind of goes both ways.

[00:06:43] It's opened doors for me in the sense that pursuing roles that are like copywriting plus copywriting adjacent roles is how I look at them. As I said before, it's made me feel better about my job search. You know, it kind of puts the control back in my hands. And it helps me kind of control how I position myself to employers and also put in perspective how much I have to offer, like beyond the scope of just writing. Like, oh, I'm really good at, you know, I'm really good at editing for tone.

[00:07:11] I'm really good at coming up with creative strategies. Like, I'm really good at juggling deadlines, managing my own projects. It's just like it's helped me imagine more possibilities for myself. So in that way, it's made the process a little simpler, like because I'm not as confined or restricted to a certain pool of jobs. But on the other hand, I think it has made it more complicated in this market because a lot of employers are looking for people, I've noticed, who have essentially done that same role before.

[00:07:38] Like, they want somebody who's, you know, written for that audience, that type of content. They want someone who's done the exact same job at another place before they hire them. And I get it. Like, with so many qualified candidates looking for work right now, like, they can afford to be that level of selective. Like, I completely understand where they're coming from here. So what that means for me is that I've had to put extra work into highlighting the transferable nature of my skills.

[00:08:04] And that means, you know, spending an afternoon writing another resume and, like, you know, writing a cover letter, which is writing an optional cover letter that highlights why my copywriting skills would transfer well to a brand strategy role, for example. And doing that knowing that it might not do anything for me, which is the other hard part of it. I do believe, though, that the best recruiters and hiring managers that work for the best companies see the value in those transferable skills, which helps me hold out.

[00:08:32] So when someone asks, recruiter, talent acquisition person, what kind of role are you looking for? How do you answer that today? I think I would answer it. So I would, I guess, like the elevator pitch, I suppose, would be that I'm looking for copywriting and communications opportunities where the primary job duty is writing and editing. Whether that's digital copy, product descriptions, internal memos, print copy or what have you. I'm very flexible on that.

[00:08:58] But I will say my overall specialty is taking complex concepts and kind of distilling them down to accessible copy that incorporates human-driven narratives. And that I think that can encompass a wide range of roles and opportunities. You know, I've done a bit of everything in my career. And I learned, because of that, I learn really fast. And I love being part of a team. And I'm looking to work somewhere where I can really, as I said before, put down roots and grow long term. I think I asked you in our first conversation, what would be your superpower?

[00:09:29] I just thought about that. Oh, I remember that now. Yeah. So now that we've gone, you've gone through this, this has been six, seven, eight, nine, ten months since last time I talked to you around that time. How has your superpower changed? Has it changed at all? What did I, do you remember what I said? I'm trying to remember what I, I remember the question. I don't remember the answer. I know, I don't remember either. I just, it just popped in my head. You've got such a great background. You've got so many things, transformable skills. You've got all the experience.

[00:09:58] And there's got, what is, how about this? What is something that you really believe these recruiters aren't seeing? I think that I'm noticing that a lot of recruiters these days are, and I understand why they do this. You know, I know I've worked with some great recruiters in the past few months. I think that a lot of them are, I'm mainly talking about the ones that I see like on my TikTok page. Okay. They're like giving like job hacks for finding a job in this market.

[00:10:25] I think that what they're kind of missing is that like the hacks don't usually work. At least not in my experience. Like I see those and I'm like, okay, like I'm gonna, I'm gonna like find a hiring manager. I'm gonna send them a real, I'm gonna send a personalized email. Like I'm gonna apply like, you know, only to roles that are posted within the past, you know, 24 hours or five hours or whatever they're saying.

[00:10:50] But the truth is the, the application, the things that have gotten me through the, through that first door, it's just luck and timing. Like I applied for this job and then the recruiter reached out to me or uploaded my resume to this like, you know, random job hunting site. And then a recruiter reached out to me like, it's been just very kind of random how it's happened. And I think like they're afraid to say that because it's gonna, you know, cynically, it's gonna lower their engagement.

[00:11:18] If they're telling people there's nothing you can do because people want any kind of shred of certainty they can find. So I think I, what they're not getting is that like, you know, the way the system is set up right now and whether or not they have the power to change that, you know, might vary. But I think what they're not getting is that there's no way to game the system the way that it's set up right now. And also what I, I mean, I also want to repeat what I said when I last talked to you that like, they have the power to help people who are really difficult time in their life.

[00:11:46] Like, even if all they do is be like, let me look at your resume and see if I can make it a little bit better. Like they don't have to find the person, the job, but like anything they can do, like, I think would hold a lot of weight. Be a little more human. I've worked with who I was really impressed by did take that extra step to make it more human. And they were very transparent about the role itself. Like I worked with a great recruiter to get my rise point contract.

[00:12:14] And she, you know, when I was trying to figure out what price to set myself at, she was like, I'm going to like suggest that you go to this one because they're very budget conscious. But I don't want you to sell yourself short. So I think this might strike straight balance. What do you think? There's a little transparency. I was like, wow, like this is a person who's on my team and wants me to get this job. So just anything that like just remembering this is a, you know, that there's a person behind every resume that you look at. So the last time you were here, I asked what was giving you hope?

[00:12:43] What's keeping you going now? What's giving you hope right now? I mean, it's definitely knowing that other people are experiencing the same thing as me. You know, I go back to that sometimes, reminding myself. I mean, sometimes that makes me more frustrated because I'm like, well, if it's not me, then I can't do anything about it. You know, but it's knowing that other knowing that this is a system wide problem and that I fell into it circumstantially. Has been, you know, it's been reassuring.

[00:13:07] But I think the real thing is, you know, the resilience and strength that I've developed because I had to because I have to keep because, you know, it's not an option for me to just give up and not look for work. I have to stay in the fight. I have to keep putting myself out there. I have to keep positioning myself with the skills and experience that I have. And it's made me a lot stronger than I was in October. So I think that's been the thing that's kept. So before we wrap up, let's put it out there clearly. What kind of opportunity are you looking for and how can people connect with you?

[00:13:36] So I would love to hear about any copywriting, creative strategy or communications opportunities that you know of or that you're hiring for. So I would love to hear about it. Even if you're not quite sure it'd be a good fit, reach out. We can figure it out through a conversation. That would be great. You can connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm Katrina Kibben on there. And that's got a link to my portfolio and my email. And yeah, that's probably the best way to get it.

[00:14:02] Well, thank you so much for coming back and being honest about your journey and where it's going. I know you're going to be successful. You're going to get something. I know it. Thank you. I have a contract coming up in a few weeks. So yeah, I mean, it's short term, but I'm hoping that after that one, I get the place where I can stay for a long time. And congratulations on your wedding. Thank you.

[00:14:26] Yeah, it was funny to have such a monumental and joyful life event happening in the midst of all this tough stuff. Yes, it's always good to have that. Yeah. So yeah, it definitely inspires and you've got a great foundation. It sounds like and continued success and good luck in finding that next job. And I think it's really important that we talk about these stories. That is not just you. It's everybody that's out there. I know.

[00:14:53] And not just when someone begins looking for work, but when they finally land that job. But through everything that happens in between, I think it's great that you came on and talked a little bit more about where you're going and what you're looking for. So for anyone watching and listening, Lisa's looking for opportunities in copywriting, corporate and internal communications, create a strategy, brand strategy. And again, you can connect with her on LinkedIn and check out her work on her portfolio. And if you want to hear more real stories from the people navigating today's hiring system, make sure to follow and subscribe. I'm Mark Lane.

[00:15:22] And this is Ghosted by the Machine because behind every application, there's a human. Let's make hiring human again. Lisa, have a great day and continued success. We hope to hear from you soon. Thanks, Mark. Have a good one.