The Hunt

Hello Lovelies, I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted a personal blog but I am really excited to sit down and talk to you guys. It is no question that 2021 has been absolutely wonderful, busy, and a time filled with lots of growth. At OnBrand we have been continuously growing our business, traveling the world, and figuring out what our twenties mean for us. Being a twenty-something is such a special time because the work and foundation you lay for yourself now changes your life forever.

One topic that I have kept really private has been my work and career journey. Back in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic I was unfortunately laid off of both of my jobs due to COVID. This was a really unstable time for the World, so I watched and waited for some answers as to what direction my life was going to be going in. To be honest and frank with you guys, in these past 18 months I have felt like quite a lost soul with no direction in life. I had always been the person with a strict plan, who was running full speed ahead on the path that I had always envisioned in my life, but now I knew nothing.

Jobless for the first time since I was fifteen years old, with a degree in a field that was completely non-existent, my days were filled with induced anxiety and sleepless nights. In my effort to find some purpose in my life, we began OnBrand and created this wonderful business which was absolutely fantastic and nothing short of amazing. However, on the backend I consistently knew I needed more and searched for a career that would give me a purpose.

See for me, I learned something about myself quite quickly. I had always been a hard worker and genuinely enjoyed succeeding in my career. My career has always been a point of purpose, education, and growth that I constantly craved in my life. It’s hard to explain but without a career I felt such a hole in my existence, which in turn bruised my ego and confidence.

You know, I finally did the math and in 18 months I have applied for over five hundred jobs, had over 65 interviews, and redid my resume seven times. I know. I know how honestly shocking this is but it was the truth that I lived every single day.

It did not make any sense to me.

As someone who was a recent Bachelors graduate, had solid work history, and a positive attitude, I truly didn’t know what more I could’ve done to prepare for this transition in my life. What was I doing wrong? How could I be better? How could I be more competitive? I simply just did not understand.

In my life I truly never faced a time period that was more challenging, and I had just graduated from college. You always hear how hard post-grad is but I didn’t really understand the depth of it, until I was living a full post-grad life during the pandemic. What I learned about this time period is this is the first time in adulthood where I am trying to lay a footprint on my journey, yet I couldn’t find my destined path.

I decided to write this blog post because this is such a common occurrence, not only for Twenty-Somethings, but for people in all stages of life. I am here to tell you that I understand the stress that comes with finding your foot in this world and trying to find that place to begin your journey. I can recognize how consuming constantly applying for jobs feels, and hoping that you get that call back. I can also say I know how heart breaking it feels to go through so many stages of a job interview, feeling hopeful that you found the one, but having the rug pulled out from the opportunity at the last second.

You are not alone.

But what I am also here to tell you is there is a purpose for every single thing in this life. Even though you might be too close to the puzzle pieces to understand, someday you are going to look back and see the most beautiful picture. This entire experience has shown me that the journey really isn’t up to me but that there is truly divine timing to it all.

I never lost hope. I never stopped trying. I never let myself settle for opportunities that weren’t right for me. And I believed everyday that every rejection I faced on this path pushed me back to my designated purpose in life. I never stopped being thankful for all of the things I had in this life and deep in my soul I had to believe that everything was going to work out.

I am here today to tell you that after those long 18 months and over 500 job applications, I have officially been hired onto an amazing company as a Virtual Special event specialist specifically in content creation and it has been the most fulfilling work week. When I received the phone call that I earned the job, I broke into tears because I knew deep in my soul I was told no every single time for this perfect yes. If I had been told yes to any of those past jobs maybe I wouldn’t have been able to build our flourishing business or travel the world or maybe I would have hated my job.

But this week I started my job at an innovative cosmetics company and I work with a team of twenty amazing women who are happy and love what they do. I am constantly surrounded by positivity, support, and growth. I could not be happier. On my first day of work they even sent me a bouquet of flowers and I have been astonished at how much care they have provided me in this past week.

So for all of those people out there still figuring it out in life, I totally get it. It’s frustrating, tiresome, and one of the most challenging times in most people’s lives. But I am here to tell you that you are going to figure it out. I am here to tell you that you can have everything you want in this lifetime ,you merely just have to ask for it and settle for nothing less. I am also here to tell you that this is what our twenties are made for and it’s okay not to have it figured out and its okay to make mistakes. I sure as hell know I did. If I could go back in time I would’ve told myself to breathe and find joy in the day to day because it always work out.

I hope some of these words resonate for whoever is reading. I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that we all go through career troubles but it’s never how you fall down but how you get back up. I know I believe in you.

Thank you for your constant support and taking the time to read my words. I hope you have an absolute amazing rest of your day. I will catch you on my next blog.

Cheers to our Twenty-Somethings

Rayna Archuleta