Unemployment Adventure: The First 14 Days

Embarking on a new chapter often comes with its fair share of hurdles and epiphanies; just ask Julie Basello. Two weeks into her unemployment, she's already unearthing key insights that resonate with anyone standing at the crossroads of change. Through candid storytelling, Julie shares her personal reinvention journey. From the unexpected challenges of updating a resume to the familiar comforts found in maintaining a daily routine, she shares the raw and relatable progression of redefining her life and career.

Join Julie as she uncovers the highs and lows of navigating job hunting and the intricacies of health insurance - a task more daunting than choosing the lesser of two evils: the dentist or deductibles. Discover why keeping the creative juices flowing and lacing up for daily walks are not just pastimes but necessities for a balanced state of mind. Julie's authentic narrative serves as both a guiding light and a companion to those who are also on the path to reinventing themselves, proving that while the journey is seldom easy, it's filled with growth, ripe with opportunity and based on hope.

Transcript

Julie Basello: 0:00

Well, as promised, I'm back to give you a peek into my current reinvention journey. The first two weeks of unemployment are done. It's been interesting. Stick around to hear about what I've learned this past two weeks. Have you ever wanted to start over to reinvent yourself?

Julie Basello: 0:18

Reinvention is something we all do at some point in our lives. Sometimes it's simple, sometimes it's complicated, but it's often necessary to lead a fulfilling life, and it's always interesting. I'm your host, Julie Basello. Join me for some inspiration as I share reinvention stories, tips and tricks from real people just like you. Let's explore reinvention adventures together. Welcome to another episode of Reinvention Adventures podcast with me, your host, . In this episode, I'm sharing some things about my first two weeks unemployed Before we begin. This podcast episode is sponsored . . Media. Basello Media is my content creation company that supports small businesses with their marketing content needs. Websites, social media, print media and podcasting all require content At Basello , thank you. For more information, visit JulieBasellocom.

Julie Basello: 1:23

Okay, so now let's talk about the first two weeks of my hopefully fabulous reinvention. There have been a few tidbits that have struck me that I thought I would share with you. I really have no idea if this will be helpful or even interesting to listen to, but I will try to keep it as engaging as possible. The first thing I would say is always have your resume and portfolio up to date, especially if you work in a creative field. As someone who didn't job hop, I was not as diligent as I should have been about things like that, so I've spent some time getting up to speed. It will likely be an ongoing process, but at least I have a resume and portfolio I can apply to jobs with. Now. Time will tell if either one attracts the attention I want, but it's still good to have those in place.

Julie Basello: 2:01

I also noticed that for me, routine is very important. I'm setting my alarm and making sure I follow a routine when it comes to applying for jobs, as well as working on networking prospects and all the things one has to do to prepare for next steps. I have a schedule of follow-up contacts for my own business as well and, of course, outlining and recording podcast episodes. I noticed that I get bored easily. I didn't realize how easily until this week. Not only have I gotten my information together for job prospects, I'm actively looking at freelance work, helping friends and family with photography needs and writing podcast episodes. This is because I have to keep my brain engaged and in a routine or I get very bored.

Julie Basello: 2:38

And, speaking of not getting bored, staying active is now a priority for me. I've always been a pretty active person person and I'm not someone who sits around, but I've tried recently to walk at least two to three miles a day, in addition to other fitness activities. Moving helps me creatively and it reduces stress for me, and both of those things are very important right now. Unemployment and health insurance coverage are both priorities for me right now. I had to deal with a glitch in the unemployment online portal which did not allow me to set up an account when I first went into it. That was frustrating. I had to actually call into a human. Now, as a person who prefers the ease of online activities, this was excruciating and literally took two days. I got everything set up on the first day, but literally had to call back two days in a row to actually get a human on the line to finalize my application.

Julie Basello: 3:23

Health insurance is a whole other story. If you have a working partner who has benefits that can include you, take advantage of that. When it comes to your reinvention journey, it's way harder to have to figure it all out on your own. Will I do it? Of course I'll do it. Would I rather be at the dentist than searching through deductibles and coinsurance percentages? Yes, I would, I really would, and no shade to my current dentist, who's great and whose office staff is awesome. Unfortunately, he probably won't be covered under the new plan options. I'm just kidding, it's just frustrating and annoying, but it's a necessary process. Seriously, though, if I lived in Europe, this would be a non-consideration which would make things so much easier. You know how people joke that your first marriage is for love and the next marriage is for money. I think my next marriage should be for health insurance. Just saying Okay, would-be's yes. A seemingly random, out-of-the-blue thought, but because I've not been home as much as I am now, I never noticed how many damn would-be's fly around my condo outside. Thankfully, outside, my patio has a wood fence, wooden shelves and random wood items around, and those suckers are everywhere. I'm going to read it. There are a lot of small business owners out there who need some marketing help, and I'm hoping to support some of them soon. I've also followed up with each person I connected with. There hasn't been a ton, but they have been great people so far.

Julie Basello: 4:54

Applying for jobs has been an interesting experience so far. I'm working with multiple recruiters and have been applying to many jobs. It seems like every time I apply for something, another freelance-type opportunity presents itself, though I'm not fully sure what that means. The universe is telling me something, but stay tuned. As soon as I figure it out, you'll know. The fear and stress isn't completely gone. Once I have the benefit situation taken care of, I may actually feel a bit better.

Julie Basello: 5:17

Right now, I have a freelance project coming up which will keep me busy for a bit, and I'm going to continue to put things out there in the hopes that they get in front of the right people. That's the best I can do at any moment. Right now, I'd like to say things are sunshine and rainbows, but they aren't right now. I have up days and down days. Things are okay and I feel I'm making progress, but I kind of feel like I'm paddleboarding. I'm up on the board and I'm paddling, but there's a shifting surface underneath my feet. That's the best way I can think of to describe the feeling. So let's look at the best things that happened in the first two weeks.

Julie Basello: 5:48

I had coffee with my former social media editor, who is always fun to chat with. I enjoy and respect her perspective. That was fun. Meeting potential clients in four different networking scenarios also a great thing Making an Italian meal from scratch for the first time in a long time, making sangria also for the first time in a long time. Applying to many jobs I had phone interviews and one in-person interview. Applying to many jobs I had phone interviews and one in-person interview for opportunities. That all sound interesting. They also represent moving forward in my career, which was important to me. That's a win for sure. I went to my first networking lunch and my introverted self did not implode but actually had some lovely conversations with some great people. I sat next to a TikTok influencer who said my podcast looked awesome. I'll take that kind of praise whenever it comes my way. I got my patio summer ready and that's something I always scrambled to do on weekends. But now it's set up and lovely Warmer weather has arrived to New Jersey, which certainly does a lot to help everyone's mood.

Julie Basello: 6:40

Now onto the things that were a bit challenging in the first two weeks, and let me say these things were nothing I couldn't handle, but they were not on the positives list Benefits can be a bit of a challenge. I think I may be overthinking this one and I've asked for some help so another set of eyes can take a look and give me some perspective. My sister is really good at this, so she's my designated set of eyes. Unemployment proved to be more difficult to get rolling than it should have been because of the glitch setting up my online account, which was so frustrating. What should have taken less than an hour ended up getting spread out. It always seems like the government sites glitch out Not cool.

Julie Basello: 7:12

Some of the job application processes are weird, for lack of a better word. I know every organization has their way of doing things, but sometimes the questions and methods just seem really unusual to me. Charging people a fee to be on a job hunting site should not be a thing. I mean, come on, your customers are people looking for jobs. Charge the job posters, not the job seekers. Seriously, I think some key takeaways would be have a plan. Any sort of plan helps you keep moving forward and makes you feel like you're being productive.

Julie Basello: 7:51

Don't be afraid to ask for or accept help. I know you're an independent badass, but even we sometimes need help and support. My friend, tina is a small business owner and she has been very encouraging and extremely supportive and trying to get me out of my comfort zone. It's very much appreciated, even if I try to go there kicking and screaming. Don't be afraid to try different things. You never know what would come of trying to explore something that maybe isn't traditionally what you would look for, but still is an opportunity. I have had a few of these materialize and I'm not afraid to explore them. They may not work, but one thing often leads to another and it's important to keep an open mindset, barring any glitches.

Julie Basello: 8:26

Get unemployment and benefits squared away quickly, if you can. It will allow you to focus on other things. Have a routine. Sleeping until 10 am every day isn't going to make you feel productive or like you're accomplishing anything Plus. It'll be harder when you need to get back into a structured routine again. Even business owners need a routine. You have a little more latitude and freedom, but routines help keep some things on track. I will be sure to keep you updated on what things are looking like as I continue on in this process and journey. Thank you for listening Until next time. This podcast is sponsored by Basello Media, a boutique content creation agency supporting the marketing efforts of businesses through visual, written and audio content. If you'd like to contact me, my email is in the show notes. You can also find me on Instagram at Reinvention Adventures Podcast or Thank you.