SEASON TWO: EPISODE ONE

Season 2

Feb 4

The Roller Coaster of Finding Work: Lessons from 5 Tumultuous Years

Want to listen to the podcast while you read? Click here to listen to episode ONE now.

Welcome back, friends, to the second season of our podcast! I'm Dawne Hanks, and I have to be honest with you right from the start: I’ve been unemployed for 22 months. Yep, you heard that right. And before you start thinking, “Oh, it’s just a phase, she’ll find something soon,” let me tell you—this has been a rollercoaster ride. In fact, I haven’t had steady work for about four to five years now. And while it feels a little uncomfortable to share, I know I’m not alone in this.

So, let’s just get that out of the way: It’s hard. It’s embarrassing. And it’s something I’ve had to come to terms with. But, here’s the thing, folks—life has been challenging since COVID, for all of us. Jobs disappeared, industries shifted, and we all had to figure out how to survive in this new world. And honestly, some days, I’m just trying to survive like everyone else.

But that’s why we’re here. I want to walk through this journey with you—no judgment, just real talk. In this episode, we’re diving into the emotional and mental weight of unemployment and financial insecurity. We’ll talk about the shame that often comes with it, and why it's important to give yourself some grace. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to landing that next gig. Sure, experts love to talk about resumes, networking, and job boards. But here's the thing: You need to figure out what works for you.

I’ve learned that it’s about more than just submitting a resume and hoping for the best. It’s about understanding your own goals and breaking them down into achievable steps. In this episode, I’ll give you some practical tips on how to reduce stress—because, believe me, I’ve been there. We’ll talk about finding things to stay busy or tackling the projects you’ve been avoiding (like organizing that closet that’s been haunting you for months). And yeah, we’ll also discuss some of those tried-and-true expert tips on resumes, job search strategies, and the hiring process that actually works.

But it’s not all about jobs and career tips. We’re also going to touch on mental health—because when you’re unemployed, it can feel like everything is stacked against you. You might feel like you’ve lost your direction, or that you’re not doing enough. But I’m here to tell you: Take a deep breath. Mourn the loss. And then, when you’re ready, move on. Life doesn’t stop just because we’re in a hard season. We can’t always control what happens, but we can control how we respond.

So, listen, if you’re in this with me—if you’re struggling to find your footing, or if you’ve been out of work longer than you ever imagined—let’s take this journey together. Tune in, share your thoughts, and remember that we’re building a community here. We’re in it for the long haul, and we’ve got each other’s backs.

Stay tuned for more honest conversations, practical tips, and lots of support this season. You’ve got this. And I’ve got you.

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RESOURCES:

We know the struggle is real and so we wanted to offer some help. With each episode this season we will try and support our listeners with resources. Some will be products or services with a fee and some will be FREE so that there is a little something for everyone.

FREE ELIMINATE GIRL HATE JOB SEARCH ORGANIZATIONAL TEMPLATE

We created this template to help you organize and get the most out of your job search. Sign up to receive this free resource.

In addition we collected 10 job boards that were created with women in mind. Not only do they provide open roles, but they have all sorts of career resources built just for women and all you have to do is click one of the options below: