New Year. New Career.

Sneak Peak: Faith builds with endurance.

Around December, I finished Semester at Sea and spent some time in Portugal. My intended goal was to relocate there, but things didn’t work out, so I came back to the U.S. I had no job lined up.

Rejection After Rejection

The day I arrived in the U.S., I had a layover in Philly, and a former recruiter reached out to me. He asked if I wanted to return to the Microsoft team I had previously contracted for. Same role. Same pay. Sure! The pay was good, the work was easy—why not? I accepted the verbal offer, and my written offer was supposed to come in. One week passed. Then two. Finally, the recruiter got back to me:

“Yeah, the team’s needs changed, and they need someone who’s a stronger graphic designer.” Fair enough. I thanked him and moved on.

Two weeks later, another company reached out for an interview. I went through the final round. No offer. Eventually, I made a spreadsheet and applied to different roles. Several recruiters told me I was a fit, but the following week I’d get:

Thank you for your application.

Thank you for your interest.

However, we had to make a difficult decision and decided to…

Nothing hurts more than rejection emails and your bank account is dwindling.

Am I the only one who hates these emails? They’re gut-wrenching. You wonder, “Hey, when is it going to be my turn?” You think, “I can do this job. Why am I being rejected left and right?”

I tried networking, reaching out to old contacts, and even used AI here and there to help me. Nothing. This job hunt was different. Even some of my colleagues were out of work. I tell people this: the market isn’t what it used to be. In my industry especially, it’s very saturated. Please have empathy and compassion for those who are out of work. It’s not as simple as “just get a job.” I used to think that way—until I experienced my first layoff. You can read about it here.

Stubbornness = Disobedience

I thought my career was over, so I decided maybe it was time to change direction. I earned my TEFL certification to teach English abroad. I considered applying to teach in Spain or joining the Peace Corps, a lifelong dream of mine. I figured God didn’t want me to do instructional design anymore, so why even apply for those roles?

I kept praying, but my prayers weren’t answered. Can I be honest? I was frustrated with God. Why was He taking everything away from me? Hadn’t I felt this pain before during my first layoff? He sees I need a job, right? So why wasn’t He giving me one?

Around April, my mother told me God had given her a word: “You keep saying that you’ve maxed out. He’s hearing you say this. Yet you’re asking Him to bless you with a job. Why would He bless you with a job?” At first, I was annoyed. Can’t God see I’m trying? Can’t He see I’m spending hours applying? But I came to understand the message: don’t give up. Build endurance, which builds faith (James 1:2-4; Hebrews 12:1-2; Romans 5:3-5).

Going Against the Grain

May was here. I applied to two positions: an Instructional Designer Manager role at a top university and a Learning and Development Manager role at a cruise line. Here’s the thing—I didn’t know a single person at either company.

People say you get jobs through networking, knowing the right people, or promoting yourself on LinkedIn. They say “cold applying” won’t work. But if God wants you somewhere, it doesn’t matter whether you know the CEO, a manager, or the janitor—He will assign you there. My very first job as an instructional designer came from a direct online application.

After the final round for the university role, I got the rejection email. Ugh. Again? The other role moved me through round after round. By the fourth interview, the spiritual warfare was real—doorbells ringing, people walking around, the interviewer’s internet cutting out! Once again, I felt defeated. I cried in my mom’s room. Another rejection, surely. But the next morning, I checked my application status: Offer Letter.

It was finally over…or was it?

Onboarding Blessings

Now came onboarding. You want to get everything right to keep your offer. I had to submit my passport, uniform size, and complete a medical exam. I even signed up for swimming lessons to prepare for safety training (which I later didn’t need, but at least I learned a new life skill).

The medical exam was the most stressful part. It would determine whether my offer was valid—or all for nothing. I worked out, ate healthier, and lost some weight. But the biggest surprise came from my dental exam. I didn’t have great dentists in the past, so old issues became current problems. My doctor told me how much needed fixing. I panicked—I couldn’t afford it all. Then the office owner waived 95% of the bill. I still had to pay something, but the most expensive procedures (fillings, a crown replacement, a deep cleaning) were free. How amazing is that?

On August 19^th, I went to Ft. Lauderdale, for the medical exam. The doctor handed me my medical certification.

“Keep your health in order.” He said.

“So, this is… unrestricted?” I asked.

“Yes. You’re good to go.”

That meant I was cleared with no restrictions for two years. For seafarers, this is huge—restrictions or denials can limit your roles or even prevent you from working on a ship.

Time to Go

I informed my onboarding team about the medical certification and was told I’d be leaving on August 31^st. Initially, I was supposed to leave on August 21^st. Thankfully, it was moved to the 31^st. Sometimes, people think that God moves slowly. I’ve learned He moves differently than you—for your good. Let me break this down.

Selfies with my mom. I spent my waiting season helping her with her business. Check her out at @crossovernotary on IG and her website here.

My new role wasn’t open for applications until May. I was out of work since December. I had to wait five months to apply. During those five months, I upskilled. I completed coaching courses. I went back to therapy for a few sessions. I processed my time at Semester at Sea. I spent time with family. When it was time for me to leave, things moved swiftly.

God Loves You

 Mini tangent, but this may be a word for someone. In our waiting season, we sometimes assume God is angry at us. We believe we didn’t pray hard enough—or correctly. Yes, even Christians told me this. To them, I wasn’t working, months had gone by, and God wasn’t blessing me. So, I must be doing something wrong.

Their words hurt. I had to forgive and set boundaries. Now, I understand this: they see God differently than I do. When Job suffered, his friends mourned with him at first. But then they questioned him. They knew Job was capable. He “had it all.” So, when he lost everything, they assumed he must have messed up (Job 4:3-4).

“Surely God does not reject one who is blameless

or strengthen the hands of evildoers.” – Job 8:20 NIV

Not everyone sees God as merciful and compassionate. Don’t hold grudges against those who act like Job’s friends. They may carry perceptions about people who “have it all together.” People have told me this about me. When I wasn’t doing well in life, I was questioned as something was wrong with me. Others may have been raised to believe God doesn’t take things away from blameless people. Maybe their life experiences may have led them to believe God only blesses those who always get it right, and they could point out Scriptures. I believe God extends mercy and compassion, even when we don’t get it right, and that’s been my life experience. I could also point out Scriptures. I do know this: God loves you! 

New Year. New Career.

So, what’s next? I’ll be a Shipboard Learning and Development Manager (Trainee until I finish training) with Carnival Cruise Line! It’s a brand-new, exciting role. I won’t just be behind the scenes as an instructional designer anymore. Instead, I’ll be front-facing, focus on developing employees, coaching, and working on strategic vision with senior leadership. New Year. New Career.

I hope my story inspires someone not to give up. Keep building endurance—it builds your faith. What God has for you will fit like a glove. Keep applying to jobs. Keep growing your business. Keep developing yourself. Keep waiting and preparing for that spouse. It will be worth the wait.

Until next time,

-Brittany

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this website are mine alone and don’t necessarily reflect the views of my employer.