Making It: In the Horror Job Market of 2024 + 2025
This year, I’ve decided to focus on documenting my journey toward landing another opportunity while betting on myself—a series I’m calling Making It.
Yes, it’s the follow-up to Making In On Less: Toxic Jobs Reviews.
In 2024, I spent the entire year searching for the right job opportunity. Through that exhausting process, I learned a valuable lesson: the importance of self-betting and prioritizing my values. Last year, after submitting hundreds of applications, I received two official job offers—one was a lowball offer, and the other, despite paying well, wasn’t the right culture fit. I stayed in that role for three months before returning to the job hunt. By 2025, I knew one thing for sure: I was done reliving the chaos and emotional toll of the job market I first entered in November 2023.
This essay is the beginning of that journey—how it started, why I ended up back on the job market, and, most importantly, the lessons I’ve learned about honoring what I want and deserve. Through this series, I aim to hold myself accountable and embrace the process of finding opportunities rooted in stability while continuing to bet on myself and pursuing fulfilling projects.
[Make sure you click the links in this essay to unpack the journey more thoroughly.]
In 2023, I held a fully remote policy role, and later, within this organization, I transitioned into a consultant fronting position to support grassroots movement organizations. Essentially, my job was as a consultant to help organizations achieve their mission goals. The new role was a pivot I hadn’t planned but adapted to as union organizing efforts began within my workplace. Before this role, in particular, I worked in government—a period marked by poor work-life balance and an overwhelming sense of losing time for the things that mattered most. I felt drained, anxious, and out of sync with my priorities.
My transition into a new role from 2021 to 2023 felt like an upgrade. It gave me balance, joy, and a renewed sense of purpose for two and a half years. However, organizational changes began to unravel the positive momentum. A lack of staff retention and shifting dynamics left me questioning whether I could see myself there long-term. A departmental change further solidified my doubts, as the new department felt increasingly unhealthy.
The breaking point came when I was wrongly accused without evidence—a situation where I was immediately demeaned and disrespected. There was no proof, no ill intent on my part, yet I was treated as guilty from the start. It was a stark and painful reminder of how bias and assumptions can override truth and fairness.
That experience forced me to reexamine my boundaries—what I was willing to tolerate, what I deserved, and what I would no longer accept. After much reflection, I made the decision to leave at the end of 2023.
By November 2023, I shifted my focus—submitting applications for policy, advocacy, and communications roles, where I had already built deep expertise. I was confident in my ability to transition, knowing I had the experience to succeed.
What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was the emotional toll of the job search process—the exhaustion, the uncertainty, the moments of doubt. Transitioning wasn’t just about securing a new role; it was about reclaiming my sense of worth in spaces that had tried to diminish it.
Stepping into the job market again meant confronting uncertainty while reaffirming my priorities. I wanted more than a paycheck—I wanted work that aligned with my values and respected my humanity. I was determined to secure a role that would allow me to thrive, not just survive. Yet, the reality of job hunting reminded me how far many organizations still have to go in providing equitable and humane hiring processes.
This time, the job search wasn’t just about finding work but about grounding myself in instability. I had spent what had felt like a decade navigating roles that felt misaligned, environments that promised equity but delivered exploitation, and moments where I questioned my worth because of how I was treated. The stakes felt higher now because I was no longer willing to settle. Every application I submitted reflected my desire to be somewhere better. As I started combing through job boards, my criteria were clear.
I wanted a role where I could lean into my strengths while working in an environment that prioritized balance, collaboration, and respect. I avoided positions that seemed to perpetuate the cycles of burnout I’d experienced before. The work itself mattered, of course, but the people and culture behind it were just as important. I refused to be breadcrumbed into thinking I owed my labor to organizations that saw me as expendable rather than essential. Even with these boundaries, the process was exhausting.
Each of the jobs I applied to required case studies. I created talking points and an explanatory brief about a complex bill for one organization focused on justice reform. The challenge was to break down the policy for both progressive and conservative audiences while maintaining clarity and accessibility. For the second organization, which focused on environmental justice, I was asked to create a comprehensive toolkit for a campaign, complete with resources and strategies to communicate their cause effectively. Both assignments took time, but I was excited to showcase my skills and passion. Despite my efforts, neither opportunity materialized.
One of the most complex parts of the job search was reconciling my hope with the reality of rejection. Some roles slipped through my fingers for every tailored cover letter and polished interview. Some organizations responded with impersonal rejections, while others disappeared into silence, leaving me to guess what went wrong. The ambiguity was frustrating, especially for someone who values clarity and accountability. But amidst the discouragement, I reminded myself that each “no” was steering me closer to the “yes” that would be worth the wait.
The climate reform organization underwent leadership changes, eventually ghosting me mid-process. Months later, the environmental justice organization dissolved entirely, leaving its team scrambling for new opportunities. It was a sobering reminder of the fragility even mission-driven organizations can face in unstable times. For the justice reform organization, the story unfolded in a similarly disheartening way. Just weeks after completing a rigorous interview, I learned they had laid off most of their staff. Financial instability and internal challenges had left the organization struggling to sustain itself.
The disheartening nature of these outcomes weighed heavily on me. It wasn’t just the rejection—the realization that these organizations, which had seemed so aligned with my values and aspirations, were struggling to stay afloat. It highlighted the volatility of the job market, even in sectors dedicated to creating change.
Despite the setbacks, I took these experiences as reminders of the importance of resilience and adaptability in a process that often feels out of my control. I couldn’t change the instability of the organizations I applied to, but I could focus on the clarity of my goals and the unwavering belief in my ability to succeed. While those opportunities didn’t pan out, they reaffirmed my commitment to finding work aligned with my values.
In 2024, I secured two full-time job offers out of 300+ job applications. The first offer in April came with excitement but quickly turned to disappointment. It was a lowball offer that didn’t reflect the value of my skills, experience, or potential. For a managerial role, I was offered a salary in the 40s, a salary of $40,000 less than my previous position. While it was tempting to accept to stay afloat, I knew deep down that taking it would mean settling for less than I deserved. It wasn’t just about the paycheck but about being in a role where I could thrive. Accepting that job would have set a precedent for undervaluing myself, and I refused to start a new chapter on those terms. The second opportunity came in July 2024, nine months into my original job search—a six-figure Campaign Director role that, on paper, seemed like the breakthrough I had been waiting for.
The second opportunity came in July 2024, nine months into my original job search—a six-figure Campaign Director role that, on paper, seemed like the breakthrough I had been waiting for.
But before landing that role, I found hope in my journey. Amidst the challenges of the job market, things took a pivotal turn when I secured a mid-sized Consulting Contract with a national nonprofit before July 2024. This opportunity stemmed from a proposal I had submitted in December 2023, focused on addressing the impact of COVID-19 on Black Latinx communities.
Winning the bid reaffirmed my confidence—it was proof that my skills, experience, and expertise held real value, even outside of the traditional 9-to-5 structure. It reminded me that I didn’t have to wait for opportunities—I could create them.
This consulting contract allowed me to contribute meaningfully to a critical project while reinforcing an essential truth: betting on myself could open doors beyond standard employment. It was a transformative moment—one that deepened my trust in my own abilities.
Still, I needed long-term financial stability, and that meant securing a full-time role with benefits. That opportunity would come soon enough.
Now, here’s a little more about the Campaign Director role. The salary was competitive, and the scope of work aligned with my expertise. I accepted, hopeful that this would be the opportunity to turn things around. But as the weeks turned into months, huge cracks began to show. From the onset of my hiring process, my references warned me to take heed. Essentially, the organization’s culture wasn’t the right fit for me, and while the work itself was fulfilling, the environment felt misaligned with my values. It became clear that while the role met some of my needs, it didn’t meet all of them. The longer I stayed, the more I realized I couldn’t ignore the misalignment, even if the financial compensation were good.
Leaving that job after three months wasn’t an easy decision. It felt like yet another disruption in a journey that had already been marked by uncertainty. But walking away wasn’t just about leaving a job—it was about standing firm in what I knew I needed and deserved. I wanted to find work that wasn’t just a means to an end but something that felt intentional and aligned with my goals and values. That clarity fueled my determination to start the search again, even though the thought of reentering the job market felt exhausting.
The lessons I learned from those two experiences were profound. They taught me that a job is never just a job. It’s an investment of time, energy, and identity. My journey, particularly working as a Consultant, reminded me that I could define my worth and walk away from opportunities that didn’t fully honor it. That journey was one of the best consulting experiences that reinforced the importance of not settling—not for a paycheck and certainly not for environments that undermine my value. I️ made more in my monthly rate as a consultant than I️ did within my 9-to-5 role.
…That realization solidified my commitment to pursuing work that aligns with my values, respects my expertise, and allows me to thrive—not just survive. Consulting showed me that I don’t have to fight to be heard or compromise my well-being for a paycheck. I can build a career rooted in true agency, fulfillment, and recognition.
Now, I am intentionally pouring into my journey as a Consultant—choosing opportunities that see me, compensate me accordingly, and affirm my worth without question.
This search has been exhausting. It’s been long, tiring, and emotionally draining—but what I want most hasn’t changed. I’m seeking an opportunity that aligns with my values, respects my expertise, and allows me to show up fully. This journey has never been just about employment; it’s been about refusing to settle for less than I deserve.
Since October 2024, I’ve picked the search back up—a continuation of what 2023 represented: persistence, resilience, and the unwavering belief that the right opportunity exists. But honestly? I’m tired.
And that’s okay. Exhaustion is part of the journey. The process has been long, but what I desire is real and attainable. I refuse to let the setbacks or challenges convince me otherwise. This isn’t just about waiting—this is about actively creating the reality I deserve.
So… stay tuned for the next entry in my journey to the Making It. The work continues and we’ll hopefully be unpacking progress in this journey🔥✨.
