My name is Janine, I’m 34 and I’ve spent most of my life feeling lost. I hold a Bachelors degree in Communications and after years of searching, traveling and searching for…something…I became a Project Manager. That was over 7 years ago, and it certainly hasn’t been dull. I’ve had some amazing career highlights, such as winning an award for excelling in Project Management and being sent to Hawaii! Unfortunately the job destroyed me and I found myself grappling with depression (of which I had on and off for 18 years). So not long after getting back from Hawaii I started hunting for a new job – any job. I had to get out before the job and the place killed me.In desperation I took the first job offered – as a Project Support Officer (PSO). Unknowingly I found myself in a place entrenched in bullying and workplace psychopaths. Luckily for me a good friend had convinced me to join a 6 Young Women’s Leadership Programduring that time, whereby my eyes started to open and I rediscovered my love for writing and faith in people, and I started blogging.I stayed in the PSO position for 1 1/2 years and unfortunately found myself back in my old position – I was so drained and desperate to get out of the job that I ended up again taking the first job I was offered – another PSO position in a place where I became more like a slave – to more than the job.
I was actually really successful here, gaining a promotion to Portfolio Analyst, which I thought is what I wanted, but 7 months later I woke up to the realisation that I was mentally and physically exhausted and that I was even more of a shell of a woman then I was before – although now I knew what I wanted – to write and I wanted to help people by sharing my stories. I didn’t want to suffer for a job anymore. And so I did what I had never done before…I quit without a job to go to.
Which brings me to today. After a month off in between jobs, and some soul-searching, I have taken up a part-time PSO position in a smaller organisation to bring in some cash as I focus on all things me: health, happiness and wellbeing – which includes writing, designing ebooks and helping others. It’s going well as I now have my very first paying client, with many more opportunities to come.
