I'm currently at the beginning of Week Two of my unemployment. So far it hasn't been too bad, and I spent a lot of that time at home in Wisconsin with my mom and family pets. It was nice to keep my mind occupied and busy with things there, instead of mentally derailing myself and getting bogged down in the stress of not knowing what's next in store. I got to eat lots of yummy foods, and get lots of wonderful puppy kisses, and that's all we really need in life, right? ;) Last week, I also spoke to my Transition Coach, which is part of a service provided by my employer to assist in setting up those affected by the layoffs for success. My Coach was very helpful and easy to talk to, and I'm excited to take in the advice and guidance she will be providing in the next few weeks. It's definitely good to know that there is someone in my corner who is here to help me take my best step forward. They're currently going over my resume, and I'm anxious to see what changes are recommended. I don't feel like I was entirely prepared for the workforce after graduating college, so I'm really looking forward to finding out what the best tried-and-true methods are when searching for your next employer. My Coach also suggested that I set up a Behance account, which is something I will be working on over the next few days. It's nice to have a few mini-projects to keep busy with in the meantime, as well. I have a whole list of other things that I would like to accomplish during my unemployment period, so I'm making the most out of the downtime that I have. Hopefully it will all help me with whatever my next journey is! :) I have also finally set up a Ruby July Instagram account, and will be adding photos of some of the designs I've made over the past few years. I was able to get a bunch of stationery designs physically printed, so I'll be using those for the majority of the posts. I think it will be a good way to see what I've been up to, and if there's anything you like, please let me know! I'm always grateful for any feedback received! My hope is that eventually I will be able to post all of these designs and make them available for sale. Still working out the details on all of that, but if you're ever interested in having anything customized for your own needs, please don't hesitate to reach out! I'll check in again within the next few days, and if anything new or exciting comes up! Until next time! :D
Inevitably, the last day at my job has come. The day was kind of a somber one; those of us that were left have kind of been going through the motions for the last few weeks. Some of my coworkers are staying through the end of the month, so at most an additional two days of work. It would be interesting to see how that would be, as many of us have already left. I held up pretty well though, all things considering, and I tried to push it to the back of mind as much as possible. It's hard to accept that I will never see some of them again, as we are all splitting up and moving across the country. Those I've grown closest to I truly hope to keep in contact with and see often. I was also able to speak to my department manager on the phone today, as she is located in Arizona. It was refreshing to get to talk things through a little, and she was thankful for everything my team and I have done for the company. She'll be staying on in a new role, as the Production Design Team in its current format will be no longer. I'm honestly so thankful for the experience I've had at this job, and I do know that I am truly in a much better position than when I started. As far as the job hunt goes, I have applied for my first few jobs yesterday. Still working on finalizing my cover letter and applying for jobs that require that as well. I will be speaking with a job placement assistance company my employer offered for us as part of our severance package. I'm hopeful that their guidance will be useful, and I'm excited to hear any feedback from what I've been doing so far.
I'll likely be checking in more often during the next few weeks, as my job hunt commences. I have a list of things that I would really like to focus on during this time, so it can be a productive and positive period in my life instead of a wasted one. As things settle down in the job hunt, I'll also be working towards expanding this site into showcasing more of my stationery and wedding suite designs here and eventually offer them up for purchase.
We'll see how it goes!
Hey everyone! I have two more weeks left at my current job, and there's definitely been a lot of mixed feelings. On one hand, I'm excited that I'll have a bit of time off and then hopefully jump right into a new job and get some fresh experiences. On the other hand, I'm still terrified that things won't work out. I'm doing my best to keep this thought as small as possible in the back of my mind. :) Working in the stationery industry has been amazing, and I'm truly sad to have to leave. I am definitely grateful for the experience, and I've discovered that I really enjoy designing stationery items so I'm hopeful to continue in some capacity in the future. That being said, I'm probably going to lean away from screen printing as a Ruby July focus. I still love (love!) screen printing, and am going to get a setup of my own someday, but for now, I'm swinging towards the world of stationery items. I've always had a passion for pretty paper and colorful pens, and I think this is a natural fit for me. With all of the preparing I've done to re-enter the job hunt, I've rebranded Ruby July! Still the same old me that you've come to know and love, but with a cleaner, more streamlined look.
As you can see, everything still resembles the Ruby July of the past, but it's a little more cohesive and simplified. I've designed a thank you card, letterhead, set of 4 magnets, and a business card, which are all shown above. What do you think?! I'll continue to check in and update everyone on how things are going, and I'll be working on getting more samples of my work posted as well. Hope everyone has a great weekend! :D