This is a personal update reflecting on my job-hunting journey, self-doubt, and resilience over the past eight months. I'm sharing this for anyone navigating rejection, waiting, or imposter syndrome.

Yesterday, I got the job offer.

Before the excitement kicked in, there was silence. Relief. A moment to breathe. It felt like the end of a season I wasn't sure I would survive, let alone learn from.

For over eight months, I was unemployed.

Eight months of applications. Waiting. Refreshing my inbox. Wondering what more I needed to fix.

This wasn't just a job hunt. It was a confrontation with my confidence.

The Part No One Prepares You For

I redid my CV more times than I can count. Each rejection convinced me there was something missing.

Maybe my experience wasn't strong enough.

Maybe my portfolio didn't meet the standard.

Maybe I wasn't telling my story well.

Or maybe quietly, painfully,I just wasn't good enough.

Imposter syndrome didn't whisper. It took over.

I compared myself constantly. I questioned my growth. I looked at other designers and wondered how they seemed so sure while I felt like I was barely holding myself together.

Still, I showed up.

Not confidently.

Not consistently motivated.

But honestly, and that mattered.

Waiting Changes You

Being without work does something to your identity, especially when your craft is tied to how you see yourself.

I questioned my path. I considered shrinking my ambitions. Some days, I wondered if choosing this career had been a mistake.

Yet, even in doubt, I kept refining my portfolio. Rewriting case studies. Applying again. Believing, sometimes reluctantly,that this season wasn't a verdict on my ability.

Sometimes growth looks like survival.

When It Finally Happened

When the offer came yesterday, it wasn't loud.

It was grounding.

Relief before celebration.

Validation before excitement.

Not because the job suddenly made me worthy, but because it reminded me that the version of me who kept going, even when exhausted and unsure, was never wrong to try.

I didn't become capable yesterday.

I was always capable,I just lost sight of it while waiting.

If You're Still There

If you're in the middle of a long job search, feeling behind, discouraged, or invisibleplease hear this:

Your struggle is not a reflection of your worth.

Your doubt does not cancel your skill.

Your timeline is not broken.

This chapter humbled me. It stretched me. It taught me patience, self-trust, and compassion,for myself and for others fighting quiet battles.

Yesterday, I got the job offer.

But long before that, I proved something even more important to myself:

Even when I doubted myself, I still showed up.

If this resonated with you, feel free to leave a comment or share it with someone who might need it today.