Wow, I can’t believe that a year ago I bravely broke up with my job. It feels like just yesterday I was diplomatically trying to talk about it when I was obsessed with “Sports Car” by Valley. Y’all, I was so burned out that instead of leaving because I got a job offer, I left to be unemployed for 6 months during a literal pandemic. It scared me to take that leap of faith but I needed to go. And it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Since then, I’ve not only been working a dream job in the music industry but I’ve become to the go-to gal for all my friends trying to leave their jobs, offer or not. I’ve also come to realize that leaving a job is kinda like a breakup.

Think about it! You’re spending quality time somewhere with people and you develop feelings about the whole thing good and/or bad. So when you leave, you’ve got a mix of emotions: sadness, anger, anxiety, exhaustion, disillusionment, excitement, maybe even relief. It’s a lot to process!

So, we make space for it all and turn to music to help make sense of it, right? I want to dedicate this playlist to my dear bestie and our logo designer (soon to be OFFICIAL creative director!) Katie and her fiancé Sebastien for doing the brave thing and finally quitting their jobs to move to their next chapter. Love you both, this one’s for you!

Highlights

this is me trying by Taylor Swift

“I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere

Fell behind on my classmates, and I ended up here

Pouring out my heart to a stranger

But I didn’t pour the whiskey…”

When I was preparing to leave my job, I was fully in a folklore hole. I was burned out, sad, angry, and bitter over the fact that I wasted my potential on a workplace that didn’t see my worth. I was supposed to be making big waves in the journalism and music industries after college. What the hell happened? How and why did I end up talking to used car dealers about their business problems? And most heartbreakingly, why do I feel like I can’t leave? This song helped me tell the story of my broken spirit and the reason I had felt depressed for so long. Looking back, I definitely felt like I had hit rock bottom. Every day I got up to work in 2020, I was trying. Until I couldn’t anymore.

Bet On It by Zac Efron from “High School Musical 2“

“I wanna make it right, that is the way

To turn my life around, today is the day…”

Katie, this one’s specifically for you. One of the reasons I’m so happy that Katie’s leaving her job is because our friends have been trying to get her to leave for at least 2 years. This too was her first post-grad job and while she was really thankful for it, it wasn’t giving her the creative opportunities she was looking for. I remember her telling me a couple months ago that I should make a work breakup playlist and add “Bet On It” because she was listening to it nonstop to hype herself up. So, here we are! This song is that defiant anthem to hype you up. Especially when you’re hearing voices telling you to stay complacent with something that you know isn’t right for you. You gotta talk back to those voices and tell them to bet on it.

fever dream by mxmtoon

“Another step, another stair

I’ll never know if I’ll get there

But just maybe…”

Sometimes leaving a job is bittersweet, like in Sebastien’s case. He and Katie actually met while working together and by all accounts, he loved his job. But it came down to seeking a new opportunity to take his career to the next level. He got a really amazing offer from a HUGE company that is gonna open so many doors (including free tickets to Coachella possibly?!). Leaving for him is a leap of faith and that’s what this song talks about. I found this song in my search for why I needed to leave and it brought me the most comfort. Getting by is so boring and we deserve something more than restless mornings. You never know what the leap of faith leads to when you leave a job, but more often than not, you know it was the right thing to do.

Silver Lining by The Neighbourhood

“You were out of your league the last time

Didn’t expect them to see your bad side…”

I would like to thank The Neighbourhood for releasing the Chip Chrome and the Monotones album last year because literally this entire album got me through this transition. I screamed, cried, and looked to better days to the tune of the deluxe edition of the album. I have so many memories of going on “angry” drives to clear my head while listening to this album. This song took the themes of “this is me trying” and ever so comfortingly told me “you told them they could believe in you, now you just gotta believe it too.” That line still gives me chills to listen to. The lesson with this one is that you as an employee/worker have a lot to offer, so don’t settle. Even if you’re leaving on unideal terms, you’re not defined by your last chapter.

Back in My Body by Maggie Rogers

“Lost you in the border town of anywhere

I found myself when I was going everywhere…”

This one is the breath of fresh air the first day you’re out of that job. Whether you’re starting something new or stepping into a time to focus on passion projects, our past New Music Crush Maggie Rogers helps you feel empowered that you chose to move forward. Since leaving that job a year ago, I feel like I’ve been back in my body and it feels a little surreal. Sometimes I wish I had been where I am now after college, but you know what, I realize I wouldn’t be as thankful for where I am now if I hadn’t gone through that bad experience. I learned a lot by being in an environment that I thought wasn’t for me, namely that perseverance pays off. I feel more than capable to do my job now and I also know now that I shouldn’t make my job my entire identity. Although I will say, it’s pretty dang cool that me being a music nerd is actually helpful in my current role. If you care to have a job that is fulfilling, believe me when I say there is one out there for you that will value your experiences and expertise. If there isn’t, then I encourage you to have the audacity to create that role for yourself. You deserve to be back in your body.