On January 10, 2026, my role was eliminated due to organizational budget constraints after eight years with the company.
It was a shock.
For about six weeks, I flounced around in a fog of pity and discomfort, eating Oreos for every meal and sinking into uncertainty, maybe even depression. (Flouncing feels like the right word; it's not quite functioning, not falling completely apart, just incredibly off-balance.)
But eventually, you pick yourself up and realize, as a single girl, no one is coming to save you! It's up to YOU to figure the dang thing out!
So here I am... back on my feet, translating decades of leadership experience into resume bullets and trying to figure out how to land a role in a hiring landscape that looks nothing like the one I left behind.
Because wowzers.
Today, you don’t just apply for jobs. No. That would be too REAL. Now, you have to get past robots first!
Gone are the days of handing your application to the front-desk secretary, greeting her with a smile, and making a human connection before anyone even reads your resume. Now, you can be deeply qualified or even overqualified, but if your resume doesn’t align perfectly with what an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) expects, the hour and a half you spent tailoring your application disappears into a digital void! Frustrating is an understatement.
Sometimes you get a rejection email an hour later saying you don’t meet the qualifications.
Even though you know you do.
Even though you’ve done the job...and MORE!
It’s humbling. And disorienting. And honestly, a little surreal.
But here’s the surprising part…
Amid the silence and the “no’s,” I’ve come across some incredibly thoughtful application questions. Many of which I’m bookmarking for the day I’m hiring again.
Since we’re heading into hiring season, I thought I’d share them as I go. You might find them useful too.
A Question That Stopped Me in My Tracks
One application asked: (I wish I could remember which one to credit them.)
Motivations: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
(Choose a few.)
The dropdown options included:
- Ability to make an impact
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Financial
- Flexibility
- Goal completion
- Growth opportunities
- Job security
- Peer recognition
- Self-starter
- Work-life balance
At first glance, the options felt a little odd.
But the more I thought about it, the more brilliant it seemed.
If you’re hiring to build a strong team, not just fill a seat...motivation matters. Often, you’re not looking for someone exactly like your current team members. You’re looking for someone whose drivers complement what you already have.
This question gives you insight before the interview even begins.
Are they impact-driven? Security-driven? Recognition-driven? Growth-driven?
That tells you a lot about how they’ll show up on hard days...not just the good ones.
If You’re Hiring
Consider how a question like this could help you find not just a qualified candidate, but the right one.
What motivations are missing from your current team?
What type of energy would balance or strengthen your culture?
And what answers might signal a mismatch, even if the resume looks perfect?
I’m already thinking about how I’ll use questions like this when I’m back in a leadership role.
If You’re Job Searching
This question is also a mirror.
It forces you to ask:
What actually motivates me now?
Because the answer might be very different from what it was five, ten, or twenty years ago.
A New Chapter, Whether I Planned It or Not
After 22 years of steady employment...being recruited, promoted, and moving from one role to the next, this season feels like cannonballing into the deep end with my eyes closed and nose pinched tight!
I’m learning as I go. Applying. Adjusting. Hoping interviews and opportunities are on the horizon.
Because the bills keep coming.
And life keeps life-ing.
So here’s to new beginnings...even the ones we didn’t choose.
I’ll continue sharing interesting questions, insights, and random lessons from this journey as they come. If you’re hiring or job searching, this might be insightful. Or, if you're just curious about how work is changing, I hope these reflections are helpful.
And if nothing else, maybe they’ll spark a conversation worth having.
So, I'm curious...
What would you add to that motivation list?
Or, how might you use a question like this in your hiring process?
Also--
If you know of leadership opportunities where my experience could make a meaningful impact, I’d welcome the conversation. I also remain available for speaking engagements as this journey unfolds.
