Moonshot Mentor with Laverne McKinnon How Do You Rewrite Your Career Story? ✍️
Few moments in life feel as destabilizing as when everything you’ve worked for comes undone in an instant.
I recently came across a LinkedIn post from Alexandra Long, PhD, who shared her story about a devastating career setback. She had just graduated with her doctorate in clinical psychology from American University and signed a final job offer to begin work as a staff psychologist at a federal agency. Then came the news: her job offer was rescinded due to the Presidential Memorandum on the federal hiring freeze.
I don’t know Dr. Long, but her post struck a chord with me. A setback like hers is one I’ve seen many clients face. It’s disorienting, frustrating, and entirely outside your control.
But while you can’t control what happened, you can take ownership of the story you tell yourself about it. Stories like, “I wasted my time,” “I’ll never have another chance like this,” or “I’m aging out” may feel automatic, but they aren’t the truth. If these thoughts sound familiar, it’s time to rewrite your story.