An uncomfortable lesson I learned this year

This is my last newsletter for the year.

And no — this isn’t going to be a neat little wrap-up about wins, highlights, or “trusting the process”. If that worked, we’d all be smug by now.

The biggest lesson I learned this year wasn’t about resumes, interviews, or job markets.

It was about this:

Being useful is not the same thing as being sustainable.

For years, I’ve been very good at being useful.

Useful to students who need clarity yesterday. Useful to clients who are overwhelmed, stuck, or quietly panicking at 2am. Useful to organisations that like having someone who can “just sort it out”.

And for a long time, usefulness felt like impact. Like purpose. Like proof I was doing something worthwhile.

This year showed me the bill.

Because being the person who sees the problem, names the problem, and designs the fix doesn’t mean you get the authority to actually change anything. Sometimes it just means you get to carry the weight — politely and indefinitely.

I also learned that high-touch work — the kind where people bring fear, grief, identity crises, and “what the hell do I do now?” — doesn’t behave like a tidy online business.

You can’t package it neatly.

You can’t rush it.

And you definitely can’t pretend it’s low effort.

Trying to make deeply human work fit into a frictionless, scalable model is a great way to burn time, energy, and belief — while telling yourself it’s just “one more push”.

And here’s the uncomfortable part.

None of this broke loudly.

It leaked.

In small, sensible ways.

In “this still matters” ways.

In “I’ll deal with that later” ways.

Those are the dangerous ones.

So this year, my lesson wasn’t about doing more.

It was about edges.

About realising that time and attention are the actual assets — not productivity, not output, not being needed.

About understanding that clarity without authority is exhausting, and access without boundaries is expensive.

I don’t have a perfect system yet.

I’m still figuring out what stays, what goes, and what gets protected properly next year.

But I do know this:

I’m done building roads other people get to drive on.

If you’re heading into the end of the year feeling tired rather than triumphant, maybe that’s not failure.

Maybe it’s information.

Sometimes the lesson isn’t “try harder”.

It’s “stop bleeding quietly”.

See you next year.

~Lisa

Your Q&A

I Just Took a Job I Don’t Want

Hi Lisa,

After being out of work for 6 months, I’ve taken a “bridge” job that’s in my field but offers no chance for advancement. As I continue to apply for jobs that are a better match, I think I should include this job, which I just started, on my resume. I’m not so sure. What do you see as the pros/cons of doing this?

Thanks for your ideas.

Sharon

​

Hi Sharon,

Yes. Add the bridge job.

Here’s the thing no one says out loud: recruiters are wildly uncomfortable with employment gaps.

A six-month gap makes some people assume you’ve been living under a doona, waiting for the universe to send you a job.

Which is ridiculous… but also very much how bias works.

Adding the new role does three useful things immediately:

It proves you’re employable: Someone hired you. Recently. On purpose. That matters more than whether the role has a glittering career path.

It shrinks the gap: A gap followed by action looks very different from a gap followed by… more gap.

It reframes the story: You’re not “desperate and stuck”. You’re pragmatic, strategic, and paying your bills while you look for the right fit.

How scandalous.

Now, the fear I hear all the time: “But won’t it look strange that I’m applying for jobs when I just started this one?”

Honestly? No. And if anyone does clutch their pearls over it, there are easy ways around that:

You can position it as contract, interim, or short-term (because, quietly, all jobs are contractual).

You can describe it as a bridge role without apologising for it.

You do not need to overshare your internal monologue about disappointment, survival mode, or capitalism.

What about content if you’ve barely started?

Good question. You don’t need to invent miracles.

If you’re worried about “not enough achievements yet”, use a keyword-rich role description, then add a sub-heading like:

CONTRIBUTION / IMPACT PLAN​
Outline 3–5 areas you’re focused on in your first six months. This shows intent, commercial thinking, and that you’re not just warming a chair.

And the gap?

If you can, label it.

Caregiving. Coursework. International Travel. Volunteering. Upskilling. All Five. Something. Anything that says: “I didn’t disappear.”

Because sadly, being unemployed is still treated like a moral failing in hiring, and your resume’s job is not to fight society — it’s to get you shortlisted.

So yes. Add the job.

You’re not married to it.

You’re just dating it while you look for something better.

Thanks for Reading.

~Lisa​