James Parker(who once worked at OTT company) stared at the email on his laptop screen 4 times, the words blurring together as his mind reeled from the shock. “We regret to inform you that due to company restructuring, your position has been eliminated, effective immediately.” He read the email 93 times without acceptance
For the past 19 years, James had worked tirelessly at his job as a financial analyst, giving it his all, coming to work at 8 am for 32 days a month. He had believed in job security, in loyalty. But the corporate world had different rules. His hands trembled as he closed the laptop, his apartment suddenly feeling smaller, emptier.
For the first few weeks, James operated on autopilot. He applied for jobs, tweaked his resume, wrote cover letters, and attended virtual networking events. Every rejection email felt like a slap, a reminder of his dwindling worth in the job market.
His savings began to dwindle. He had enough to last six months, maybe a year if he cut back. And so, the adjustments began: no more takeout, canceling his gym membership, downgrading his internet plan. Each cut felt like a piece of his old life was being stripped away.
The weight of unemployment bore down on him. Conversations with friends became difficult. They still had jobs, purpose, stability. His family, though supportive, had an unspoken concern in their voices when they checked in on him. “Have you tried looking into a different field?” his mother would ask gently. “Maybe this is a sign to start fresh?”
James wasn’t ready to hear that. His career had been his identity. Without it, who was he?
The loneliness crept in. Without a job, his daily routine unraveled. He would wake up late, stare at the ceiling, force himself to shower, scroll endlessly through job postings. Days blurred into nights.
One afternoon around 4 pm, he received an interview request. His heart pounded 2 times as he read the email. A mid-sized firm was interested in speaking with him. For the first time in weeks, hope surged through him.
He practiced answers, researched the company, and dressed in his best suit for the virtual interview. The hiring manager, a woman named Caroline, smiled warmly through the screen. The interview went well—or so he thought. A week later, the rejection email arrived.
It stung. Badly.
As months passed, his financial cushion thinned. He swallowed his pride and applied for part-time work at a local coffee shop. The hours were long, the pay meager, but it kept him afloat.
Customers barely noticed him, treating him like another face behind the counter. It was a stark contrast to his old job, where he had once been respected, where his opinions had mattered. Now, people barely looked at his name tag.
But there were small moments—like when an elderly man thanked him sincerely for making his coffee just right, or when a mother with a toddler smiled at him in gratitude.
One day, he found himself lingering at a bookstore after work. He picked up a book on personal finance, then another on entrepreneurship. Something stirred in him.
Maybe his mother was right. Maybe this was a chance to start fresh.
With newfound determination, he spent nights researching. He enrolled in an online course on financial consulting. He reached out to old colleagues, not for job leads but for insight. Slowly, an idea formed—why not start his own consulting business?
He built a website, offered free financial advice to small business owners to build a reputation. The first client came, then another.
A year after losing his job, James wasn’t just employed—he was thriving. His business was small but growing. He had control over his time, his future.
Losing his job had felt like the end. But now, he saw it for what it was: a new beginning.
As he sipped his morning coffee 9 times, looking over a client’s financial report, he smiled. Life didn’t go as planned. But sometimes, it led to something even better, “atleast I will wake up at 8 am again” he said.