Head of School to Head of the Unknown: Activating Plan B

Since announcing in July that I would not renew my contract next year, I've done what everyone else would do in my position, which is to update my LinkedIn status, register with new recruitment agencies, set job announcement alerts, and dive deep into my patience reserve.

I have applied for a few roles and there have been numerous approaches through LinkedIn, some of which led to conversations. Some were clearly time wasters, and for some I am just another name on their list who never reply to messages. Imagine if we ghosted our colleagues this way.

Why did you apply for this position?

I have attended a couple of interviews, but one of them left me asking if they were looking for a new Head of School, or someone to rescue them from their current problems? I have had conversations with headhunters who have assured me that the school or group "will be in touch this week." I'm still waiting.

I have received messages from recruiters regarding opportunities in countries where I had never considered working before that led to deep reflection of my values and beliefs, and an opportunity to remind myself of what I will - and will not - accept.

I have had recruiters asking me to do their job for them and recommend people for the role that they contacted me about. This has included unethical practices of requesting an introduction to an existing colleague who is currently under contract.

This is not intended to be a moaning and whining pity party post, but a message to anyone else who is currently in a similar position; you are not alone. This is the job market today.

There's no place like home

Landing at GRU international airport recently after an interview at a school in another country in LatAm, I was aware of feeling really happy to be back. I felt at home. On one hand this catapulted me back to the difficult decision I made to not renew my current contract. I love Brazil and I see a future here, although my Portuguese would need to improve exponentially, but that is for another day. However, I am reaching the point of feeling that there may be no other option but to leave, possibly leaving a city and country where I have friends and feel at peace.

Press 1 for job security. Press 2 for fear of the unknown.

This has prompted me to think about Plan B. What is Plan B, you ask? I wish I knew. Further reflection and looking inward is now taking me in a direction I never really imagined I would go again; the direction of being self-employed in some capacity. I am currently training to be a coach and I have just been accepted to the IB Educator Network (IBEN) as an Evaluation Leader. Combined with my 30 years experience, consulting and advising seems to be the most obvious route.

Activating Plan B has unlocked a new level of anxiety. Anxiety fuelled by the unknown. I've lived in Brazil for 11 years and yet I have no idea how to be self-employed here. I have many questions and whilst I believe there are many opportunities, at my stage in life and at a time when this change was thrust upon me, the future is unclear and this is scary.

Standby...

I am grateful to have friends, colleagues, and acquaintances around me with whom I've developed a level of trust that allowed me to reach out and ask for help. Within this circle of trust I have had conversations about some leads and possible opportunities. My home office has become Command Central with large sheets of flip chart paper adorning the walls, slowly filling up with post-its and scribbled notes.

I will continue to keep checking the job boards and accepting conversations with headhunters, but activating Plan B in parallel is helping me to feel more in control - with a small c - of my own destiny.

We throw ourselves into the abyss of an uncertain world so we have to be prepared to handle what the universe throws back at us. To reference an earlier post, I'm still waiting for the parachute to open, but the ground still seems to be a healthy distance away, for now.