Fingers fking crossed for 2025.

(Alternative title: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually feel like a McLaren right now…)

It’s been a year since I’ve found full-time employment.

I’d been interviewing for prospective jobs for even longer than that. I’ve interviewed for numerous positions, gotten to the last stage where I was considered with another candidate multiple times and have received rejection after rejection until very recently.

This experience of job hunting is not new to me — I’ve struggled to hold a job since I graduated in 2018.

The rejection does not get easier, and the internship rejections sting even harder. Because at this point, fuck do we all know that i’m probably an overqualified intern for most communication positions.

For those not privy to the pinnacle of motor racing, the McLaren Formula 1 Team had been struggling for a long while, until it started to show some growth in the 2023 season. Even then, they started the first race of their season with arguably bad prospects, with car 81 DNFing and car 4 finishing in P17.

They made major strides and even won the World Constructors Championship in the 2024 season, and have won both races so far as of the 2025 season.

Now, I am absolutely not relating my journey to the McLarens, but seeing their progress throughout 2024 made me reflect and think that whilst difficult for me, I really took the time to rest, refocus and realign on how to approach my future employment.

And who knew all it took was a resume rewrite and my best friend telling me to get my shit together — almost instantaneously, I took her advice wholeheartedly and actioned it — I got offered a job with even more potential creative opportunities that I otherwise would have never been given the chance to explore professionally.

And now it all comes down to me. The vibes I emit, the professionalism I show, and the curiosity that follows.

The way my previous journey ended left me jaded to say the least… While there were many factors beyond my control, as I reflect I can admit my faults in bad behaviour and stubbornly refused to play the game.

But now I know better. And it’s time to take those learnings into practice.

I am genuinely excited for this new journey and I can’t wait to start this new role.

I can only hope my trajectory excels like the McLaren cars… Here’s to an exciting 2025 season for Leona and for any of the McLaren drivers to win the World Drivers Championship and Constructors Championship this year.

With all my love x
Leona