The Unseasoned Weekly: April 28

Paywall free edition! How long it took me to secure a new role in the 2025 job market, apply for a role as a Field Marketing Team Lead.

Apr 29, 2025

The Check In

In September of 2024, my project management role at a legal firm was restructured and I found myself at a crossroads deciding what I would do next for work. After a generous severance period, I assessed my next step.

While I knew a salaried position was still my long term goal, I also knew I had the freelance income structures in place to find a role that was right for me, not just the first that came along.

After a few weeks of rest, I began job hunting in earnest. Within six weeks, I had a job offer for another project management position. I was excited about this role. It was with a team I could see myself working alongside. The supervisor and I clicked. I’d work with passionate subject matter experts. The benefits were staggeringly good.

There was only one problem: It was an on-site position that required relocation.

Ultimately, my husband and I put our heads together and decided we wanted to stay in rural Idaho. I turned down the offer, felt sad for a few days, narrowed my search to remote positions, and began again.

Over the winter, I progressed to the end of a three-step interview process, only to have funding for the position frozen in the DOGE takeover. I added a few more freelance contracts to my roster. I completed a handful of interviews where I wasn’t selected as the preferred candidate.

I remembered - as I submitted numerous applications - how opaque and confusing the modern job application process can be. I reflected how little I had been taught about how to approach finding a new role. I felt sad and even a little pissed off about how lonely and isolating the search process felt. And in response…

Unseasoned Career Support Services was born.

Since January, I’ve worked with over twenty clients. Located across the US, at a range of experience levels and tenures, they share one thing in common: They have outdoors professional experience somewhere in their background.

Throughout my professional career, I’ve always tried to be the person my younger self needed. In just a few hours, I can teach someone everything it took me eight years of professional experience — and countless hours navigating the brutal 2024/2025 job market — to learn.

On Wednesday, I start with an association management company as a program manager. When I saw the job description six weeks ago, I knew it was the one. I was glad for all the nos I’d given and received up until that point. I recognize this is a lot like a married friend telling you, “The right one will come along!!!” But it’s my message to you regardless.

The right career opportunity will come along. And when it does, I’m here to support you as you reach out to meet it. While you’ll notice my available hours reduced on my calendar as I begin a 9-5 in earnest, I’m still committed to offering career support services to folks with outdoorsy backgrounds.

Reach out anytime I can help you, and cheers to the next chapter.

xx - Emerald

- Questions for Your Next Journal or Hike -

On Reflection

A spring reminder! The $100/year Founding Member subscription unlocks full access to the newsletter plus an annual 1:1 career support session with me (with booking availability as soon as next week).

✔ Need a second set of eyes on your resume?

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✔ Preparing for an upcoming interview and need to practice sharing your outdoorsy background with the hiring team?

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Meet an Unseasoned Career Support Services Client: Sarah Mallory

- Dispatches from the Unseasoned Community -

Heard on Social

Did you catch the second slide on this meme carousel? It’s not pictured below - you’ll have to click through…

I was floored by what a universal experience this meme touched on - I thought it was just me who had previous poor experiences with women’s-only adventure trips!

emeraldlafortune

A post shared by @emeraldlafortune

@zgrumz said: “As if I didn’t already have enough rage about the Bezos rocket squad, this rly put me over the edge😂”

Join us this week to learn with our community of over 4,000!

- Tips for your next application -

How I’d Apply

Siete Family Foods is hiring a Field Marketing Team Lead in Denver, Colorado.

Unique Value Proposition (UVP):

To me, this sounds exactly like all the best outdoor guides I know: “You thrive in environments where you can chat with people and build authentic relationships on the spot. One of your best qualities—aside from your friendly and sociable personality—is that you’re incredibly organized.”

Wouldn’t you agree? The ability to quickly build rapport while also staying on task and organized is a clear UVP of most outdoor service industry professionals.

Sample Resume Bullet Point (Multiday River Guide):

Organization: Coordinated trip logistics by managing equipment, food supplies, transportation, and schedules across six-day remote river trips, ensuring smooth operations and on-time departures under challenging wilderness conditions.

Flags / Interview Questions to Ask:

Ask the interviewer: “To make sure we’re aligned, can you tell me about the salary range and benefits associated with this role?”

Network: Consider reaching out to a past employee of Siete Family Foods, such as Eleanor Hayden, for a brief and respectful informational interview. Sometimes past employees are able to speak more freely about their company and their experiences than current employees.

Continuing Ed: Hubspot Academy has a great suite of marketing trainings, including “Understanding Lead Nurturing” - relevant to this Siete role and beyond!