Here I am, back with another fabulous question from one of you Misfits, who asked:
“Dear TheBlondeMisfit,
Can you talk about your journey post-graduation and give some tips for those us trying to get a job after graduation?”
Well, before I say anything else, let me first urge you to grab a cup of tea and possibly some tissues, because I am about to come out totally swinging on this topic. TO make sure I don’t go completely haywire and speak forever on this (because I surely can), I will try to condense it to some bullet points and quick blurbs.
In essence, my journey post-graduation life has been one thing: HARD. Why? Well:
- You see all your friends getting jobs and begin to wonder why you’re not. You think maybe you smell or something. Or nobody likes you. Or you’re not talented.
- You get this unbearable pressure from your parents who constantly remind you they did not send you to school for four years to be a ‘bum’, despite whatever work you might be putting in for a job.
- You freak out every time you read the newspaper which tells you you need to have started saving money in your 401K since you were like…16 to survive.
- You feel like a failure. Again.
- You’re left taking jobs you don’t want to in the meantime to make it by, then fighting and working to get things done when you have time. So you lose a social life.
Yep, all of that was/is me. I felt like a complete loser after graduation (which was in May), when I looked and saw my friends going off to firms and corporations while I was holding onto all my pitches and bylines, trying to get my foot into the door. However, there is a silver lining. I look and think to myself had I gotten everything I had wanted WHEN I had wanted it, I wouldn’t have pursued TheBlondeMisfit. It’s not that I didn’t care, I just would have had no time. & contrary to what others told me to do, I was not about to just take the first thing that was out there simply to say I had a job. It sounds crazy, but years ago when I started to really feel the emotional burnout from internships I held, I made a decision that I wanted to work somewhere where I would actually ENJOY what I was doing. I know, crazy decision.
What I will say is this. Nobody is going to coddle you when you don’t have a job. It is OKAY to come out of college without a job, but you can’t be lazy or complacent. You can’t just sit at home on your momma’s couch and eat her snacks and expect something to fall from the sky. No. Get your butt up and work for it. If you’re still in college, you have a little bit more time and should begin working to solidify something when you come out of school. To get a job takes hard work, and the hard work only continues once you get the actual job. Somewhere in a ballpark, I’ve applied for roughly 100+ internships and jobs. While that sounds completely crazy, it’s not a foreign concept. However, I have trusted the Universe and the Almighty and everything else to create for me what it will WHEN it will. So I can’t do anything about it but wait patiently, and earnestly for what will be mine.
So what can you do? Well, check out your resume. I spent an entire day one time revising my resume. Spelling, punctuation, alignment. Key words, roles, dates. Positions that matter, positions that don’t matter. Skill set. Is knowing how to read Ancient Greek a skill set? Yep, all that. Your resume is almost like the first impression but it means even more. Make sure it is reflective of everything you can bring to the table and take out the irrelevant stuff. Trust me, a lot of things you think are relevant are actually not when it’s time for the job interview, so keep only the most necessary things.
Work, and don’t lose hope. Send out your resume and cover letter. Everywhere. Any place you’ve ever thought or dreamed of working at. & when the rejections come (because they WILL come), just be prepared to pick yourself up and keep moving. You can not become disheartened when things don’t work right off the back. You can be upset for a second, but pick yourself up and keep moving because soon you’re bound to catch the right fish.
Lastly, establish and utilize connections. Now more than ever I am learning the necessity of connections, networking and utilizing. I had a friend of my mom’s who was able to put me in place with a position at a News corporation, and even though I ended up not taking it for personal reasons, I still got my foot somehow closer in the door than if I had tried to get up in there myself. Connections connect. Duh. & what happens is someone puts in a good word for you, so the hiring manager already knows you might be an asset. Then all you have to do is get up in there and shine. 🙂
I hope this offers a little bit of help and insight for you guys and gets you going. Have a question? Send it over to Theblondemisfit@gmail.com. Have a great one loves!
Images: Getty Images
