To all my friends and peers who are struggling to find your ‘perfect job,’ keep pushing; eventually, something will give, and you will see results. I must start this blog by apologizing and walking back to my last post. In my last blog post, I cited the importance of digitally marketing yourself in the job-search realm. For instance, being active and having in-depth professional profiles on all major professional and job search media. Social media and sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, Wayup, and, if you're a student, your college's careers page. Even individual career pages for each company you have or wish to apply to. Yet I just got a summer internship without even handing the manager my resume, connecting on LinkedIn, or messaging him through Wayup. (I will say the hiring process, currently ongoing, was abnormal for both myself and my boss.) It was about being in the right place at the right time. I mean, my boss, the person who hired me, just left for a month's leave mere days after I was hired. So how did I do it, how does this relate to, or even negate my last post, and how can you succeed? Honestly, I told my struggles to the right people, those who had connections within my area of interest and those I trusted to help and support me. Even more importantly, I saw them almost every day, so I kept receiving updates on anything pertaining to my interests. Another key piece of advice: take a break. Applying to jobs, networking, making new accounts and profiles, and dressing in a three-piece business suit all day for a one-hour networking event is very taxing on your mind, body, and most importantly, your motivation. The job search is stressful, and it's not always obvious. Something my boyfriend, who is also in the job market right now, pointed out when we had a small argument, is that the job search and all the aforementioned tasks and activities constantly loom over your mind, whether you notice it or not. It was making us quicker to temper and to lash out over the smallest misunderstandings. At some point, you need to step away and take a break. I had my spring break and relaxing plans with my closest friends and the love of my life in a tropical climate. I planned all of my homework and job search tasks to be completed outside of break. I had two key meetings scheduled after the break, which eventually led to my hiring. I think that if I hadn’t had that break and gone to those meetings, I most likely would not have gotten the job. I recall interviews I had before my break that went poorly just because my patience was wrung out. You get so used to the same process of applying for jobs, researching the position and interviewer, and all the events leading up to the interview, that you lose sight of the reason you applied to the job in the first place.
Lastly, I want to refer back to my last post about job search sites and all that jazz of media's place in the job market. Partially because I didn't get my job through those online platforms, they didn't even play a single part in my hiring process. I want to first say yes, they are valuable in the modern day, and to keep making and maintaining those accounts and connections, but to limit them to the places based on three criteria:
1. Media companies and managers in your field are using the most.
2. Sites you enjoy using and that are easy to maintain.
3. Sites that are either widely-used or niche sites directly relating to your field.
I mention the last bit in the three criteria because some fields, for instance, photo and graphic design, have websites and media that are more niche to their field and it will be more beneficial and successful to put your energy into those sites rather than LinkedIn or Indeed, which are the largest job search platforms. I may not have finally found my ‘perfect’ job because of some flashy and professional website, or through 10 hours of networking a week, or even my college's career fair. Yet I will not downplay the importance of those events and efforts. I have come out of this grueling, 6-month job search so much more experienced and confident in myself than I could have ever expected. Those awkward conversations and great connections are so vital to honing your skills as a professional. To be able to conversate with a stranger about yourself, themselves, or something else entirely is something useful for the rest of your professional and non-professional career. While I do not want to be too hasty with my celebrations knowing many people are still deep in the job market, including my boyfriend and closest friends, and I wish to celebrate with them and congratulate them as well as myself, it is a great relief and reassurance that I can get a job, and that my skills are valuable to a company and my colleagues. I wish to end this with the same assurance that I started with, that something has to give,
