Happy New Year!
I know we are halfway through month one of the new year but 2015 has already blessed me in more ways than one so I’ve been a little busy y’all. During the first week I made new friends, moved out of an apt, moved into a new one, moved out of that one to move home and started a new job at one of my favorite companies, Mashable!
In July I posted an article venting about the frustrations of dealing with post graduate life. It is not easy. The endless job applications, going to a part-time job you hate, watching your friends succeed while you feel stagnant in life – it all becomes overwhelming and even depressing at times. It is so easy to want to give up or settle for a career that only pays the bills but does nothing for your happiness (been there, done that). What got me through was knowing my value as a person, employee and being persistent with my search. Though hard to do at times, it is extremely important to remember that everyone’s journey is different. The moment you start comparing your path to others is when you trap yourself in a closet full of insecurities. BABY STEPS COUNT TOO, just as long as you are doing something towards getting to that end goal.
I always knew that my career was in social media and I never lost sight of that. I graduated from Penn State in May and gained an internship in August as a social media consultant through the university while also working two part time jobs to pay the bills. In July I was contacted by the university asking if I was interested in a social media role. Unsure of when I would be interviewed, I stopped my life and stayed in State College, PA in hopes of securing the job. When I say I stopped my life, I’m saying that I stopped looking for jobs in NYC, signed a lease and picked up those part-time jobs. Fast forward to November when I land an interview and then later find out I didn’t get the position. Now what? Back to the drawing board. Back to job searching. Back to looking for networking events. Back to square one.
As time passed, I became unhappy with my living situation, my part-time job and eventually the environment I was in. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t regret staying in PA for seven months after graduation. It has truly helped me grow, mature and mold me into a better person and job candidate than I was in May. I had just outgrown being in a college town, having limited resources and being in the middle of nowhere. So I used these feelings as motivation to get a job in NY, and fast. #OperationGetOutofPA had officially launched and was in full effect. I told myself that I wanted to get a job in social media within 30-90 days and was determined to do so.
I was networking my butt off, trying to gain more clients to consult, applying to jobs out of my league and internships I was overqualified for, attending industry meet ups – the whole nine yards. I stopped focusing on my love life, or lack of, and put my energy into improving my online portfolio, my resume and overall appearance. Little things that would annoy me suddenly held no significance in my life. Then on one cold January day, I received the email that changed my life. It was midday Wednesday, I was at my part-time job and received an offer letter that stated my start date would be the upcoming Monday. Joy, ecstatic and elated are all understatements to describe that moment for me. Blessed is the only word that comes close.
Now, as I write this blog post, I have officially completed my first week at Mashable and couldn’t be any happier. I went from wanting to quit my job everyday to wishing there were more hours in the work week to complete all my tasks.
Moral of the story, no matter how long it takes, continue to educate and immerse yourself in what YOU want to do. That’s what I did. I continuously researched what was happening in my field, how to improve my methods and how to be a better job candidate. Never lose sight of your passion. You will have your bumps and road blocks, it’s all part of the process. Embrace it. Learn from it. Move on. And for those of you who have never heard it from someone close, I am proud of you and I believe in you.
If anyone ever needs a pep talk, I am only one comment away.
Xoxo,
TDott 🙂
IAmTDott 