First Step into Adulting

Let's talk about the woes of job searching...

Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” —Steve Jobs

Following my journey, time had truly flown by, and I have graduated. (pats on the back and congratulate myself for completing an arduous four years of self-discovery and yet to find an answer) That’s alright, girl here is not the least upset. According to the society’s rules of life, the next step is to find a job and start earning your keep! hallelujah~ So, here is a quick round up and compilation of some struggles, thoughts and advice that I came across from all different sources (people, blog post, career coaches, self reflection...) during job searching that I thought would be a great reminder and note for YOU and the future me who might want a career switch!

1. Negotiate & Respect I put these two together is to emphasise that we all have the power to negotiate and it should be an important consideration for a company you are applying to as well. Why? This is to see how this company would treat you in the future when you want to request for a progression or pay raise. So this is highly tie to whether you would be respected and given credit for your work and effort. Also vice versa, give the company time to review and also convey thanks for their time even if you were rejected at a later stage interviews (keep the cool till the end!). Don’t settle for less, but don’t over demand too. How do you know how much to ask for? Go to the next point!
   

2. Know your value This is for yourself and for the company. How much do you value yourself, in terms of skills set and communication ability etc? How much value can you provide to the company? AND how much value can this company provide to you? It is important to consider both ways. This is the time where you give a serious self evaluation and get to know yourself better. However, this is not the time for you to wallow in self loathing and self depreciation that “I am useless, there’s nothing I can do”. Hey there, stop it, you just haven’t looked hard enough, everyone is a gold at some aspects. For the fact that if you are INDEED actively job searching and considering hard for your own life, I guarantee that you are not useless for sure.
   

3. What do you want? It is crucial to have a direction, but everyone rushes into it, thinking I should just earn money first. That is valid, given all the pressure to adulthood and the high student debt, also time ticking, who has the time to stall and think about passion and life (stop joking). Yeah, was there, been there, still am doing it. Perhaps I was the rare case that I overthink so hard about my career, who I am, what I like, I am still “jobless”? Honestly, there is also another reality is that, you could perhaps never know what you want until you actually start and try something. But employer might not be so nice to you when you are just gonna try, they want you to actually WORK, like you can get the job done. So, here you gotta be a little more affirmative and decisive, go and give yourself a title and direction to work with. Fake it till you make it? Nah, tell a great story of all the beautiful skill set you possess.
   

4. Take a break Hey for those who are not rushing things, but you feel like the whole world is against you for being a “sloth” or “neet”. This is for you! People say, once you start a job, it is a lifetime. (I do wish to beg a difference here, because “getting a job” is honestly not the only one way to working). Anyway, it indeed would get a little harder to have a decent extended break freely and without asking for permission. So I am going to take a break from job search! But, the anxiety is killing me? When would the company actually call me up for an interview? What if someone actually offer me up a job? But, but, I want to travel, I want to get some gigs or just have fun without a care! Here’s what you could do:

   1. Relax, and just go ahead and drop the resumes everywhere!

   2. Go on with the interviews that come and get them done with your best effort!

   3. If they ask you to meet face-to-face when you are in country X, request for a virtual one, or just reschedule if possible. If it is a company you really want, apologise and indicate your sincere interest for the chance and explain truthfully of your difficulties. If they do not empathise, ask if such a company is truly your dream, because perhaps the amount of flexibility they provide you in the future would be a pity. Otherwise, move on! Because honestly though, if they could do virtual interview during pandemic, why can’t they do one now?

   4. Most importantly, truly enjoy the break that you wanted to give yourself, otherwise it would be meaningless. But, don’t go ahead and miss all the job openings duration!!!
      

5. Don’t do it If you dislike something, trust yourself, don’t do it. Unless circumstances is really dire, do not succumb to a job you do not enjoy the least bit. If you are looking for something away from your major, and with no experience records, you had to be prepared that it is going to be hard. You had to be different, you had to know your why — why you do not want to do X but want to pursue Y. As a fresh grad with no experience in Y, it is going to be hard to explain because it is all in the imagination, of what that dream job could be. But I believe it is possible, but oftentimes, it would require a well-written cover letter telling a good story of your aspirations and showcase some understanding in what you expect might be of stake in this unfamiliar waters that you intend to enter. Change takes effort — a conscious one. Yet, I love change. To want to change and not live in the status quo of suffering, this is the pitch to hone to your potential employer in whichever ways that impress. For the things you hate? Don’t do it. For the things you love? Just do it!
   

Although i am saying this at the point of pre-employment, so I might not know what the real working world is truly like, since all my experience was purely from internship. But I just thought all these are worthy note to take while job searching. Some might not be mentioned by career coaches, who might have said things along the line — know your position as a fresh grad and keep your options open, and have an open mind. I think all these advice are valid and useful too. But here I am telling some things they might have forgotten to mention, but it is OK to have expectation and negotiate for what your value is worth, it is OK to take a break and sort your things out, it is OK to apply for something different from your major.

We are all learning to maneuver the seemingly daunting workforce, responsibilities and work cultures. When there are so many choices out there, and everyone wants the best, you have no choice but believe in yourself that you are the best and just go for it.

Also, like I said, there are a lot of choices, so there must be one that is FOR YOU 🙂 That is what kept me going as well, that some company would be willing to take in this small fry here who dreams and wants big big~

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” —Alexander Graham Bell

Never stop wanting the best for yourself!