How the Heck Did I Land This Job?

“It’s not about a trophy, a placing or a prize. It’s about setting goals and surpassing them. It’s about discipline, dedication, willpower, reaching deep down and finding inner strength that you didn’t even know you had. It’s about structure and putting in the work and following the plan. It’s science and I’m a living experiment. It’s about being better than my former “best” and proving to myself that I can achieve this. That’s why I do it and that’s what it’s all about.” -Stephanie Wicked

Let me start out by saying that the job-hunting process SUCKS. It took me 3 months, 25 applications, 3 sets of interviews, and 2 job offers to finally find what I was looking for. I put countless hours into writing “creative” cover letters, countless dollars on gas and tolls driving around to different cities, and countless missed hours of sleep because of my anxiety-ridden brain.

Every week friends and family members asked me the same question: How’s the job search going?

What’s more motivating then having to remind everyone that: Yes, you are still jobless this week? Pretty much nothing.

So, I’m here to tell you that you WILL find something. It may take you 1 month, or 6, but you’ll get there. Trust me, I felt so discouraged after all of the “We’ve decided to go with other candidates who better fit our needs” emails. But look at me now! A full time Marketing Coordinator in Washington D.C.

So here’s my tips to all you recent college grads or those who will be this coming May:

1. If you write a boring, generic cover letter you might as well throw your application in the trash… before they do. Do NOT follow a template that you found on Google. Cater each and every one to the specific company you are applying to. Tell them how badass you are (without saying it quite like that). Seriously, tell them exactly how you kick ass and can blow their minds.

2. Have a fun resume (if your job field allows so). I know most sciences, and psychology fields want you to have a boring, black and white resume. But if you think you can get away with some color and some fun, go for it! Here’s mine: My Resume (Don’t Steal It)

3. If you make it to the interview process, dazzle the hell out of them. Trust me, no one wants to hear those cookie-cutter answers anymore. Be completely honest and don’t just tell your interviewer what you think they want to hear. You’re hard working and determined? Duh. They know that. Tell them how you spent a summer in New Zealand and what you learned from that. Tell them how passionate you are with an example of your volunteer work with animal shelters. Oh, and if you don’t have any cool stories or experiences, I suggest you go get some. Right now.

 

Well… that’s all I have for you. Stay badass.

Always, K.