I started applying for jobs, and I’m still recovering from the experience.
There I was with my beautifully crafted resume, and expertly organized LinkedIn profile, and I felt so out of place. I felt like the last kid to be picked for dodge ball teams. I felt like Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde" when she dresses up as a Playboy bunny for that Halloween party.
All of a sudden I came to the realization that this is really happening, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I spent about an hour researching some, any, major I could pick up in order to stay an extra semester.
Last Saturday, I was filming something for one of my classes, and a dad asked me, “What do you want to do when you graduate?” And I responded with the same thing I’ve been saying for years: “Well, I want to be a music journalist when I grow up.” Then I realized that I am grown up. My dream job isn’t something I could achieve in a couple of years when I’m old. It’s in a couple of months, and at the rate it’s currently happening, is going to come very fast. I cut my sentence short, my face going blank, and the freaked-out dad slowly backed away from me.
Searching for a job is an exhausting process. Say you find a perfect job online. Great location, salary seems OK (since I don’t really know what a “good” salary is), benefits included (that’s like dentist appointments, right?), and it’s in your field. Scroll down a little further to the requirements, and you’ll see the dreaded sentence, “Applicants should have at least three years experience in the field.” But wait, this is an entry-level job, right?
One reporting job I tried to apply for said I needed five years of experience. I started to think of situations I could pass off as reporting. I can imagine myself in the interview now.
Interviewer: “So tell me about this reporting experience, Ms. McCormick.”
Me: “Well, I had to go through recruitment four times, so I basically interviewed 400 girls. That counts, I think.”
I can also imagine the big fat red “X” over my name.
The most frustrating part is that I do have experience. I’ve done my fair share of internships (You need coffee? I bet I can get it faster than any other intern), but it’s just not enough.
It’s also really hard to stay focused while applying. Ignore the wanderlust tugging at the back of your brain. Ignore the thought that says, “I don’t need this, I’m just gonna backpack through Europe, fall in love with some Spaniard, and never be heard from again.” Ignore the thought of traveling cross-country, bouncing from music festival to music festival, because Instagram models do it all the time. (Genuine question: how do these Instagram models afford this? Is there an Instagram model fund/scholarship I can apply for?)
In my limited experience of applying for real life jobs (one week), I’ve found something that keeps me motivated. It’s not what you think.
For my last birthday, my adorable tiny Italian grandmother sent me a card that I have up in my room. The front has a picture of an ice cream cone crying and says, “Granddaughter, you make ice cream jealous.” On the inside it says, “Because you’re the coolest thing I know.” Below is a note in my grandma’s perfect cursive, “There’s no one like you out there, Precious, I love you.”
And I thought, she’s right. I may not be the most qualified, but to my grandma, I’m over-qualified. I know it’s grandma’s jobs to say things like that, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.
Jobs might see me as a resume, but I don’t see myself as a resume. I see myself as a 21-year-old with a whole life ahead of her. I’m proud of my accomplishments and how much I’ve grown. So yes, I might not have five years of experience, but I do have some kind of funny Odyssey articles and knock-knock jokes that could please any room.
So here’s my recommendation to any seniors that are terrified of the looming graduation date: call your grandparents. The thought that you could be any less than par is foreign to grandparents. Then go look in the mirror and say, “You’re a superstar, and there’s no one else like you out there.” I’m not sure if that actually works, but I feel like it’s what Beyoncé does whenever she’s about to perform.
You deserve your dream job.
