Job hunting for my "big kid job" is easily one of the most frustrating and emotionally/mentally draining things that I have ever done. After four years of undergrad and two years of graduate school studying what I am passionate about, all I want is to start putting all of that hard work and knowledge to practice. And yet, here I am, a month out from having graduated, and I am STILL waiting to hear back from employers about dozens of positions that I have tirelessly applied for.

If you are like me and still struggling to find that "big kid job" after graduation while all of your friends have found jobs, are making money, buying new cars, etc. etc., I have some wise words of wisdom to give you:

It is not a race.

This is the sentence I continuously have to tell myself day in and day out as I am at the mercy of businesses, companies, and agencies and their timeline on when or if they want to get back to me about my applications. As Aaron Burr says in Hamilton: An American Musical, "I am the one thing in life i can control....I am not falling behind or running late". Just because I decided to do two extra years of schooling does not mean I am running late to the party. Just because I am still job hunting while a large portion of my friends are working already does not mean I am falling behind. I may not have control over what employers do once my application has been sent in, but I can control my positive thoughts, my prayers, my emotions, and my perseverance to keep applying even after rejection.

Everyone's journey is different. I know that there is the perfect job out there for me somewhere. I know that I will get my chance to help people through my passions. I just have to be patient. It is not a race...which is honestly good because I hate running.