…This is The Diary of an Indecisive Job-Seeker
Do you remember in the film, P.S. I Love You, when Holly (Hilary Swank) talks to her husband about her plans for the future? It was clear she had no idea what to do, but suddenly it came to her one day that, out of all things, she wanted to design shoes! So she took classes and eventually opened her own shoe boutique. Of course success stories like this don’t happen over night, but the one thing I did learn from this film is sometimes you have to be patient and let your passions find you!
So for the last month I have been making very important decisions for my future. My mind has been in full capacity with questions to myself on what is the right thing for me to do next. Let me list a few. I’m sure you’ve been asking yourself the same things.
Do I have enough experience? Even though I graduated, should I be looking for an internship or a full-time job?
If I do find an internship, am I willing to be unpaid?
How much time should I put into job searching a day?
Should I be out networking? Should I be spending more time in front of a computer and writing cover letters?
Should I go back to school????
So this morning, I decided to sit down and write out exactly what I want to do, what’s important to me, et cetera. I came up with a few different routes. I know that putting all my eggs in one basket would set me up for failure and having a plan B or even a plan C is always a smart idea. It’s nice to know I have options (definitely in this harsh economy), but having options and several opportunities consists of making very hard decisions. Since I wrote down my list and came up with clear, well “clearer” plans, I feel a little bit more at ease. Here are a few pointers that I’ve learned that have helped me through hard job seeking/decision-making.
1. Know your weaknesses!
If a job consists of a skill that you lack, then be honest with yourself. Is the skill something you can pick up right away or is it going to take time, money, or further education? For example, organizing skills or learning managing software is something you can learn quick, teaching yourself Spanish, on the other hand, is not something you can do over night.
2. If there is a certain job or career that is calling your name, then follow your passion.
If you keep coming across a type of job that you feel you’d be happy doing, then do what it takes to chase after it. Right down the steps it will take to reach that job. Is it going back to school? Gaining more experience? If it is worth it to you, then furthering your education or doing an internship to gain more experience in that field may be the best thing you can do!
3. Have a Plan A. Have a Plan B. Have a Plan C…
Put yourself out there! Make a priority list of what you want to do, apply for what job/internship you want the most. Look into colleges that offer a grad program that you are interested in. If you find a job and have to turn down another, so what! If you wake up one morning and decide grad school is the right thing to do, you have already done your research…voila!
