The Art of Job Searching
The art of job searching is what young Millennials and recent grads are looking to master. While there are many motivations for job seekers and decision criteria in the mix, I say "slow and steady, wins the race". In a fast-paced world where young people are constantly in the media being depicted as entitled, inexperienced and fun-loving, it is easy for the ambitious to settle for offers that seem appealing in the fear of being left with nothing. Women and visible minorities are constantly told to "lean in" and negotiate but change is hard to promote due to the resistance of the companies who seem to have much power. As the New York Times discusses "the incalculable value of finding a job you love", I would like to create a parallel and state that while there are several powerful players in the market, ready to call the shots on Millennials and their existent opportunities, the ones who seek, shall find - it just may take more time.
Throughout my time as a university undergraduate student, I was known among my peers to be quite "ambitious". It is the word that has followed me for many years. Before the #GirlBoss or Lean In movements, I recall getting painted as too much due to my inability to stand still. I vividly remember my primary school's graduation: all students were given a specific book catered to a theme that described each twelve-year old "ready to take on the world". As I received my diploma and opened the colourful book carefully chosen for me, the first page read "determined". I was upset. As a young girl, I hoped to be described as "joyful" or "energetic". My word made me feel rigid, cold and different. Perhaps it was my willingness to conform that led me to hate the word "ambition" because it did set me apart. When CEGEP came around, the word had followed me. The eighteen-year-old entrepreneur who sold branded crewnecks in the hallways was flattered but still quite upset it was always the first and only word peers thought of when looking to describe my multi-faceted personality. In business school, it was a different story. I craved those synonyms...by then I, unfortunately, learned to compare myself to others and the reality was, my peers spoke more languages than I, were well-traveled, humble and their intelligence and desire to excel never seized to strike me.
How does this relate to job searching and graduation you may ask? Be patient - as recruiters will tell you.
In 2014, I attended Desautels' Entertainment Management Conference in Montreal. Gary Armstrong, former Chief Marketing Officer at Rolling Stone and Jonathan Singer, Management Consultant and Brand Builder, were both invited to speak about their success in the entertainment industry and mentioned the secret is honing your "superpower". No matter what industry you choose to go into, and I will extend this notion unto "whatever role or job" you acquire during your lifetime, knowing your superpower is what will set you apart and help you accomplish the things you want to accomplish. To me, a superpower can be a skill, a characteristic or the way you do things differently than others producing value in your work. To specify, it could be broken down into two categories. There is the internal superpower: a intrinsic characteristic forming a great deal of one's personality. The external superpower, on the other hand, is how one brings value to others or themselves using a distinct skill, vision, idea, philosophy, etc. My ambition is my personal superpower. My external superpower is being a polymath or a hybrid (both creative and analytical).
It’s just bad luck. You’ve worked so hard and you haven’t found anything yet!
Throughout my search I have learned that job searching is personal. As a generation that continues to be given much power, I say, harness that power. If you are fortunate and do not need to take something right away, don't simply take a job because it is on the table. There is only so much one can listen to economics, politics, sociology and all of the schools of thought making it pragmatic and "realistic" to settle. While Sheryl Sandberg may be representing a company whose "diversity" quotas are at 2%, I'm still with her when she says to be that ambitious girl raising her hand, asking questions and not letting other people - especially billion dollar companies - push her around. I hope you have the strength to say "no" when your gut says "I can find something better". I hope you can negotiate and ask for what you deserve because, entitled or not, I am certain you know your worth...so fight for it. My internal superpower - ambition - will always be there to chase down my dreams for me, as yours will never leave your spirit to attract what your heart wants most. Forget those who pity you because they do not understand your journey is colourful, beautiful and unique. Those who suffer because of your "bad luck" probably don't know the offers you've been made and the ones you've turned down. Keep your head held high and keep searching for that invaluable experience and life you're looking to have because it starts now. As you go through your job search, you will be walking down isles of industries and choose to roam around a few. Such isles will have items for purchase, or as I'd like to think of them, jobs. You may apply and selectively place them in your cart. You'll see the brand, read the fine print and inquire on the products in your cart wondering whether or not it's a good investment...but the item you'll inevitably select to purchase is not a milk carton. It's a new world. So choose wisely.
