We’ve all probably had this experience at some point in life. The one where you’re doing something new for the first time, and it just doesn’t go quite how you imagined it would. Maybe it was a new recipe, and your finished product looks nothing like the picture in the cookbook. You announce you’re hosting an event, invite everyone under the sun you can think of, make a ton of preparations, and the only people in attendance are a few close friends, and family? In many of these instances, especially in my case, It’s always some missing piece of information I had little to no knowledge of to begin with that seems to be the difference between epic success, and miserable failure.
I have been searching for full time employment for a while now in the Marketing field, and while it hasn’t been an epic failure, it definitely has been a “This is far less than what I expected” experience. I thought I had the formula down cold:
- You go to school
- You get good grades in school
- You maintain a steady job while in school, and gain work experience
- You graduate school
- You get the job you deserve
I walked into my out of college with my head held high. Five years of commissioned sales experience, all kinds of awards for achievement on the job, and a fresh B.S. in Marketing. How could I not land an entry level position in my field of study? My overt confidence was very short lived after I started the process of applying for jobs. Hours spent online, at career fairs, and other networking event only led me to these responses:
“We will not be proceeding with an interview at this time”
“Although your background is impressive, we’ve decided to move forward with other candidates.”
After receiving seemingly countless emails with the same scripted statements my only thoughts became “What the hell?!!! I have the education, 5 years of continuous experience proving I’m a loyal employee, and I’ve worked in sales which is basically marketing right?”
Wrong.
What I didn’t know (at least until recently) is that all the sales experience I garnered while in school was NOT MARKETING experience in the eyes of HR reps screening my resume. I also didn’t know that to employers, the value of my shiny degree I was so proud of is likely less than the value of the paper it was printed on.
IF I KNEW THAT GOING INTO TO IT… I would have started this blog, learned coding languages, and more about managing social media a hell of a lot sooner! All in all, the rollercoaster ride that is job hunting has taught me a lot, and forced me to learn things I’m now proud of!
DC EASY
#Hardworkeasyliving – Do HWEL for yourself
P.S. if you, or anyone you know is hiring for marketing positions in the San Francisco area I am available as of today 11/24/15 🙂
#hardworkeasyliving 