“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
It’s been over 280 days since I was in graduate school and interning at Legendary Entertainment. During that last semester, I felt so proud of myself. The way I walked, talked, and moved through the world was backed with confidence and conviction. One of the best things that school gave me was security. I had a foundation and more importantly, a label. When asked how things were going and what I was up to, I could clearly say:
“Things are going well. I’m finishing up my Master’s degree in LA and interning at a Television company.”
In December, when I finished my studies and my internship ended, that foundation was snatched from underneath me. As that chapter of my life concluded, I was flung into the real world expected to fend for myself. I’d be lying if I said that this post-graduate transition has been smooth, it hasn’t. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed, wondering what I would do next with my life. I began experiencing social anxiety worried that someone would ask me, “So what do you do, where do you work?” and I would be faced with the reality that I did not have a solid answer. It should go without saying that my biggest concern was my finances.
I asked myself:
How would I pay my bills?
How can I tackle my savings goals with no job?
How would I survive?
As these questions began to ruminate in my mind continually, I experienced post-graduate depression. The thing about depression is that it’s like quicksand, once you step in, if you don’t act quickly, you get stuck in it, and it is hard to get out. I knew somewhere inside myself that if I were going to make it through this transition period, it would take action and resilience–so I fought.
The Plan
One day I woke up and decided I would move back home with my mother in Ohio and fight. My first action was deciding where I wanted to work and what I wanted to do. I purchased a LinkedIn premium account and began reaching out to industry giants to schedule informational interviews. I absorbed every job search tip I could get my hands on and rewrote my résumé more times than I can recall. I kept fighting.
Amid uncertainty and despair, I took action. Months went by, and there were moments when I felt an opportunity was showing up for me and then it fell through–times were tough. There were instances when my cell phone was disconnected because I couldn’t afford the bill. I had to find creative ways to make ends meet, such as public speaking, consulting, and book sales to stay afloat. Through the weeks, I continued to read, learn new skills, and apply to jobs. I kept fighting.
My degrees are in television and film studies, so I knew instinctively that if I were going to work in my field, I would need to return to Los Angeles. On August 25th, after having two phone interviews with a company out in Century City, I booked a one-way flight to LA with $500 in my pocket to have one more meeting in person. I got on that plane with everything I had, on a mission to find work and not look back. The fight continued.
Making It In LA
When I returned to LA, I started staying in AirBNB’s with my couple hundred dollars. The night before my in-person interview, I read everything I could about the company, rehearsing every interview answer and was confident. Wearing my best shirt and tie, I was ready to show those hiring managers what I was all about. I kept fighting.
Walking out of that building, I knew that I gave it my all. All I needed was the opportunity to talk with someone in person and show them my passion. Two weeks later, I got a call offering me a position with the company I interviewed with, victory!
Oprah always says that “struggle is there to show you who you are.” I firmly believe that this job search has shown me who I am, which is a fighter. I’m someone who can take losses, experience hardships but stand up and keep fighting until I win. I know this because in these past months I’ve been depressed, in a mess and broke, but today I can proudly say I am not broken.
As I write these words, I’m excited for this new season that I’m about to experience. It’s going to be incredible to have a label again, a foundation finally, and a job to go to each day. I can leave the harsh happenings of surviving and aim to be thriving. I will be able to work hard, make a living, and start my life.
Conclusion
I’m sharing this story to offer hope to anyone out there who’s struggling to find work. It’s true that searching for a job is very humbling and to fight during a job search season, you can’t lose hope. You have to wake up each day, work hard, and fight. There’s a bible verse that says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
Please send well wishes as I embark on this new chapter. I can’t wait to share with you what happens next as I keep on fighting to build a great life for myself. If I can do it, I know you can too.
Be Encouraged.
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