There is very little in life more
discouraging than spending thousands and thousands of shillings (even if it’s
your parents’) on an education only to find no one willing to give you a job
and a chance. At a time in your life when the bills start pouring in, your home
is in limbo, your relationships and friendships are askew, and your excitement
to get your life “started” is at its peak, there really is nothing more
crushing. It takes patience, faith, and hard work to press on, maintain your
confidence, and relax.
To have to accept an unrelated job where
you are not treated well and you not so schooled co-workers are paid the same
as you. Or to work in an environment where everyone is miserable and work sucks
out your will to go on.
Besides maintaining a healthy mental perspective, keep
searching! No matter how aggravating it can be
to submit cover letter after cover letter, only to receive zero response, do
not stop looking for and applying to new jobs! Make job hunting part of your
daily routine. Looking for a job can be a difficult, time-consuming process
that provides little feedback or motivation that you’re on the right path. So
try everything… check your regular job websites and keep looking for more.
Talk to people, network, don’t burn any
bridges, and whatever you do, don’t give up. Keep your eyes and your mind open
and the right opportunity will find you eventually. It may be the ultimate test
of patience waiting until that fine day, but the strength of self you will gain
in the process will be worth it.
Be open to new challenges. So what if you have a degree in Anthropology. If a job
comes along, completely unrelated, but sounds like it could put you on an
interesting path – go for it! Avoid deciding that something is not worth
applying for if it’s not EXACTLY what you want in a job. And on the other side
of the coin, don’t apply to relevant jobs if they don’t excite you.
Why waste your time just because they’re
in your field? Follow your instinct… if you read a job posting and your gut
reaction is interest… then apply! An unrelated job that lights a fire under you
is never a bad choice, especially at this point in your life. Don’t
limit yourself. Don’t worry about what choice
you will make if you get two job offers.
Don’t stress yourself out about what you
will do if you land your dream job three weeks after you accept a pay-the-bills
job. Make the decisions as they present themselves; don’t waste your time
worrying about things that haven’t happened yet, and most importantly, don’t
limit yourself because you’re afraid of situations that might happen…chances
are, they won’t.
Know when it’s time to make a change. Be aware of your progress, your finances, and your overall situation.
Understand what your last-resort options are, and know when to take them. If
you’ve been searching for a career for 8 months to no avail and are growing
deeper and deeper behind on your bills, then it might be time to give it up and
look for any job.
At a certain point, any job is better
than none. Remember, it’s only temporary. Chances are, with a college degree,
you really can get a general job if you want one, say a sales marketing job. It
may not be paying much.
But it’s a job, for now. And your job search shouldn't stop here. Keep job hunting while working and something eventually will change.
If you are working a pay-the-bills job but are still struggling, falling
behind, and unable to land what you consider the “right job” – then it’s also
important to know when it’s time to move on.
Lastly, enjoy this insecure, adrift, wandering phase of your life. Because with all certainty, it won’t last. Someday you will have a job, you will be settled, and you will absolutely reminisce about the days when all you had to do was wake up and explore the possibilities of where your life will go.
Looking for a job, though challenging and
daunting, is the equivalent of standing at a cross-roads and choosing which way
to go.
Entertain your craziest ambitions and
remember that the choices you make now will affect the rest of your life. And
if nothing else, enjoy the fact that you can spend the day wallowing in your
life and the direction you want to take it.
