MY JOB JOURNEY: THE REAL STORY
There's a simple yet powerful quote by a former U.S. Secretary of State that goes like this:
"Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence." — Colin Powell
image via kate.lavie
BACKSTORY
I moved to Charleston the summer of 2017 with the determination of a tiger and the wisdom of a fool. As a fresh graduate from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Finance and a passion for marketing and graphic design, I was between a rock and a hard place in terms of finding my dream job. I embarked on my college journey in 2013 when I whimsically decided on Orientation Day I would major in Nursing, a field in which I have complete respect for but no passion. I knew I needed to change my major, but I was apprehensive of picking a different major as I was still unsure of what I wanted to do everyday for the rest of my life. Then in 2015, I was persuaded by my parents to choose Finance as my major because I was told it would bring me a fruitful income and never fail me. I have never been a numbers guru nor have I ever had a strong passion for crunching statistics. In high school, I struggled with geometry and tolerated algebra, but thrived on hearing my teachers analyze The Great Gatsby, and later, dissect notable novels by Hawthorne and examine rhetoric in college. When given a 10 page research paper assignment, I struggled to keep the page count below the maximum requirement because I was so passionate about writing that I could go on and on. I always had more to say and topics I didn't want to leave untouched. That's when I knew I had a strong talent and passion for creative writing. Still, I wasn't sure what career was right for me. Was it journalism? As you can gather from my blog, I love creative writing, but writing for a news company or reporting isn't my cup of tea. Was my destination graphic design? I attempted to minor in graphic design but A) had a bad experience with my too-tough professor and B) quickly realized that staring at a screen and altering every little pixel for 8 hours wasn't up my alley either. Was it marketing? It couldn't possible be because I hate sales. I'll touch on this more later in the post, but it wasn't until a few years later that I realized marketing has so many different components rather than sales. There's inbound marketing, cross-media marketing, data base marketing, and... social media marketing. Maybe I was rightfully scarred from a disastrous sales job I took on not knowing it involved door to door sales, but whatever the reason, I mistakingly crossed marketing off my "list of potential careers" and made a face at anyone who said they were majoring in marketing. Little did I know that I would find myself immersed and adrenalized by marketing just a few short years later. I personally believe it's because I A) have a sincere inclination to create content that's innovative and B) enjoy watching others use my writing to flourish. Writing short captions for social media and blog posts for a business to thrive brings me joy. Not only do I love coming up with witty posts but nothing brings me much more satisfaction than being the reason that a someone else is learning from me and using my words to succeed. If you're an ethical company with standards I can get behind, I want to write for you and help you grow your target market.
THE JOURNEY
The one thing I stayed true to throughout college and now is writing. The problem? I tried all of interning, submitting my résumé in person, and writing countless writing samples all to be turned down by innumerable companies. Companies that were established said my writing wasn't good enough. Companies that were growing said I lacked experience but thought highly of my writing. After applying to and being rejected by hundreds of companies (no, this number isn't an exaggeration), I was burned out. I was tired of trying and failing, trying and failing. But one consistent thing about me is my perseverance. On the surface I knew I needed to land a promising job to make a steady income, save for retirement, and set aside money to travel. On a deeper level, I wanted to feel a sense of pride for making it to the top of this mountain that I couldn't see the peak of. Nothing would make up for the fact that I didn't have a career in the field I was fervent about. For a year an some odd months, I pressed the apply button for applications. There were so many days and nights where I cried because I felt like the biggest failure. I watched fellow high school and college friends start their journey as a nurse, enroll in law school, and get married. Here I was working part-time as a hostess at a restaurant. Hopeless is an understatement of how I was feeling. I compared myself to everyone around me and my life seemed like a complete shit show more and more each day. But I never stopped applying for jobs because I knew the one thing that would make me happy was proving to myself that I if I kept shooting for the stars, I could reach the moon. And in my book success equals hard work, perseverance, and ultimately the prize at the end. I went through the same monotonous motions for so long that applying to jobs became another part-time job for me. Every day after work and even during work, I would apply relentlessly for yet another position that I would be turned down for. Finally, I did a little self evaluation in terms of what career I precisely wanted to pursue and what I could do differently to get there.
THE TIME WHEN I SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
On the 21st of August, I had had enough of the rejections and feelings of depression. And no, I'm not making light of the word depression here; I legitimately felt depressed, not just unhappy. I was tired of my weekends being wasted due to my lack of wanting to do anything. I was tired of going to my part-time job and pretending like I was perfectly fine when I was so broken. I was tired.
I vividly remember standing in the bathroom on morning of the 21st of August and announcing how done I was with feeling this way and that I would have a new job in a months time. Here's something very important about me that you should know: When I set my mind to something, I get it done. By that I mean if I want to accomplish something and invest my entire heart and soul in it, it will get done. Yes, I wanted a job before, but I didn't exactly know what or where. This time was different. I knew in my heart that I wanted to pursue a career in creative marketing that focused heavily on writing.
TIMELINE
August 21st: I applied for the Social Media Content Strategist position through Indeed at Matchstick Social, a tight-knit social media marketing agency in Charleston. I heard back immediately from founding partner, Amber, who expressed interest in my résumé and inquired about reading my writing samples.
September 6th: I got another email from Amber asking me to agree to an introductory interview on Skype so she could learn more about my background and I could "sell myself."
September 11th: I received another email from Amber saying she wanted to introduce me to the Account Analyst, Nicole, via Skype so I could learn more about the culture at Matchstick and she could feel out my personality. I got an email back almost immediately that Nicole enjoyed talking to me and gave me a thumbs up. For the first time in many months, I had a glimmer of hope. I was hopeful but apprehensive of messing up my chance.
September 14th: I received an invite to prove my skills on a 7 part writing test. This included writing mock tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram captions and hashtags, and most importantly, proving my creativity and uniqueness. I knew I had to show Matchstick that I was indispensable and "the one" they need on their team.
September 20th: I received an email saying they enjoyed reading my test and wanted me to come in for an in-person interview. I took a deep breath and smiled a large smile. I was on my way to proving myself to myself and everyone around me. All I had to do was conquer an interview.
September 25th: I interviewed with Rachel, the other half of Matchstick's success plan. One of the toughest interviews I've had to date. Looking back, they were mainly questions digging at why I should be the one they hire. Does my persona match the company culture? I dug deep to show that I undoubtedly have what they want, but it wasn't easy by any means. The questions were grueling.
September 26th: The day that changed my life. I don't care how cliche that sounds because it's true. I worked for over a year searching for a career I belonged to. I wrote a thank-you email (a very important step when seeking a job), and received an email back the same day that, yes, I was the one. I learned that day that I would become Matchstick's newest hire. I, Rebecca Griffin, am the new voice of Matchstick. I am the Social Media Content Strategist for Matchstick Social. I accepted without question and haven't looked back since.
THE ONGOING BATTLE TO PROVE MYSELF
My story is not complete. My journey is just beginning. I will continue to prove myself daily and I will never, ever grow weary. I will keep my head held high and I was make myself the successful person I know I can be. I will foster myself by always staying humble, promoting positive change, and working diligently. That is my promise to myself. I will.
I am staring my new journey part-time at Matchstick part-time on Monday, October 15th, 2018. Perhaps one reason why I am so excited to prove myself is that I am only part-time. I'm saying this as a very positive thing. Being part-time gives me the opportunity to further showcase my ability to grasp social media marketing and my hard work ethic. I want to prove to Amber and Rachel that I am worthy of staying with them for years to come in addition to grasping a full-time position. At the end of this year, I'll be assessed for more hours. At the end of the first quarter/beginning of the second, I'll be assessed for a full-time status. Like I said, when I put my mind to something, I get it done. This is no exception. I feel as though I've finally found my place in life, and I'm so eager to show Matchstick I will be the one who makes their business thrive even more. This position isn't one that I fell into by chance. After far more than a year of applying, I discovered my passion for social media marketing. I have a natural inclination to write and a passion for promoting posts and writing captions on social media. Although discovering my new career took me longer than it took those around me, I was able to grow within and pursue a career that I will walk into eager to work and willing to help local businesses grow daily. To me, that's irreplaceable.
The moral of this story? To show you that if you work hard enough at something and have the drive to succeed, you will. Get your mojo up in a way that works best for you. Maybe that's sipping on coffee at a local cafe or reading a book on the beach. Whatever it may be, don't settle for less than you deserve. Go after your dreams and don't stop chasing them. Even when you've caught your dreams, chase after something bigger and more challenging. Never stop embracing life's adventures and never stop proving yourself to yourself.
I would love to continue elaborating on my journey, but I know this post is quite lengthy as is. if you've read it to this point, thank you so much for caring enough to hear me speak about my journey. My path is so unique and special to me, so it means the world to me that someone would want to hear about it. If you have any questions about searching for a career or would like any tips, I'd be happy to answer those in a follow up post. Either comment questions below, or send me an email by using my contact page. I hope your weekend has been lovely!
image via Matchstick
