Of all the possible hours of the day, it almost seems like I write about life's shenanigans (in long form regardless) best at night. I don't know why but I guess this is what happens when you're used to sleeping no earlier than 9 PM because either you're reading about unsolved crimes or refreshing your social media for the latest offseason trade rumors or thinking about your career now that you're donezo with school.
There is one thing in particular that I want to write about to fill up this white space. I am at the crossroads right now because I want to get my career back on track. Snatching the right opportunity, however, has been more complicated than I had ever imagined. As much as I am eager to grow my career overseas, it has been a struggle so far but I am hopeful that all my hard work will pay off soon.
Mind you, it's been almost three months since I completed my postgrad. But I am not lying if I tell you that until now I am still looking for the right opportunity to jumpstart my career again, to tackle the next challenge of the path I didn't realize I wanted to be in until later on but currently on hiatus until further notice. While most of my peers are posting about the stressful slash exciting parts of the working world, here I am dealing with unwanted emails that start with "Thank you for applying to Acme Industries. Upon review, we've decided that we are not moving forward..." in the midst of my search for the job that matches my skills and experience. Every time I read an article about someone who landed their dream roles on their debut in the corporate world, I always wonder how they got what they wanted almost immediately while I dealt with 10-20 rejections before getting that one yes. Even now I am still waiting for that second yes (the first was C&S three years ago) to kick off the next chapter of my professional career.
Hold up. Something is not quite right here. Why am I comparing myself to others again? Why am I becoming a self-defeatist? I thought I left that all behind in high school? That's right, I shouldn't be worrying about what others are doing and the level of success they've achieved early in their careers. I should be focused on improving myself both as Candice The Professional and Candice the Cookie Eater. I'm certain quite a number of my peers are holding senior positions now while I'm back to square one, so what? Success is neither a reality competition nor the Grand Prix. It doesn't matter who becomes the Director of a Fortune 500 company first. One thing's for sure: it is neither too late nor too early to be the best you can be.
Whenever I feel down about my postgrad job hunt, I search high and low for inspirational stories of how jobseekers landed the jobs they love albeit the many circumstances that tried to break them along the way. Although it is easy to fall for those sensational headlines such as "7 Signs You Nailed The Job Interview" or "This Answer to 'Tell Me About Yourself' Will Land You The Job", I just try to not overthink with whatever career advice I read online because it only keeps me jaded from reaching my full potential. Moreover, I never stop enumerating my blessings in a mental gratitude list I make before going to bed. If you're not grateful with what you have, what more when you receive what you want?
Heading over to the dreaded R word that rhymes with conjunction. In hindsight, I've come to realize that perhaps I wouldn't fit in the roles I was turned down for. I remember crying just weeks ago over a company I thought I nailed my interview in days prior only to realize that the role wasn't something that matched my skills after all. There's a saying that you don't know what you're being protected from for every rejection you get - and that is the gospel truth. On the brighter side, every no is a blessing in disguise because it only means that a better opportunity is waiting in the wings for you. That perfect opportunity fulfills all your needs and desires, makes you happy doing that for a living and boosts your confidence.
This I believe that I will get that one sweet yes after going through a hundred nos along the way. I am extremely positive that it will not be long enough before I land the right job for me.
