My favorite author once wrote, “You’re supposed to fail
sometimes. It’s a required part of the human existence.” I cannot even begin to
explain how true that really is. I feel like the more I apply to jobs, the
louder the silence gets. We just throw it out there, right? Send it out into
cyberspace, hoping that someone, somewhere, will take the time to see the
passion behind every word.
Yet, the worst part isn’t even the waiting. The worst
part about the
job search is the fact that first impressions are everything. Many times, we
are unable to really prove ourselves in the forty-five minute time slot we are
given, if we even make it to that point. And it’s really a near impossible task
if you think about it. I salute those who can walk in with ease and confidence.
It’s really like being asked to take the last 21 years of my class and crush
them into concise, coherent sentences that matter. That’s the hitch right
there: that matter. Isn’t that relative?
Most of the time we are unable to even speak for ourselves, having to
let our written words and résumé stand in for the entirety of our character. For
me? I think it’s extremely unfair when people make assumptions about others
when they are unable to even experience their full potential. But I guess
that’s the hardest part of the professional world. I think we all believe that
if given the chance, we could prove ourselves. Still, the hardest part is
getting our foot in the door.
I believe that our skills, aptitudes and countenances should be the
only considerations. It’s difficult when someone tells you you can’t handle a
task or a job. I applied for a reason. I know my own limits and capabilities.
Don’t try to tell what I can and cannot take on. That’s what bothers me. So
many of us are qualified and able candidates, but unfair assumptions taint
these opportunities. And there’s the catch twenty-two. If you don’t have
experience you can’t get a job, but if you don’t have a job you can never gain
the experience.
And nobody said it was easy, cause it’s not—not even close. I guess
that should only make us try harder. Push more. Fight. Keep applying. Because
one day we’ll finally get the chance we deserve and we’ll be made that much
stronger because of it.