Becoming the Perfect Fit.

by Paige Annee

One of our responsibilities as an LACD intern is to read Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and discuss sections of the book during our weekly meetings. While many of us cringe at the thought of supplemental reading, (or we just avoid it altogether), reading and discussing Lean In is easily becoming one of my favorite parts of the internship.

We do not usually think about the world around us, as we are so accustomed to the status quo. Lean In has truly made me contemplate things that I see as “normal.”

This year, I think that I have been challenged in many ways, especially through my internship at LACD. The things that Sandberg talks about in Lean In are struggles that I face every day. Though, I did not even realize they were “struggles” until I began reading the book. I just thought that it was “the way things worked.”

For example, there are roles and responsibilities that I have at LACD that have made me question my ability to perform. I needed to use InDesign to create the monthly newsletter; I did not know how to use InDesign. I needed to get in contact with employees of top companies like Starcom; I had no idea how to find said contact information. I had no idea how to complete the tasks I had been given, and I felt overwhelmed and unequipped to hold my role in the internship.

But you learn. It is totally “okay” to admit that you do not know how to do it all, but that you are willing to be taught and will be motivated to improve. Sandberg said, “… there is no perfect fit when you’re looking for the next big thing to do… The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have” (p. 45).

As I am sitting here on my soapbox, the point that I am trying to make is that you may not know it all, but your willingness to learn is what is most important. When looking at a list of prerequisites for a job listing, do not be discouraged from applying if you are not proficient in every single task. Employers are more accommodating than you think. You will not be denied from a job opportunity if you are not an expert in Microsoft Office, so long as you present your determination to learn it for the company’s needs. You may not be a perfect fit for every opportunity from the get-go, but you can most definitely become the perfect fit for anything you set your mind to if you are willing to try.