Getting that First Job

Written by Sarah Angley

At some point, whether it is during your undergrad or after

you’ve completely finished college, you will get that first

position in your field of work. By the time most of us enter

the "real world" and start working in our chosen field, we've

already had a job, maybe in high school or college. This is

not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about after going

through rounds of interviews, submitting work samples or

resumes or cover letters, and finally hearing back that yes,

you got the position that you have been working toward.

At some point you will get that phone call and you will realize

that all of the hard work you put in, all of that time and effort,

all of the organizations and classes you took that add to your

resume - it's all worth it.

For me, I got that call a few weeks ago. I didn’t realize in

advance how awesome it would feel. I have this internship

currently, which is work in the field I want to be in, but it

wasn’t the same. This phone call was for an internship that

could turn into a job in less than a year. It was for work out

in the big scary world off of Purdue's campus. Getting this

position has brought a sense of accomplishment and pride and

it reminded me that all of those hours spent studying and writing

papers and working on countless projects, all while handling a

management position in a café as well as this internship, was all

leading to something bigger - my life after college.

I think that that is easy to forget sometimes. We get so absorbed

in what is going on right now and how stressed out we are. I hadn't

ven realized that I had forgotten what I was working toward until

I got that email and it made me remember. I work my butt off for

this. And its worth it.

And you will have that moment too. We all will. That's why we're here.

So when it gets really hard to keep working on that third essay in two

weeks, remember why you are doing it. Its all for a greater goal. It

may not feel that way now, but this work has a purpose. Let that be

your motivation to keep working harder and keep going, to learn

and grow to become the best candidate that will sit down in front

of that hiring manager's desk.