As students, we often have a single goal: become employable. The pursuit of knowledge sounds nice, and school can be a lot of fun, but we all want our success to continue outside of the classroom. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen right away.
I admit to having a hard time adjusting to life after graduation. As a student, my path was fairly clear. I’d take classes, do my homework, strive for good grades, and get a degree. By the time I was in college, this was all I knew in life. Once I completed my undergraduate years, I moved directly into graduate school. After that, there weren’t a lot of places I could go.
Even with these degrees I spent a lot of time trying to begin my career. I had decided I wanted to work for a university, my degrees and experiences qualified me as “entry level,” but something wasn’t connecting.
When you’re in this type of position, people give a lot of advice. Usually this is well-intended, but it’s not always helpful. In my case, I received words of wisdom that weren’t unique to my situation. Some people would say they were surprised to hear I was struggling to find a job relevant to my degree, but others shrugged. These are the ones who’d give me the hard advice. Their words sucked to hear, but they definitely stuck with me.
Eventually, the same few words would come out of multiple mouthes.
You are not entitled to anything.
In many ways, I felt I needed to humble myself. My career wouldn’t improve until I took action. Whatever steps needed to be taken, I was going to take them.
How This Hurt Me
When I realized I wasn’t going to be able to find a great job right away, I was a bit devastated. I’d done informational interviews, traveled to conferences, and tried to expand my network. If I was given a job interview, any interview, I’d take it. Whether or not I wanted the job, I viewed everything as a stepping stone.
This resulted in me taking jobs I didn’t want, only to quickly leave. I even got a job at a highly desirable tech company, but it didn’t align with my longterm goals. I could have worked my way to higher positions, but I was determined to work in higher education. Perhaps this became a detriment of mine. I started to ignore growth because I didn’t want to feel like I failed my initial goal.
Eventually, it happened. I got a job at a university. Was it my dream job? Not even close. But I felt I had an “in.” Once I entered the system, I was hopeful I could move around.
Much like my earlier experiences, I was crushed when this didn’t immediately happen. I wanted to transfer into a new department, and I felt I could accomplish that by working hard and mastering my job.
Within my office, I got some recognition. This recognition lived inside of those walls, but I was nobody down the hall. I had some interviews in different departments, but felt like I needed to defend my qualification each time. These never led to new jobs, in fact many of these interviewers haven’t gotten back to me yet. Four years later, I’m still waiting for a formal rejection.
How It Set Me Free
Eventually, I moved across the country and took a job that was a lateral move. I did this out of a desire to relocate, probably because I was frustrated and feeling stagnant in my current position. In a few regards I would build skills. The majority of the time I was completing tasks that were less challenging than my prior position.
While this was a source of sadness, I moved into a new university system with a renewed sense on optimism. I wanted to transition into a different field, but this time I was also going to put in more work. So, I upped the amount of writing I did on the side and I started taking courses in UX Design. I also dedicated myself to doing my best work in my job, even if it was repetitive work that wasn’t allowing me to grow my skillset; that type of growth would be done off the clock.
I completed my UX certificate in March of 2020, which was awful timing. Then, I started working remotely, which made it hard to ignore my job. I knew many people who lost jobs, and I was fortunate to have income throughout the pandemic. My office was introducing new systems and changing processes, and this forced me to adapt to a new workflow during a busy time. But, I successfully got my students enrolled in school and ready for the 2021–22 academic yea.
Then, I found out the new system was making my job obsolete. I was laid off.
My job gave me a lot of undue stress, and worked more hours than needed. I trained people to use the new system, then I was replaced by a piece of software.
Where I Am Now
When I got laid off, I focused much of my effort on leaving higher education. I’m never entitled to professional growth, but the lack of it demonstrated its importance in my career. I may have had an unhealthy focus on career development, but I knew I wouldn’t be happy in a role where I was on the same cycle each year.
Fortunately, my emphasis on writing and web design off-the-clock paid off. I was able to apply for writing and content roles and show a portfolio of work. I was shocked when recruiters started to slide into my inbox and present me with opportunities.
After about six weeks of unemployment, I was able to accept a new job where I could write and design content. When I graduated, I never saw myself on this path, but it’s a huge accomplishment to be here. This type of role would never land on my lap, but my proven commitment to writing demonstrated my strengths in a different field.
I also came into the position having survived a “worst case scenario.” I used to navigate my career in fear of unemployment. Oddly, knowing I was disposable has refreshed my perspective. I was able to build strengths that mattered to me, and I am eager to grow more. My growth and development are not contingent upon a specific job title, and I know I will continue to build my skills. I am not entitled to any type of advancement, but I have control over my personal development. Focusing on that has been a blessing, but a hard lesson to learn.
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