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Graduation

I just graduated, and I thought that meant that life would be easier and better. Oh boy was I gravely mistaken.

Many people told me to take a chill pill, to travel, to go for my grad trip. I didn't, I felt the urge to put myself in this rat race, I was competitive, I felt that I will lose out if I do not find a job asap.

I went for interviews, multiple interviews, multiple rounds, I would be rejected by recruiters before I even had the chance of being interviewed, the common phrase from their emails usually goes like this:

Shrugging It Off

I tried to shrug it all off, to think that it's their loss, I am good enough. So my hunt for full time employment continues, a week goes by, two weeks, a month, two months, nothing. I started lowering my expectations, I was told that I would be worth $x amount, I started lowering my salary expectations. "Maybe I will have more chance this time", I told myself.

More interview opportunities came, I went for them, same result. Nothing.

Despair

Like this title, I started stressing out. "Am I not good enough?", "Why?", "What did I do wrong?", "What if I never get a job?". I was consumed by these thoughts daily, it was like a venom, slowing poisoning myself from the inside out. What should I do to stop myself from this? I decided to take a short break, I took on a course on Coursera just to learn more about the business side of things.

Learning

I'm glad I did, I realise that throughout my interviews, I was too technical, I lack the business knowledge that the jobs that I apply to, require. This might be the reason why I wasn't getting any good news, or maybe there are other reasons, I wouldn't know. I also chanced upon a Communications Skills Teacher on TikTok, Vinh Giang, I attended a free 2 hour course that he hosted on Zoom just to learn how to communicate better. I have always envied people who are able to speak with confidence in front of a huge crowd, being an introvert myself, I find myself crumbling sometimes under that spotlight. After watching his video, and practising a little, I realise that I can do it too!

Trying Again

I continued applying to jobs, continued to practise my public speaking skills, continued to learn more about the business side of things. I kept trying, and I kept honing my newly found skills, and to my delight, I received this message:

I was, to say the least, ecstatic.

I finally did it!

I finally found a job. After 7 long months of gruelling job searching, I finally found position in a company that I want to work in.

Growth

I am very happy that the long job hunting venture is finally over. It's definitely one of the toughest periods of my life, and I'm glad I pulled through. I'm very lucky to have a great support system throughout this tough few months, the job market is really brutal to fresh graduates. A huge shoutout to my family who were there to listen to my ramblings, my friends who were going through this with me, and my partner, for her unwavering emotional support. 💛

With that, onward to a new journey of my life.