Finding a job is a job in and of itself. I commit myself to at least an hour every day to search and apply for jobs. Most of the time, it's way more than just an hour. Since I have Tuesdays and Thursdays off, I try to use this time to find some open entry-level positions or I search for companies/agencies that I might be interested in. I also work on writing cover letters, editing my resume even more, working on my online portfolio(s) and I scroll through my Twitter feed looking for any possible opportunities mentioned. It's a ton of work! I've even broadened my search to include paid internships for the fall, which is something I had completely nixed before. No I do not want another internship, but yes I am willing to do whatever it takes to continue to learn and grow and possibly land a position. Internships are also a great way to figure out what you do or don't want to do. And I still don't even know exactly what I want to do. I could go in more of a marketing direction or more directly public relations or maybe a broad communications position or strictly social media.. my options are endless yet this somehow makes it seem more complicated for me. I sometimes wish I knew exactly what my passion was for and just went with it. Unfortunately, none of my passions can launch me into a successful career at this moment.
I've been working on creating an online portfolio for quite some time now and had settled on a Tumblr but I have some major issues with it. I can't organize my work by client/internship so it's all on one page all together and it's kinda overwhelming, but I hadn't found anything better until pretty recently. I discovered Pressfolio, which is specifically designed for public relations professionals, journalists, etc. I'm still working on mine, but if I work specifically in PR, this will definitely come in handy.
And after the searching and application process..
Comes rejection. Getting rejection emails is especially discouraging.. as if not being able to find an available position wasn't discouraging enough. I know it happens to everyone, but it just sucks. That's really the only word to describe it. Sucks sucks sucks. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude because I know in my heart that this is where I want to be. I want to be in Chicago and I can't allow myself to go back to Atlanta not successfully. Maybe I can't find the perfect job right now, but I know I will and I know that things can only get better from here. There is one yes out of all of these no's.
To keep myself inspired and motivated, I have a few quotes I like to look at it from my Pinterest board. Also, I love these lyrics from Rihanna's "Get It Over With": Look up, the sun is just a cloud away. It's really difficult to stay focused and positive, so here is where I find some inspiration:
