I am the first person in my family to graduate from college. I left home with nothing to pursue a master’s degree, which I completed. I moved up the ranks at a company I’d been employed with for almost four years. And I accomplished these things well before reaching 30 years old. But something was missing.
The idea behind obtaining an advanced degree is typically to put it to use. There were a multitude of applications for my master’s in organizational communication, and I was chomping at the bit to find the right one for me. At least that was my intention, but making it work in theory was much easier than realizing it in real life. For the better part of a year, I found the true meaning of being on the grind.
I count myself as one of the many out there who were duped into believing a degree was as good as an invite to the party. I expected companies to scramble at my feet, vying to give me their best offer. “I mean, I have a master’s,” I would think, while mentally popping my collar. Well, I quickly became a master at accepting mass rejections!
While I had a very specific degree, my actual work experience was laden with positions that were anything but. They ranged from customer service to analyzing reports. There wasn’t anything that screamed “Communications professional right here!” I always found ways to work in my passion for writing and internal communication, but those experiences faded on resume paper. Thus, it appeared to the weary eyes of recruiters everywhere that I was not qualified.
I decided that maybe I was setting my sights too high, and pursued positions that were somewhat below my capabilities. I effectively became the meat in the over-qualified/under-experienced sandwich. I had wallpapered the country with my resume but to no avail. I had a couple of face-to-face interviews as well, but there was always some extraneous circumstance that kept me from my goal. One position had just been filled (with my friend, no less!). Another potential boss ran a very dysfunctional ship (thanks, but no).
I had done all I could do. The resume had been tweaked to perfection. I talked the talk. I had the game face. But the right position just wasn’t there. The constant rejection or lack of response had become demoralizing. I figured maybe I had been going about it all wrong, and if I stepped back, my next move might become clear. I spoke to a friend and told him that I saw no choice but to take a hiatus from the search for a while. Three days after that conversation, the opportunity I had been working towards presented itself in my email In Box. After a month-long screening process, my goal was realized.
I am excited to say that I have accepted a position as a Change Implementation Communications Associate at Towers Perrin, a global professional services consultancy firm. This position seems tailor made to fit my experience, education and professional goals. Funny thing is, the opportunity came at the very moment I had decided to “let God and let go.” I established my goals long before, and worked very hard to see them to fruition. Looking back, it feels like I had been pushing on a door that clearly said to “pull.” I opened the door in the right direction, and my dream came right on in.
