Day 8: Fresh and inexperienced meat
It was the end of September 2012, and I was faced with a crisis. A bizarre life crisis at 21-years-old where, at the moment I graduated university, all my education/careers plans I had set up were completed.
I didn't know where I was going in three months time, nothing was lined up, and my future was...blank. After three years of university and of being told that job prospects were slim, confidence levels on the job-front were not high at all. Coupled this with my family quietly feeling in a vulnerable monetary position, it was all confusing. And as the eldest child, somehow I felt the weight of responsibility on me.
I had to find a job.
While my university classmates were busy finishing final projects and planning how they'd relax during their summer breaks, I began to keep an eye out for jobs. It didn't take long when I happened to become Facebook friends with someone who had just posted a job listing for her work.
When I saw it, I didn't think I had much of a chance, but maybe I had a better chance than a few of the other students in my class. I applied for this job with the faith that it could mean something good, or I had nothing to lose.
I sent out my application the afternoon of the submission's due date. I remember hilariously put on my cover letter that "I may appear to be fresh and inexperienced 'meat'". And I really was. I fattened out my CV with every internship I'd ever done while at uni, and listed every single article I wrote - the majority of this was for the university magazine. I tied in everything I'd ever taught myself, learned in high school, or learned in university, and made it apply to the potential job.
However, I wasn't confident at all. I thought they'd just see my fresh degree and my small string of internships and say "nope, that's not enough."
So you can imagine my surprise when I got a phone call back. I think I was in the middle of the university newsroom when I got called to set up an interview. I actually don't remember much about the call, I just remember staring at my phone after my call just repeating in my head "they rang me...they actually read my application and rang me."
I've been to interviews before. Most times I'll go to the interview, answer all the questions as best I could, and then I'd never hear from them again - not even a rejection call. As negative as it sounds, I'm used to not getting my hopes up because that way, I don't fall as far.
After my third job interview with this one company on a Friday in October, I was sitting alone in the university newsroom, about to send out my second job application for a local newspaper, when I received the phone call.
"We'll like to offer you the position."
"What? I mean, sorry?"
"They really liked you. You got the job."
I was in disbelief - I hadn't even graduated yet but they were offering me a job.
Five minutes later I deleted my pending second job application, then texted my friend "Where are you? We're getting ciders!".
That job became my first (and current) full-time job, and the only application I ended up sending out that year.
I'm thankful for how powerful the feeling of faith can be, even if you don't feel like you have a lot of it. From uncertainty comes faith, and from faith comes the will to move. I know living a comfortable life will help me live longer and be more content, but being pushed to rest on faith helps you live a better life outside what you can reach.
"Faith is being sure of the things we hope for, and certain of the things we cannot see."
(photo taken by Boyfriend at my 21st birthday)
---
For the month of January 2016, I'm writing 31 personal stories about things in my life I'm thankful for. See all my posts during my month of thankfulness here.
