How to stay motivated during your post-grad job search (and what you may be doing wrong!)
I was interviewed by the founders of digital magazine Clothes and Water, and they asked me my advice on how to stay motivated when looking for full-time jobs or internships. It's easy to feel down on yourself, and like you've exhausted all your options, and haven't heard back from that dream job. How do you you stay motivated, and what might you be doing wrong? Watch the video, or check out the transcript below:
QUESTION:
What is your advice for people that are looking for full-time jobs or internships to stay motivated? Like when they're feeling down on themselves and when they feel like they've exhausted all their options, they haven't heard back from that dream job, or the job that they want. How would you suggest they say motivated and what might they be doing wrong?
CARLA:
Such a good question. Number one: Are you really doing everything that you're supposed to be doing?
I have funny relationships with some of my follower’s moms. Their moms follow me! It's really sweet. One of my follower’s moms reached out to me because [her daughter is] so sad! And I'm like, "well, what's she doing? Has she been applying?" And she said, "yeah, she saw [a job] on LinkedIn. And she didn't hear back." And I was like, "wait, why didn't she ask X at X?" I know where she's interned -- she interned somewhere very cool. And I know her boss -- her boss knows EVERYONE. Why didn't she email her and ask her to send her resume?
"She was too embarrassed. She felt bad.” I'm like, "Oh no, I'm exiting this conversation, the people that get the jobs are the ones who are gunning for them!"
So, numero uno: check yourself! Are you REALLY doing everything you should be doing?
I know it sucks reaching out to people. It SUCKS. It's awkward. But you know what's more awkward? Still living with your parents two years later! Like, yo, don't you want to go out? Don't you want to explore New York? Email your boss so fast! They expect it. That's why you work hard to intern. You're working for free. It's an exchange of services.
Let's say you really are doing everything you're supposed to be doing. Allow yourself to be freaking sad for a second, but then don't let it linger. Just give yourself a day and then try to move on, get moving, exercise, do something that makes you happy.
Get that confidence back to where you need to. I prefer exercise. It just really pumps me up. It makes me feel like the Rock. Don't let that be the reason you stop [trying]. You have to let go of the idea that -- it's like what we were talking about earlier -- your career is not going to look like you thought it was going to. There's only, like, 10 of those in-house PR jobs at top brands.
It's okay if your first job isn't perfect. Just make strategic choices. And that may mean that you don't necessarily work in fashion your first job, like this guy right here. I was so embarrassed. But then I remember -- my friends didn't give a shit! They weren't like, "Oh my God, Carla, every summer, instead of raging in San Diego, she was in New York, working for free. Didn't even get a fashion job!" They could’ve care less!
Get over your ego and look at other options. Especially right now! Don't pigeonhole yourself in a job that you HATE hate, but, take a PR job in lifestyle. Take a PR job in beauty, take a PR job in celebrity. There's other ways to pivot.
Just make sure that you're also supporting what you really want to do. So if that's fashion, continue [working on] Clothes and Water, because then when you've done your work, you're a year in, you start interviewing again. That's the other problem, people get themselves stuck [and forget the original objective]. A lot of my clients thought they were making a strategic move. And then two years later, they're still where they started. You gotta be networking with the right people. Don't rest on your laurels. Make a shift, make it happen for yourself.