To set the stage, it was November, and I was about a month into my first full-time marketing job and felt like I was failing. But before we dive in, let’s turn back the clock.
At the end of August, I had graduated from a post-grad marketing program after completing a BA in Communications. After a short successful internship during my program, I had been consistently job searching for about three months. I was actively interviewing, getting to second round interviews and subsequently being rejected from promising, full-time roles. Most often, the feedback I received was that while I was qualified, I lacked the experience that employers felt necessary I needed to have. As a new grad, finding your first full-time job (in your field) can be challenging and articulating your transferable skill in an interview, even more so. Talent Management experts say it can take approximately two months from application to job to land a position. In this current competitive job market, it can sometimes take longer than that. In the final semester of my post-grad, I thought it would set me ahead if I applied and interviewed for jobs while still in school. I made it my goal to attempt to find something full time that would magically line up to the completion of my post-grad. It’s important to note that timing rarely matches up perfectly for anyone, and knowing what I do now, rejection is still a point of progress.
And as it turned out, my goal wasn’t realistic and it wasn’t easy. Applying for jobs during school can make things particularly difficult when trying to focus on your program. I remember getting rejected from a job that I had such a great feeling about, just 10 minutes before a 3-hour lecture about paid media marketing. The positive was that I was able to get great advice from my professor on the spot.
After a few rejections, I was losing sight of my goal and ultimately, I did not find a job before the end of post-grad. However, once I was finished with the distractions of school, I was able to focus full- time on finding a job and worked with a career coach to target my search. During my daily check-ins on LinkedIn, I found a post for a position that I felt uniquely qualified for. I decided to take a leap of faith and message the job poster. I later forwarded my resume and thought, if anything, I’ve made a new connection. After progressing to the interview stage, I was offered the job! That particular week, I was going through a rollercoaster of emotions in my personal life and getting the offer gave me hope that everything was turning around. I had found work in my field and it felt like a dream come true.
Fast forward to November and I was again feeling extremely discouraged. I’ve always been told that we are our own worst critics, and that’s 1000% true for me. When I don’t excel right away at something, I tend to get upset and it can lead me into a toxic mentality and cause me to spiral. As a result of this, I end up taking things far more personally than I should. I was making stupid mistakes and distrusting my work because of my stress. I felt like I was in over my head and I really wasn’t sure how I would progress.
I remember being on my morning commute one day and reading through articles about ‘surviving your first job’ or ‘things to do to better your work life.’ I was slowly trying to convince myself that was I was feeling was normal, even if I couldn’t see it right away. After reviewing a few articles, I decided to openly share my thoughts on Twitter about the first month on the job. I knew that my frustrations might be able to help someone else by openly sharing my thoughts online. So here they are, along with some forward-thinking ideas as to what I would do differently.
1. You will have good days and bad days. Embrace the good ones and reflect on the bad ones.
Not every day in a new environment will be easy. There will be days you’ll fail and days where you’ll succeed and I promise you that they all matter. Personal and professional growth takes time and they won’t happen overnight. Embrace good feelings and try to figure out and reflect on the bad times.
2. Good content creation takes work. Don’t let it get you down.
Creative and good ideas take time, lots of time. Marketing is coming up with ideas; some are amazing and some aren’t. You’ll learn about this as you progress. Everything in life takes practice and something will work out. Just remember that timing is everything.
3. Working under someone else’s vision sometimes means comprising your own ideas, but don’t be afraid to speak out if you want to contribute, everyone sees something different and it could be valuable to add your ideas.
It is easy to forget that your values and ideas are important. Remember that they hired YOU! And they believe your ideas are valuable. Don’t be afraid to share your input. Just because you’re following someone else’s vision, it doesn’t mean that you can’t go outside of that. Be cautious, but don’t be afraid to experiment and try things another way. Everyone sees things in a different way and adding your ideas could be valuable.
4. Taking things personally will kill you, it’s a hard behaviour to rework but try your absolute best.
Looking back on this, I still struggle with it. Never take things personally. If you make a mistake, hearing constructive criticism is not a personal attack. That person doesn’t hate you, in fact, it’s usually the opposite. Your manager wants you to succeed and taking things personally will definitely leave you in a mindset that feels like defeat, so take time, reflect and keep moving forward. I promise it’ll get better.
5. You may not receive praise at the beginning but don’t let that stop you from working hard.
Just because you’re not getting compliments, doesn’t mean you’re doing a bad job. I have always been excited about praise, but when I didn’t get it, I used it to motivate me. Sometimes bosses or managers won’t give you the praise you’re seeking, but keep up the good work anyways, people notice when you’re consistently doing good things and you’ll eventually get recognized. Keep at it!
6. Everyone you meet can teach you something. Don’t be afraid to pick someone’s brain and learn something new, I promise it’s beneficial.
I’ve been lucky to work with some great people in environments that foster open communication and mentorship. I’ve also had a chance to work as an intern and learn and observe in an office environment. If I’ve learned one thing in these positions, it is the power of the conversation and the informational interview. Asking someone about their job and how they got to their current position is a great idea and one that 100% of people will make time for. Don’t be afraid to ask people about their careers. Everyone loves talking about their career path and you may gain valuable knowledge and information. My favourite moments in my last position were the times I spent with one of the executives. I learned so much in a short time and I found it fascinating to learn how his brain worked.
When I worked as an intern at a record label, during my last week I asked people I’d worked with to give me 20 minutes of their time for an informational interview. I got about 3 different interviews that week and I remember one of the women told me, “We’ve never had interns do this” and I was shocked. If you’re not given the opportunity, then create it for yourself. I thank my career coach for giving me the idea and confidence to just ask. The worst they can do is say no.
7. Enjoy the little successes.
When your mindset isn’t the best, it is important to take time and think about what has gone right. Even if it isn’t the biggest thing, praise yourself for it. You cleared your entire email inbox? Good for you! You posted a tweet that performed well? Keep it up! Just because it doesn’t seem significant enough, doesn’t mean it’s not a stride in the right direction. Enjoy what goes well when you’re stressed, it may relieve a bit of the pressure.
8. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, go outside for a walk or and get yourself a snack or a drink. You’ll be able to focus on something else and the walk will help you feel less anxious.
I truly believe that it is OK to remove yourself from situations that make you feel stressed or uncomfortable. I find that taking walks and finding moments to collect your thoughts can really benefit you in the long run. If I was ever feeling stressed at work or needed a moment, I would go to my favourite coffee shop near the office and take a moment to reflect. I really enjoy music, so I’d pop in my headphones and refresh. I ended up spending lots of money on coffee but it was truly a moment of self-care. I enjoyed getting fresh air as I was often inside for hours at a time. The office atmosphere can be overwhelming and getting some fresh air never hurt anyone.
9. A mistake is not the end of the world even if it feels like it is.
As noted before, I tend to take things personally. I made plenty of mistakes in my first position and they all seemed like the absolute end of the world. But mistakes are a part of the learning process. It’s important to know that we are all human and none of us are perfect. We mess up, and we grow from it. I’ve considered myself a perfectionist in the past. I want my work to be perfect so I put intense pressure on myself. However, this self-inflicted pressure often causes me to make mistakes. If you’re reading this right now and thinking ‘wow I’m the same’ remember this, take your time, breathe and realize that the mistake you just made is a learning experience. Mistakes are not the end of the world and you will grow and know better next time. Keep growing and keep learning.
10. Do what’s best for your health, your wellbeing matters in the long run.
You can spend anywhere from up to 15 hours at work a day, so make sure you’re feeling good about that. If you’re feeling the opposite, take the time to observe. If every day does more harm than good, think about the situation you’re in. Is it something permanent? Can you see the end? Suffering in silence will slowly bring you down and may leave you feeling absolutely horrific. If you feel yourself continuously feeling upset or unsatisfied, think about what the root cause is. It’s ok to take a step back and evaluate your situation. If your mind is unhealthy, it will more than likely affect your performance. Your wellbeing matters so much. If you feel good then you will do good work.
I’ll also note that you shouldn’t be afraid to leave a job that’s not making you feel good, in particular, if you’ve done everything you can to learn and to change your outlook. Learn what you need to be successful and don’t settle for anything else. I always tell myself to trust my gut and 9 times out of 10, I’ve been correct.
I know that these 10 reflective ideas are just scratching the surface, but the learning behind them is important. We all have stress when starting something new and it’s ok to admit when you’ve messed up. I’m taking every experience now as a form of growth. My career is just starting and now that it’s 2020, I’m excited to see what happens next.
The twitter thread that inspired this:
https://twitter.com/suppmallory/status/1199344839571066887
Your Social Media Queen
Mallory T
*This article was originally posted on Medium*
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