*CONTAINS SPOILERS*
After the season two premiere of The Bold Type last week, we already knew things weren’t looking so great for Jane. At the end of episode two, she was fired from her job at Incite and we were left to wonder what would happen next.
Well, what happened next is very relatable for post-grads, because in episode three, “The Scarlet Letter,” Jane applies for tons of jobs and is stressed out, a lot. Sound familiar? Jane not only had to deal with the typical struggles of a job search, but she had to navigate the job search after not defending her previous employer, Incite, on TV and then being fired. Ouch. Despite Jane’s search having those added difficulties, post-grads can definitely relate to these moments from last night’s episode, because the struggle to figure out what to do with your life is real.
When Jane takes a shot of tequila before working on job apps
Though Jane is struggling, she luckily has the support of her best friends, Kat and Sutton, who bring her breakfast and tequila. Jane is hesitant to drink at first, but then decides to take a shot before applying for new jobs, and she convinces Kat and Sutton to do the same. Though we don’t necessarily take shots before applying for jobs as post-grads (maybe we do, maybe we don’t), the idea doesn’t sound totally unappealing. By the time the day ends and we’ve submitted tons of applications yet still remain unemployed, we could certainly use a drink.
When she deep cleans the apartment
After making tons of phone calls and not receiving any good news, Jane feels like she has nothing to do. She proceeds to organize the refrigerator and clean the apartment so it’s basically spotless. We get it, cleaning is therapeutic, and when you’re used to being in school or working all the time, you have no idea what to do with all of your free time. Jane clearly doesn’t know what to do and doesn’t want to just sit around all day, and we can definitely relate.
When she finally gets an interview
Jane receives a call and is invited to interview for one of the jobs she applied for. She then tells Kat and Sutton she needs to prepare. While her friends point out that it’s still early in the evening and the interview isn’t until the following day, Jane still leaves the room to prep. We understand, because applying for so many jobs and getting rejected or not hearing back is exhausting and defeating. When you’re finally invited for an interview, you realize there’s hope—then you do your best to learn as much about the company as you can prior to taking that interview hot seat.
When the interviewer recognizes her
Sometimes, you want to stand out in a job interview. Other times, you want to blend in—just a little. After being rejected by many people who remembered her from talking about Incite on TV, Jane tries to keep quiet during her job interview about her time at Incite. It could potentially work in a different situation, except Jane looks familiar to the interviewer. When he asks about where he knows her from, she says, “petite white girl, brown hair—there are a lot of us,” not wanting to blow her cover. However, the interviewer remembers her from TV and ends the interview. While most of us probably haven’t had this exact experience, there are some aspects of our careers and academic histories that we don’t exactly flaunt, whether it’s a gap in a resume or a not-so-great grade. We feel your pain, Jane.
When she remembers that she truly loves the work she does
After Jane’s interview ends abruptly, she convinces the interviewer to let her pitch an article. The article has to be about healthcare, so she contacts Dr. Ben Chau, the man who Sutton introduced her to at the bar in episode two. After spending a significant amount of time with him as he works, Jane asks why he doesn’t choose to work somewhere else where he could make more money and work less hours. He says, “I jump out of bed every morning and wish there were more hours in the day. Like you I’m guessing. It’s pretty obvious to me you love doing what you do.” He meant it as a compliment, but it makes Jane start to question herself again. We feel for Jane in this moment—it’s tough when you love what you do and have a clear passion, but can’t find a job that allows you to pursue it.
When she feels lonely
When we imagined post-grad life while in college, loneliness didn’t really cross our minds. But the truth is, whether you are living with your family as you search for a job or you move to a new city where you don’t know anyone, post-grad life can be pretty lonely. Jane feels the same way. She misses her squad at Scarlet, and she feels bored and alone writing by herself all day.
When she is rejected from Scarlet
Applying for jobs can often feel like it’s going nowhere, but sometimes you stumble upon an opportunity you’re pretty confident about—making it especially disheartening when you don’t receive an offer. In Jane’s case, she schedules a meeting with Jacqueline, thinking she’ll be able to go back to work at Scarlet. But Jacqueline tells Jane that she has some growing up to do, and that she shouldn’t be so afraid of failure—meaning that no, she can’t go back to Scarlet. While Jane says she truly wants to work at Scarlet again, Jacqueline suspects that Jane is partially being guided by her fear. We know what that’s like. The fear of rejection, failure and not being good enough, are all too real for post-grads. But there’s hope, and we’re hopeful that Jane will learn and grow from this experience in upcoming episodes. We’re crossing our fingers that she finds a great job soon.