Everyone can agree that there is one noise that is dreaded every morning. *Cue the iPhone “Radar” alarm tone.* Although, for some this sound may do its “job” for the first time, or the alarm tone may work after ten times of pressing snooze. Just like your iPhone’s alarm application is doing the job or making sure you wake up, everyone one day will have to have a job.
But, believe it or not, a job is different than a career. According to Merriam-Webster, a career is “a profession for which one trains and which is undertaken as a permanent calling.” While a job, in my opinion, is temporary. When the term “job” is used in conversation, the first thing that comes to mind is my very first job in high school at a deli. Like most, my first job was nowhere near a personal growth or glorious experience, but I did create memories while working.
When determining what industry you would want to have a career in, the first and most important step is to find your passion. From personal experience, finding your passion can be intimidating at first, but I was able to find a helpful article: How to Find Your Passion and Live a Fulfilling Life by Leo Babuta. In Leo’s third point about brainstorming, I learned a lot about myself, especially since it helped me brainstorm myself and tie my personal life to the author’s points.
Don’t let your passion make you feel like you are unable to find a career in the industry. For example, I love music and knew I wanted to be in music since I was a kid. In 2004, Elton John performed in my city of Indianapolis and as a 5-year-old I thought it was the end of the world that I was unable to attend. But that was only the beginning of my love of music.
In high school, I had no idea that I would ever become a marketing major, let alone a double major in Supply Chain Management and Marketing. It was my senior year when I had the opportunity to learn about business as a student co-op for a year. Before starting this position, I honestly only applied so I could leave school at noon every day, but this opportunity was truly the best thing that could have ever happened to me. My time there sparked my interest in learning all I could about the psychology of the business world, marketing.
So, time went by in college and I go through my first two years and I find myself working in the sports industry at a race track in Indianapolis and a mentorship with a commercial lender. Which at the time did not realize how much it would help me get started in the music industry, aka my dream career. At the speedway, I was able to work as a field marketing intern which allowed me to attend events like concerts and make connections with those who work at those venues. These music venue events also gave me the opportunity to come up with creative ideas to marketing the Indy 500 to concert-goers.
But now let’s fast forward to just within the past summer to now. In June, I went to Her Conference to learn all I could about the amazing organization, Her Campus. As time grew closer to my travel plans, my mentor at the bank invited me to attend a networking event at one of the oldest music venues, The Vogue, which the atmosphere and structure of the venue would be my dream to work in something even close to the legacy The Vogue has. The day before taking my 6 a.m. flight out of Indianapolis, I had to work a 20-hour shift from 4 AM to midnight and of course, the networking event at my dream workplace was the same evening as my 20-hour shift.
Yes, I was extremely bummed, but my will to always have a positive outlook on things helped keep my excitement for what was to come in the Big Apple. My time and experience in NYC was truly amazing and seeing historic landmarks dealing in music like the building used in Led Zeppelin’s album cover for Physical Graffiti only made my passion and love for music in my soul grow larger and stronger.
Upon my return, I found an email from my amazing mentor telling me they had to cancel the networking event last minute and he would let me know when the new date was. My first reaction was a feeling of disbelief wanting to scream excitement while acting like the minion from Despicable Me saying “Say Whattttt?” As a few weeks went on the date was moved to the end of August during my junior year Welcome Week at school, which was perfect because I knew I would have more free time than normal.
So the networking event comes along, and I am inside of The Vogue, frozen with excitement. I find myself speaking to professionals who all work in finance and accounting. My marketing and creative mind were extremely lost when they were using “big” and “smart” words that pertained to finance. But thanks to the movie, Madagascar, I smiled and waved, actually it was more of smiling and nodding. When the time came for the new owner of the venue to speak about his future plans and the fascinating history of the place I felt like I was watching my favorite TV show, aka One Tree Hill which explains my love for music being similar to Peyton from the show. I feel like I was taking more detailed notes on his talking points then I do in my classes, oops my bad!
The networking event was wrapping up and I knew that I needed to be brave enough to go up and introduce myself even if I was the youngest person in the room. So I walk up to the new owner waiting patiently to speak as four professional and powerful looking men are standing around him sharing stories and casual business talk. Next thing I know, my ears perk up to one of the men speaking about Elton John. Naturally, 5 year old me had to pitch in on how they agreed. I wanted to prove that I had a knowledge and appreciation for music, especially since I have often realized that those older than me find it hard to believe that one, I know the artist that sing the old rock songs, but two the meanings of songs and the stories of the artists in their careers.
As the conversation grew on he was asking me who is my all time favorite artist, which anyone that knows me I never hesitate when asked this question, to say Stevie Nicks. When the new owner chuckled I knew I had his attention and received the prime opportunity to share how I have a dream of working in the music industry. After sharing my goals and ambitions, he asked for my card to contact me about what my future plans were and how he would love to help me make my dream come to life.
The very next day, I sent him a LinkedIn personalized connect invite saying thank you for all the knowledge he had given me. From this, I received an email from him and another employee at The Vogue asking me for a phone interview that then led to an in person interview. Final decisions and details are being decided as I type this, but I know that my positivity and love for the music industry will make sure I end up where I need to be, and my intuition on imagining myself in The Vogue is strong and filled with positivity.
This article is a prime example of how you don’t find out what you want your career to be overnight. Like everything in life, finding a career path that you love so you never have to work a day in your life, takes time. I feel my passion for music has been with me since I was a child, but it took me around 20 years to realize that I thrive the most when I am working in an environment where the stage lights are shining down on me and every single person in the room is there to have a fun time.
To close, my best advice is that when you visualize your materials, therefore make sure you always have the mindset that you want to work in a career that is apart of something you are passionate about. If you continuously remind yourself that you are on the road of finding your passion or making the passion you have grown, you will always find success and happiness.