For the longest time, I have heard my parents and relatives tell me that your hard work will pay off. I was a skeptic, until it actually happened to me.
Being a last semester senior, I have been looking for jobs ever since the fall 2017 semester started. I was beating myself up when I wasn’t able to find anything and when people didn’t respond to my emails. I guess you could say that I was having a typical graduating senior breakdown a few times a week.
I was looking for jobs like crazy, scourging the internet and emailing people my resume. It also didn’t help that reporter jobs are hard to come by sometimes. I was feeling defeated and insecure about my future.
Then, about a month before graduation, I applied for a reporter job and got an email back. I did a phone interview, and went for an in-person interview. I had a good feeling about it, and everyone I met was exceptionally nice.
I was crossing my fingers to get this job, it would be a great job to teach me the ropes of reporting in the real world for a local newspaper. Then, my potential employer became my actual employer. They offered me the job, and I knew it was the right move for me.
If you would have asked me a few months ago if I had thought that I would get a job before graduating, I would have laughed nervously. I was doing everything right by applying for and looking for jobs, but I knew that breaking into the industry could be hard.
Now, I have a great job pre-graduation, and I am so excited to take on this new chapter in my life. My hard work and passion did pay off.
I knew that if I wanted to get a good job after graduation that I had to have a lot of internships. I somehow managed to have three amazing internships while balancing my schoolwork, and I also covered the Virginia General Assembly 2017 session and the Virginia gubernatorial election of 2017 through two higher level classes. I took every opportunity I could to get experience and boost my resume.
Not to mention, being a writer and senior editor for Her Campus at VCU has opened a lot of doors for me. It has boosted my writing, editing and networking skills. I’ve also made long time friendships with all of the lovely members of Her Campus at VCU and the organization definitely made my college experience, especially since I transferred in as a junior.
I also brought, and still do bring, a lot of passion to all of my stories and work. My passion for journalism and telling people’s stories has grown throughout my college career, and it never ceased. You have to be passionate about what you’re doing, it makes a difference. People can see your passion, and when you’re passionate about your job, it doesn’t feel like a job.
Like I said, hard work and passion do make a difference. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t find a job a few months before graduation, or a few months after graduation for that matter. Finding a job is tough, but as long as you’re determined, it will all work out. Never stop working towards your dream or goal, because it is possible, trust me.
All photos taken by Chelsea Schmidt Photography