Finding a Job is a Job in Itself

When I was looking for a part time job my sophomore year of high school, my dad gave me what would be one of the greatest pieces of advice I've ever heard: "If you're looking for a job, spend the amount of hours per week you would like to work that job and spend that time looking for said job." Thus I learned that looking for a job is a job in itself, and one that is not as easy as one might think.

Asa young person is looking for a job, many think it's going to be an easy process. Though some are handed jobs on a silver platter or receive the first job they apply for in the process, it generally does not work this way for the majority of regular people. It's not something that is just going to fall into your lap most of the time, as much as you might be wishing that to happen. It's hard work to find a job where you will be able to work hard.

As an example, I'll tell you my first job hunting story. I started my long job search in January of 2013, while a freshman in college. It took me literally six months to actually find a company that offered me a legitimate job, and I took it on the spot. Over that span of six months, I filled out hundreds of job applications, at least 1-2 a day if not many more. I worked hard filling out those applications, the same information being placed in the boxes over and over again, checking my resume once a week to make sure it was perfect. There wasn't a single job that I overlooked in the process – if it paid me and I could physically get there every day, it was a job I applied for.

I sat through 8 phone interviews with companies who never had the decency to call me back. I had 10 in-person interviews all over town, dressing up in a professional manner for minimum wage, entry level jobs, and feeling as if I ultimately got the job every single time. Boy, was I wrong. Sixth months later I finally landed a position which I loved, in the bakery department of ShopRite Supermarkets, where I worked hard for over a year.

Now most young people in the millennial generation will read that story and become either terrified, feel in complete disbelief, or a combination of both. It must be easier to get a job than that, right? Well, for someone who didn't have any connections in town with people who could help her get a job, that's what it took.

It's important for the millennial generation to understand that the job market is slim, but it's there. The jobs are there and there are eager employers waiting to take you on as an employee if you work hard enough to make it there. You can and will find yourself a job as long as you actually stick to it and stay determined to find one.