Have you ever reached the end of Tinder? You know, where you swipe so many times that there are literally no matches to be found. You think to yourself, “Is there something wrong with me?” questioning if your ideal person just doesn’t exist.
You edit your bio and open your mind to the possibilities that your ideal might be a stretch. Maybe, if you tweak your interest just right— the right one will come your way. You may have to suck it up, take the hit and lower your expectations but, could be worth it.
Exactly the same as job hunting when you’re fresh out of college. Your wittily crafted bio transforms into a résumé, essentially your ticket to the real world. You gather all of the skills you’ve taken from the many hours spent slaving over Associated Press, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and that random phycology class that somehow taught you how the in’s and out’s of strategic research.
You cry a little and wonder how the heck anyone can obtain 3-5+ years of experience when the only place that would hire you while you study your butt off, consists of folding clothes until 10 pm on a Saturday.
Alas, the golden paper that you worked 4-5 years for is finally glowing in the palms of your hands. You made it, you are now a proud new owner of a Bachelors degree. You envision yourself spinning at your beautiful mahogany desk— decorated with all of your favorite photographs. You leap into the field as you’re whisked away to your next client interview. Your cover story unravels right in front of your eyes as you fall in love with all of your passions.
Then you wake up and your like, okay now what? You know what you want— just how do you get it is the real question.
You search and search and search until you confuse Indeed with Twitter. You find yourself checking you LinkedIn more then your Facebook. The randoms sliding into your DM’s get neglected while you frequent your email— hoping, wishing and dreaming that some company, any company will email you back.
Just like finding your perfect Tinder match, big cover stories take time to achieve. You have the degree and maybe even a few internships— but that starting point position is the one that will get your foot in the door.
Job interview or first date? Honestly, let’s play spot the difference. In the grade scheme of things, I see none. The “getting to know you” phase is literally the same as the “so tell me about yourself” question.
You hope to be one of the lucky ones where the perfect job falls right into your lap, but in all honestly— it’s just like marrying your high school sweetheart. Sometimes, the first, second or even the tenth isn’t the right one for you. Maybe it is, but it’s okay if it takes you a few months to find where you truly are best fit.
My advice, do not settle. You can’t spend the rest of your life not doing what you love. You got that degree— so use it the way you want. It can take you places near and far, all you have to do is take the leap.
You will get rejected and I’m not going to lie, it hurts— no happily ever after came without a little heart break. You can’t give up, I know it can get discouraging, but I’m a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. The right path will come your way, but until then I say, enjoy the dating game. With time, you will find your ideal match.
