1. Apply for the job you want.
No one wants to work somewhere awful. I have empathy for those working a job they only took out of necessity. But whether you have a degree or not, the job you want will be a reflection of who you are. If you have to work a job you do not want to get by, get by until you are ready for the job you want. Or if you want to land the job you want from the get-go, apply for that job. Understand what the position asks of you, see if you see yourself working there. You should not only work a job, a job should work for you.
2. Apply at the right time.
The best time to apply for a job is during January and February or September. These are the months where recruitment is the busiest. Employers are hiring new employees and making plans for the beginning and rest of the year. Summer and holiday months are slower for responses to applications. Of course, there is never a wrong time to apply. Be wary of when you applied and when a new opening is available. Apply early and be patient. If you did not get a response within two weeks from the date you applied, follow up with a phone call, email, or in-person.
3. Apply online and in-person.
The luxury of applying for a job online is convenient. You get your resume out there faster by email. Using the internet to apply for a job can be problematic though. Response times are not always automatic or punctual. That and the employer does not know who you are until you get an interview. Rather than wait for something to happen, go to the place of business you applied to. Share your interest in working there and give out copies of your resume. Not only have you applied online, but you have made a memorable connection face-to-face. Show them you are a person ready to work.
4. Apply for similar jobs.
Do not worry if the job you applied for chose someone else. There are plenty of jobs to fill to make you fulfilled. Make a list of the jobs you want to have and send them your application. The more jobs you apply for, the more likely you will get hired. Leverage your choices, measure the pros and cons of each position. You might have a chance to negotiate your responsibilities and compensation with your employer early in the hiring process. They need you to work for them. You are available, but that does not mean your first choice has to be your last choice.
5. Hire yourself.
The traditional process of hiring able bodies can be a slow and unrewarding one. Cut out the middleman and start your own business. Have people hire you for freelance work. The best part, you have more than one person to work for. No more cubicle, nine to five grinds. Meet people on your own time and live more independent than you have before. If job security is a concern, take up a part-time or full-time job on the side to make a second, steady source of income.
Work like you're the boss.
I Limited My Social Media Usage And I Challenge You To, Too
My worth is not defined by the amount of likes I get.
Every morning at 8 a.m., my alarm goes off, I roll over, and the first thing I do is check my Snapchat only to open a bunch of pictures of the top of someone's head, or the wall, or — my favorite — a black screen. This is something we're all guilty of, myself included. We all know that social media is becoming an addiction amongst us, so why do we still use them in an unhealthy way? Why are our friendships defined by who has the longest streak? Why are our perceptions of others based on the most perfectly posed presentations of people? Why is our self-worth dependent on the number of double taps or shares or comments?
My world used to revolve around social media.
Every time I posted a picture on Instagram, I would constantly refresh to see how many likes I had accumulated. The worst part about that is I would get upset if I didn't get any likes in the seconds between each refresh.
If I got bored or had some downtime between classes, I would spend hours just scrolling through the same posts, hoping to find something different.
So much of my life was wrapped up in the superficiality of social media posts to the point where I no longer knew who I was. I would see pictures of my friends who ended up at the same college and feel left out, I would see girls from high school joining sororities, I would see people looking so stunning and having so much fun, and I let that be the thing that influenced how I felt.
Social media consumed me. It made me forget all the wonderful things I have in my life. It made me value a photo opportunity more than just enjoying the moment for what it is. Let me tell you that a moment is no less valuable just because it isn't visually appealing.
I've recently started using the Screen Time feature on my iPhone. I set a two hour per day limit on my social media usage, and when that time is up, I can no longer open the apps. Since then, I've been spending more time face-to-face with the people I care about. I've reconnected with old hobbies. I feel less stressed. I stopped comparing myself to others. I learned to be happy with myself.
I limit my social media usage because all the time I've spent aimlessly scrolling through Instagram is time I could've spent going for a walk and enjoying the warmth of Spring.
I limit my social media usage because I value face-to-face interaction. I value hugs and laughter and all the other things you can't get from a screen.
I limit my social media usage because it hurts my feelings when other people are on their phones when I'm trying to talk to them so how can it be right that I do that to someone else?
I think about how dependent on social media we have become, and it makes me so grateful that the sun is too bright to see our phone screens outside and that the mountains raise too high to have good cell service. I'm grateful that my friends make me laugh so hard that I don't even think to check my phone.
So, I challenge you to separate yourself from your social media. Even if it's just for a day. See how your life changes.