After being accepted to study my Ph.D. I was ecstatic and overwhelmed with all of the opportunities that would now come flocking my way. Then reality hits as job application after job application is ignored or declined. Not a mere sniff of employment came my way, well what I really wanted to do anyway. Like I always say, as much as I’m grateful for my retail admin role, but it’s not why I have been in education since I was 4 years old.
With every knock back the lower my self-esteem became and I wondered what was the point of investing so much time in myself if I cannot get my dream job in return? With thoughts of self-doubt becoming my seemingly everlasting companion I kept on applying for jobs with the expectation of being on the receiving end of a big fat NO each time.
You reach a certain stage in life when you realise that things have to change. This for me was at the beginning of the year. I’ve suffered rejection before when trying to pursue a career in medicine and picked myself again and this was spurned me on. Every cloud has a silver lining, and if I had been accepted on a medicine course I wouldn’t have met my husband and I wouldn’t have even dreamed of a pursuing one of my proudest achievements, my doctorate.
I studiously re-wrote my entire CV and cover letter and sent it out over and over, just like before but this time my attitude was completely different. Each rejection wasn’t taken as a personal attack on my abilities to the job. Instead, each rejection was simply that job wasn’t the right match and me and my perfect job will meet one day and life went on.
In the past few weeks, things have started to progress. After a dry spell of nothing, I was being invited to the first rounds of interviews. One job came up that was my dream job and I got to the final stages of the interview process. Beaming with positivity after the final interview and receiving great feedback I didn’t get the job. This was quite a blow as everything seemed to be going so well, but my lack of experience let me down. Obviously I was quite upset because I really wanted this particular job, but perhaps it just wasn’t my time. The feedback was good, though, which boosted my confidence to apply for more jobs in the same field, someone had believed in me!
I’ve lost count with the amount of jobs I have applied for and quite frankly I don’t really care anymore. On Friday, I went for an interview in London and gave it my best shot, but didn’t get my hopes up this time. On Tuesday, I got a call telling me that I got the job, my dream job! Good things come to those who wait and boy have I waited for this moment. I’m so excited about this new role as it combines my love of science and writing. It’s going to be tough learning the ropes in a completely different field, but I’m up for the challenge.
So this story has found its happy ending, let the next chapter begin…
Have you been on a tough journey that has a happy ending? How did you overcome the struggle?
Congrats that’s fantastic news! I knew things would work out for you in the end!
Thanks Lauren. It was so worth the wait! 🙂
Well done you Jemma, I’m so happy for you! I’m currently in the process of finding a new job, and trying to get into a slightly different field, and it is so overwhelming! I hate interviews too, but I’m sure no-one loves them. Like you said, I’m just trying to stay positive!
Thanks hun! It is very overwhelming and scary but keep at it and someone will see how amazing you are!
A big hooray and congratulations to you Jemma! It sounds like you really really deserved your big break and thankfully it came 🙂 Job applications these days can be utterly demoralising (my other half had such a hard time going through it all earlier this year) but I think you’re completely right – if you have the right abilities, and true conviction in yourself then good things will finally come… As your interview was in London, does this mean you’re relocating to the big smoke 8) ?
Thank you! It took some doing but I got there in the end! I will be commuting which will a whole new different lifestyle in itself. 🙂
Eeek how exciting – I’m so pleased for you, I know how hard you’ve worked for this! Well done lovely 🙂 x
Thanks so much! Got there in the end! 🙂
Huge congrats Jemma – perseverance clearly pays off 🙂
I think I’m still on ‘that journey’ to be honest. I’ll be a bit adrift anyway by the end of this year, so hopefully I can start working towards a career I might enjoy after a lifetime (or it seems like it…) in academia.
xxx
Thanks Jess! I hope you find something that’s the right fit for you in academia! 🙂
Oh huge congrats Jemma, you deserve it! I hope you enjoy your last weekend at work! As you were saying on my blog I bet you are looking forward to having traditional weekends again 🙂
Thanks Laura!!! I’m so excited about this new opportunity. I can’t remember what a traditional weekend feels like so really looking forward to that!
Congratulations, Jemma! What an inspiration to hear that all of your hard work and perseverance paid off. I’m still on my own journey, but keeping my fingers crossed that mine has a happy ending as well 🙂
You will definitely find your happy ending, don’t give up! 🙂
Brilliant news! Congratulations!
Thank you Alex! 🙂
Massive congratulations to you! Applying for jobs can seem daunting and even taking a few years to find a good job can seem like forever, but compared to 40/45 years you will spend actually in work it is not much really. Well done!!!!!!
Thank you! You are so right. 🙂 It can take forever, but it’s worth waiting for the perfect job!
Ahh congratulations! Well done :)) I think you’ve had a tough time partly because of the economy as well. I’m so pleased for you and your dream job!
It’s a nightmare out there at the moment and employers are being really tough. Thanks Anna!
Congrats lovely what fantastic news you did it and you didn’t give up what an inspiring story
Thanks lovely. It was tough to keep going but I’m so glad that I did!
I am so happy for you! I know it is tough out there post-PhD, not really looking forward to my job hunting times. Good luck with the new job x
Thanks so much! 🙂
Congrats!!!! I know exactly how you were feeling. I am having the hardest time finding a job and sometimes it feels like all the work I did to get this law degree was pointless because I don’t feel the benefits of it. I hope my story has a happy ending like yours! I can’t wait for that feeling of relief when someone actually hires me.
Thanks, it really is tough, but keep at it and you will be fine!
Ooooh I bloody love a happy ending I do. Congratulations Jemma! Just goes to show that perseverance is key, even through frustration. It’s all worth it in the end.
Thanks Kate, it really did pay off big time.
Congratulations, Jemma! So happy for you that your perseverance paid off and that you found your dream job.
Thanks Lily! I’m over the moon!