Apr 30, 2021
Applying for opportunities: my challenges and benefits
Applying for experience to help me strive towards my career path was and is daunting. How am I supposed to know which experiences now will be relevant for me in the future? I have asked myself this question numerous times whilst trying to secure an internship for my year in industry.
I have found that although applying for jobs is tough work and requires resilience, I have learnt that it is also an eye-opening experience that has helped me gage a better understanding of what I would actually like to work as in the future.
What are the benefits?
One of the main advantages that I have found whilst applying for jobs is that it’s given me a better understanding of which types of work appeal to me, and therefore which jobs do not appeal to me. For example, I started my search looking for research/data analysis roles within the health sector, which I thought fit perfectly with my Psychology degree. However, after doing more research into the role, I realised that working in a hospital wasn’t my ideal environment, and so I crossed healthcare off my list and started to look for something a bit more creative. I opened my search towards marketing and then finally narrowed down digital and social media marketing as my target areas.
Overcoming disappointment
It is not hard to describe the feeling of receiving the important emails determining whether or not I have been successful — it is the clichéd heart racing and sweaty palms that occur so quickly when the nerves hit. Dealing with disappointment is tricky, but I have learnt that if I distract myself then I normally get over it quickly.
Transforming challenges into opportunities
Another challenge that I am facing with my search is making sure that the jobs I apply for are strictly located in Manchester — this is because I have already committed to live here next year, meaning that I am having to to rule out a lot of exciting opportunities, however I am still confident that there will be something right for me that pops up. Another difficulty that I have come across whilst applying for jobs is that is takes a lot of time to tailor my CV and covering letters to specific job descriptions and that there have been times when I wanted to just give up. But I have learnt that it is important to stay positive and even though I have been unsuccessful before, I have gained a better idea of what kind of work I’d like to do in the future, exposing me to more opportunities.
I have learnt that being open-minded is so important, however turning down opportunities is not something to frown upon — if the job doesn’t make me excited then it’s probably not for me! After many interviews and turning down two placement offers, I am continuing my search and hoping to find something that suites me!
