So basically that title says it all haha.
So after waiting months for Disney to begin the process of finding a new Photo Editor for their internal and D23 publications, that little status bar on my page began to move. I was more excited and nervous then words can possibly say. I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, I would get a shot at doing what I’ve always wanted to do with a company I really do love. I had a lot of confidence, the job description fit me and my resume to a T. The fact that my resume moved beyond just the initial stages was also exhilarating.
Then Tuesday came with the crushing defeat. I was no longer in consideration and they would be going with candidates that “more closely” fit the job. A crippling blow to say the least. That “lack of experience in this field” thrown in my face yet again. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone expects to ever get a job when you need 3-5 years working at that same type of job, yet no one hires anyone who doesn’t have the experience. I suppose that’s where interning during college would have been most helpful, however, every time I brought up the subject of Photo Editor to career counselors no one ever seemed to know where to even begin. I also haven’t had much luck in that area until this job magically appeared and I wasn’t even looking for a job for myself. I thought for suer this must be fate.
So I’ve grieved, whined and moaned, threw my fits, gone through the stages of depression (yes it’s only been a week…I move fast) and have come to the conclusion that I shouldn’t take this as a defeat and here’s why. The job I want is out there and I accomplished what so many career counselors couldn’t…I actually found the job haha. While it did take months, my resume did make it past the first stages, so I’m not a complete failure at my resume. I’ve been rejected, and that will only make me fight harder next time, and in the end, maybe this wasn’t the job for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the exact position I want, and while it’s with a company I do love it may not have been exactly the area I wanted to be in.
So how do I improve for next time? Well I’m not sure yet. There are no direct “this is exactly why we didn’t hire you and this is what you should work on” so I must answer that for myself. I have an interesting idea for this question of why, and to do it I’ll need to separate myself from my photography. As in I need to show that I can distinguish between good and excellent work, that I can’t have consistent continuity, that while I have no experience in design I do know what is current and high scale. This part of my journey requires me to reconnect with some of the best photographers I went to school with, and there is a great list to choose from.
I need to be happy with the now and not lamenting that my life isn’t what I thought it should be by now. I mean hell I’m only 24. I’ve never had to wait so long for something before though. Normally when I put my mind to something I make it happen one way or another. I guess these last few years have taught me that I need to be patient, not give up, and roll with the punches.
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