Chronicled: The First Job

I got my first “big girl” job in 2020. Luckily the process went a little bit smoother than the year has been.

I say it went “smoother.” But let me tell you. It was no walk in the park. So, let me take you on a journey starting all the way back in December 2019. (I know, what bright naïve times they were.)

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December 2019

Let me set the scene for you.

In a far off land…err time? People walked the streets carefree and dared to stray closer than 6 feet/2 meters away from each other. It was my last semester of college. I was graduating early, despite the skepticism of my mom thinking I’d be missing out on a 4-year college experience. I thought about applying to jobs but remembered what one of my managers said at a prior internship. If you have the chance to take some time after graduation to travel/relax, take it. So, I knocked out my last semester and graduated.

January 2020

Remember when everyone started the year excited that it was a new decade? It was going to be our year. Lol.

I wanted to give myself the month to relax and have some time off. I eagerly took it.

February 2020

It was my birthday in February! Later in the month, I started applying for jobs. Ugh, an exhaustive process. I had a few interviews where I took the train to NYC from Philly.

March 2020

The interviews really started ramping up. I had my first – and even second – round of interviews with a few companies. I actually was chosen to get the job at one company. They just would have to do the paperwork for the official HR job offer after the weekend. That was March 13th. Funny how it was Friday the 13th. It was the same day COVID was declared a national emergency.

That official job offer never came. Neither did any others. No one was hiring at that point. I was out of luck. But, my mother and I were very grateful I graduated early.

May-October 2020

The summer and most of the fall months were a blur. I taught ESL and applied to jobs as they came up. I did get a job offer in August, but I ended up declining it. It wasn’t the opportunity for me. (Privilege check: Yes, I know how privileged I am to have been able to decline a job offer, especially in these times. I’m extremely fortunate to be in a situation where I currently don’t have to worry about my finances.)

November 2020

I had two conversations that sounded promising. One was at a content studio that was growing their strategy department. The other was at a ~gasp~ Pharma ad agency. I know. I never thought I’d work for Pharma either. It was an application submitted on a whim. I had a good conversation with the hiring manager, but the position required more experience. Typical. Haha

She put me in the Omnicom system and let me know that she’d contact me with anything that fit my experience. Three days later, I got an email on Friday, November 13th from another Omnicom talent acquisition specialist. He had a Planner position that fit my skill set. Yep, Friday the 13th…again. We love a full-circle story. A week and a half later, I was officially employed at Harrison and Star.

My First Job

Somehow. Somehow I got a job this year despite a pandemic and it being right before the holidays. No, I never expected it to be in Pharma. But, I’m working on some interesting things in HIV.

This was absolutely not the timeline I expected or necessarily wanted to have. But, it was the best one for me. It’s a freelance position**, so things can change. For now, I like the people. I like the work. And, I’m excited about the opportunity.

* the cat took over my office and claimed it as her own.
**started full-time on March 8, 2021!