Navigating the Job Market: A Recent College Grad’s Perspective

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After months of living in Houston and asking myself if I was scared of this term “adulting” or if I was homesick, I made the decision to move back home to New Orleans.  This meant quitting a job I was barely a year into and saying farewell to relationships in Texas.

My initial thoughts were: “What am I going to do now?”, “Do I have to move back in with my parents?”, “Will a company understand a new graduate wanting to come home after being away for only a year?”  It was tempting to let these thoughts consume my time, but I decided to turn them into action. I made sure my resume was up-to-date and polished. I did some job searching and landed an interview. I moved into a new house with my two best friends.

The day after moving in I prepared for my first interview, but I was still feeling uneasy. I told myself I wanted the job, but I never stopped to ask myself what type of career I wanted to pursue with this fresh start.  Leaving the interview I felt weird. I was excited that I already had the ball rolling and I was potentially going to be employed, but I wasn’t sure if the job was the right fit.  The company didn’t think so either, and I didn’t get the job.  This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and I learned that the first opportunity isn’t always the best opportunity.

About two weeks later I received a call from Shuart & Associates asking me to come in for an interview for their Junior Recruiter position.  I was pretty nervous because, obviously, my previous interview didn’t go as planned. But this time the interview went differently.  I started envisioning myself in the role and feeling excited. I remember calling my parents and acting very nonchalant as to not jinx myself.

When Darnell called me for a final discussion and offer, I made it very clear that I wanted the position to start my career in HR with them, and not to just get a job because I was afraid of being unemployed.  Making the move back home and finding a new job was scary.  But I’m happy that I held out for a position that I was excited about instead of taking anything that came along.  To my fellow recent graduates: the job market can be tough and it’s tempting to accept any job offer, but taking the time to ask yourself what you want in a job and where you want your career to go is an important part of any search!