I had this fear from a long long time, about 2 years to be precise.
I was fresh out of college, after a struggle, and was desperate to land in a job. I never thought programming or coding was my cup of tea ever, and did not know how else to progress. I still went ahead and tried my luck with a HR company since I knew by then that I do have a flair for communication. But they all had the same question - why would they want a non-MBA candidate to do Human Resources Management when there are hordes of them who already have an MBA degree. I drew a blank. It was a month since I had graduated and was still at home without a job in hand. Trust me, that feeling is the one of the worst anyone can ever have.
And then I chanced upon this company that said they do social media management. I had no clue what it was about but still went on to attend the interviews and find out what they have to say. The interviews went pretty well. The man who interviewed me, who later went on to become my boss, says after 4 interviews “I’ll let you know if we have a position open for you!” I somehow did not know if I should console myself, get depressed or attend other interviews. This was my third interview and still I had no job. Relatives had started suggesting I take up the job of an office admin – It was a shitty place to be in and I had only myself to blame.
Then came the ray of hope. I was offered that job and like the phrase goes ‘I worked for peanuts’. I was a social media/market research analyst. Few friends said it was a great profile and they had no idea what a research analyst does! I myself was not too sure about the industry; I mean why would someone pay you to see and report what is happening on Facebook, Twitter, blogs or anywhere else on the internet.
But it was true, I was going to be paid to be on social networking sites all the time, it was good deal and I was not complaining. The team I was in was fabulous and felt like home. My mentors came with major experience in the software industry and no airs about themselves. Office was second home, hard to believe, I know. Once in a while, I again went back to thinking if this social media management, planning, etc was even worth it and whether I would even get a decent job if I left this company. Being one of the best performers helped get recognition though I faltered quiet sometimes. As it happened later, my beloved company had to close down because our major client refused to renew a contract with us. We were asked to look for new jobs. Now this would be such a nightmarish situation for many but somehow it did not scare me. My mentors helped me land interviews through their references; I managed to clear most of them successfully.
I still needed to know if I could half as well without their references, and guess what! I did it! Got a job with a company that my ex-bosses had heard of, said they were good and were super happy about the fact that I’ve done well for myself. So, the apprehensions are gone, about myself and about the industry I choose to be with. :)
More about social media in the next post and it will come up soon!
