Social Network Your Way to a Job

We often use Facebook and Twitter to update our statuses about random facts, jokes, hilarious videos, tips, inspirational quotes or as a platform to rant and rave about all the wrongdoings or mishaps in our lives. The latter part of that is not so great—even though we’ve all done this a few times or more—but social media platforms are great ways to stay in touch, get connected, discuss current events, products, brands…and find jobs!

Tip # 1: Did you know that companies are now looking into the social depth—which is the number of friends, followers or connections on various social platforms-- of a job candidate on their social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? Be aware that some do and others just check to see what you are talking about (don’t forget to update your privacy settings) aka cyber-stalking. They are using this information to see how many people one can reach through their networks and ultimately, help promote their products and services.

Over the last few months, I have seen jobs posted on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other online communities outside of job boards. Hiring managers for the most part are not posting these listings; it’s our friends who may know of a job opening in their company or they are leaving a position and want to let their closest friends and family know.

Tip # 2: For the hiring managers that do post positions, why don’t you contact that person and build a relationship via Twitter and/or LinkedIn—not Facebook as it is too personal. If you don’t qualify for the posted position, help them spread the word and offer to send resumes of qualified candidates. Make this relationship a two way street; and who knows what the outcome of the relationship will be?

Tip # 3: Are you looking to work for a particular company? Keep up-to-date on potential jobs by following that company or organization on Twitter, “like” the community page on Facebook and other social networks they belong to.

Job boards are decent tools to find a job but if you can strike up a relationship with a hiring manager at one of your target companies, stay connected via social networks and other online communities and just pay attention to what your friends/trusted sources post, you may become the hunted rather than the hunter.

How have you used social media to look for a job?

Photo courtesy of CapitalWorkForce.org.

A Lovers Getaway

Preface: I have yet to travel the world to my desire but I have had a few places on my mind to visit with my significant other! So this post is based on research and recommendations from others.

I am not a beach person because I hate basking in the sun. However, sometimes we have to stop and smell the roses…or in this case, the sand and intoxicating ocean water. Relationships need time and space to grow and we have to work and nurture our budding love. It is hard to do that when work and life schedules fill up our time. But while your life is crazy and spiraling out of control in a good or bad way…you and your significant other still need to get away from all the distractions and just focus on you.

What other way to do that but go somewhere secluded and cut off from the rest of the world. Here are two resorts on the island of Jamaica and Mexico you both can slip away to for a few days and have FUN.

El Dorado Maroma on the beaches of Mexicos Riveria Maya

• Grab your sunscreen and fantabulous shades and lounge on the beach, get some sun, a few cocktails, and much needed rest and relaxation.
• Dance the afternoon away with a few lessons in salsa, tango, merengue and more.
• Learn the art of massage and show each other the real meaning of relaxation.
• Enjoy a moonlight massage and candlelight dinners on the beach

Talk about ultimate relaxation and fun at the same time! Is this trip right for you and your partner? Check out the website for more information.

Royal Plantation in Ochos Rio, Jamaica
Imagine this: Luxury hotel sitting on bluff 25ft above the magical waters of Ochos Rio, Jamaica.

• Endless pampering while sipping on a hand delivered ice-cold cocktail
• Take in a few rounds of golf before hitting the luxurious spa!
• Enjoy complimentary cocktail parties, afternoon tea and hot chocolate!
• Lounge on the beach till the sun goes down
• Let the wind run through your hair while you windsurf and go sail boating
• Find out what a “In Each Others Hand” massage therapy session entails!
• Indulge in a champagne picnic or take an exotic tour of Jamaica.

So, when are you booking your next trip? I think I will book mine soon. If you know of any other great romantic resorts for couples, let us know!

Photos courtesy of http://www.100destinos.com/

Working Moms Go Back To School Online Now

Working moms… get back to school online while ‘Project Working Mom 2010’ is giving you the opportunity to receive funding and other resources to help you further your education. If the call was not loud enough before, look at the economy and the rate of how many jobs are being eliminated completely. ‘Project Working Mom 2010’ is an education initiative to get working parents back into college programs online via a $5 dollar scholarship fund.

The initiative addresses three major problems working parents face:

• Time
• Money
• Confidence

Time: Most working parents, single or married, do not have the time to work, care for children and/or elderly parents, home life, and other factors that are time consuming. However, an online program (I completed my Masters degree online at Walden University) is a great way to further your educational goals. Imagine this: put the kids to bed, prepare tomorrow’s meal, lay out the clothes for the next day (or entire week if you are forward looking) and get online for 2-3 hours and learn.

Money: If you are not Bill Gates or Warrant Buffet, you do not have the money to go after whatever you want when you want it. Money makes the world go round and we all need it to survive. Fortunately, we need education to make survival possible. It does not matter if you want to work retail, in the food industry, fashion, media, medical, technology, etc., we need education to boost our earning power.

But college is not cheap and it keeps many from pursuing their dreams. ‘Project Mom’ gives you the opportunity to apply for a chance to receive a full-tuition scholarship to go back to school online.

Just a little sidebar, if you do not receive a scholarship through this initiative, ask your current employer if they offer tuition reimbursement for you to take courses in your field that will not only help you advance personally and professionally, but will help your company achieve their goals and that aligns with the mission. If they do not offer reimbursement, assess whether you can afford to attend online programs part or half-time.

Confidence- Simply put, if you want to be better and reach new heights you must actually do better. You can only achieve what you want if you truly believe in yourself and look to your future with a positive outlook. Easier said than done but you can do it and remember, life presents each one of us with many challenges and obstacles. At times it seems we will never jump the hurdles but at least believe and try. Have that same attitude towards education.

Receiving your degree is not the only thing that will boost your earning power. Experience will get you there as well…so expose yourself to the field you are studying. Put into practice what you are learning; so when you start applying for jobs in your chosen field, you have real experience and know-how to back up your degree.

I am not a mother but I see how hard it is for working parents to further their education. When opportunity comes knocking on your door, open up the door and let that opportunity in.



There are three entry periods between January 12,2010 and September 30, 2010. Read more online.

Desiree Frieson, 24, received her Master’s Degree in Marketing for Walden University Online in April 2009.

Fun Friday! Meet the Team

In honor of Administrative Professionals Week, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge all of those who help to make Her Journey what it is.

An extra special thank you goes out to Tracey, who is the Her Journey right hand woman. She jumped right in from day one. Bringing her creativity, a unique voice and love of travel, she continues to be a tremendous asset to the team.

Each bringing their own voice of expertise, the other contributors have been a pleasure to work with and have added so much to the Her Journey blog:

Special thanks is due to Andrew of Straight Design for showing of his design genius with every issue.

We also want to send a Thank You to all of our guest contributors.
And of course to all of you readers!

This has been an amazing journey and we look forward to continuing on a journey to somewhere even greater.


Image found here

Be Positive All the Time

Maybe you are struggling with your job, friend, family, relationship or something extremely tragic and you don't know how to get through the day! When we think things are bad we don't know where to turn but going through the trials and tribulations of life means one thing...you have a life and are alive! So take the good and the bad and try to be positive all the time. Possibly this is easier said than done. Here are some tips to help you deal with the pitfalls or life:

Tips for Being Positive at Work (From Motivational Speaker Craig Harper):

• Surround yourself with like-minded people who energize and motivate you to want to do better and grow your skill set and brain power. Kindly avoid the negative Nancy's!
• Invest emotional energy into the greatest return. For example, a project is getting you down and out, instead of venting or expressing your emotional dissatisfaction, do something positive the supports the task you are trying to complete.
• Find time to connect and concentrate on who you are as a person, personal and professional goals, what makes you happy and what inspires you to do better! We often forget to focus on ourselves and need a point in the day to go back to basics! Nurture yourself and imagine what a healthy and focused mind can accomplish.

Tips for Being Positive in a Stressful Relationship

• Simply put, if he or she is causing you to lose hair or sleep at night then they probably are not the one for you. This is not to say run like heck or dump your relationship in the garbage but you should avoid people that bring you down and do not throw any positive energy your way.
• Try to work out your relationship the best way you can but if this person makes you miserable then you must decide what will make you happy. If you are not happy and pleased with yourself, you will not be able to be the best you in a relationship.

Tips for Being Positive with Friendships

• They say birds of a feather flock together! Most likely you are going to hang around people who are most like you. To repeat the tips from how to be positive at work, surround yourself with people who are not about the drama and are searching for that light at the end of the tunnel.
• Every friendship has to stand the test of time, and most friendships serve a purpose. Just cherish all the friends you have. Treat them the way you want to be treated and amazing things will grow.
• Plant the seeds of honesty in your friendships and see what you end up with.

It's hard to think positive all the time! Just learn to love yourself and see what that could bring you. Smile and be happy.

What tips can you offer others on how to keep a positive outlook on life?





Photo courtsey of LifeHack.org.

Breathe Life Into Your Career

This is motivational Monday, so this post is intended to inspire and motivate by presenting you with tips on how to keep your job. It may be hard to get a good job and get your career going but it is very easy to lose a job by committing career suicide. What is career suicide? It is the act of poisoning your work relationships among your supervisor, big boss, and/or colleagues that is beyond repair. Sometimes people mistakenly do things like reply to an email with a misunderstood response or refuse workload because they’re already bogged down with a lot of work or express their opinions when not asked. Then there are others who intentionally do things like piss of their boss, show up to work late often, take extra long lunches, wear inappropriate outfits, take too long to complete tasks and assignments, etc.; the list could go on but the point is find ways to avoid killing your career before it even starts; and for those set in your job, you can still benefit from these tips.

1.) Speaking of starting off, when you start a new job, usually you are asked to review the employee handbook and learn more about company policies such as attire, computer & email use, lateness, work ethics, division of power and authority, conducts, vacation and sick days, etc. There are some places that will either quiz you within a few days or weeks, there are some that will quiz you randomly and others assume you just know. This book is your bible, please review this book immediately and learn how you can do your job better and align with the mission of the company. If your place of employment does not have an employee handbook, ask the hiring manager everything you need to know about:

• Dress Code
• Computer Use Policy (You don’t want to get caught on Facebook)
• Use of email, phone, fax, Internet (Don’t get caught on Facebook, reading personal emails, or on personal calls
• Compensation
• Benefits
• Organizational Culture (The way the office operates to ensure productivity and efficiency aka the office politics)
• Safety and Security

The reason for studying the employee handbook or asking for this information is to better prepare yourself when you run into a problem and you need to know how (by office law) things are dealt with. Plus, you always want to show how engaged you are with the company and understand how it works.

2.) Now you have read your employee handbook, what’s next? Get to know the people you always need in your corner. In case anything goes wrong and you need someone to vouch for your good work and help keep your job. Don’t piss off the gatekeeper because they hold the keys to the many doors that could be opened for you if you play your cards right.

You are thinking why should you have to stroke someone else's ego even if you don’t like them. Have you noticed the people liked the least are the ones that have the most influence? You are thinking why waste your time on these people but it’s not about wasting time, it’s about keeping your job and enlisting the help of those who can help you keep it. You don’t ever outgrow these people as you move up in the ranks, you just play by their rules but keep your own needs in mind. Unfortunately every work place has those people and those rules.

Your skills, talents and your best experiences will take you far but you have to understand office politics play a big role in your work performance as well so pay close attention.

3.) Though you need to really know the gatekeeper, get to know about all the people at your job and their roles and responsibilities. Knowing the chain of command is crucial because you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes and you really want to ensure the most productivity with working with the right people on special tasks and projects. To get to know people at your job, follow these steps:

• Introduce yourself to all your immediate colleagues and ask if you could setup a time to get to know them better. Either take them to breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a regular meeting. Ask them about what they do, how they do it and how you can make their job easier.
• If this person has an assistant, get to know that assistant and how they operate so in case you ever need something you already know their preferences.
• Volunteer to work on committees such as Human Resources, Office Management, Special Events and Projects, Research, etc. Be an active employee but do not take on too much extra workload.

4.) While you are networking with your new colleagues, do not fall prey to office gossip or drama. You do not want to be sucked into this or known as the office gossip because people will never trust you or try to squeeze information out of you for their own purposes.

• If you have a colleague that comes to you and ask for advice on how to deal with trouble with another coworker, refer them to the handbook on how to best deal with the situation or tell them to just find ways to either confront or avoid the situation on their own because they know what is best for them in the end. Do not get drawn into the he said she said business.
• Do not form cliques or hang out with a certain group of people to much because you do not want a bad reputation; remember that your reputation aka “personal

5.) Besides avoiding drama and gossip, do not try to be standoffish or seen as you don’t want to be bothered. You can be engaged and interested without having to take sides. Neutrality is always great but hard to come by so just try to be as professional as you can be in the workplace.

6.) Being professional means

• Expressing your ideas and opinions with a sense of humility. Do not put others down and always listen to what others have to say. Don’t show anger in person and definitely not in writing.
• Knowing what battles to choose and those to avoid.
• Clean and fresh appearance
• Hardworking attitude
• Being a team player (Don’t be the yes person but show you are down for the cause)
• Showing time management efficiency
• Managing your workflow by priority
• Not upstaging your boss in public
• Not embarrassing your boss in public

7.) Not embarrassing yourself and your boss in public in extremely crucial. Learn more about dinning etiquette on business meetings or about ho to network with clients according to the way your place employment approves.

8.) Last but not least, do not talk about your personal business to every Tom, Dick, and Harry! You can be open about something’s in your life; do not deny or lie about who you are but show some couth. Do not talk about drinking games you played over the weekend or the wildest nightclub experience you had…don’t give people a reason to use things against you in the event something goes wrong.

Sites to visit about personal branding and career management:
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/49-personal-branding-questions-to-ask-yourself/
http://www.mscareergirl.com/2010/03/10/how-to-apply-the-rules-of-dating-to-your-job/
http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/19/news/economy/survival_jobs/index.htm
http://www.noahmasterson.com/2010/02/specialization-is-career-suicide.html

Recommended book: Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets To Success, One Relationship At A Time by Keith Ferrazi.

Breathe life into your career by making the right choices on and off the job. You represent your job everywhere you go but you must also stay true to your brand and ethics as well. Learn how to become a better employee by becoming a better you first! More tips to come in the future.

Desiree Frieson, 24, is the communications manager at Odyssey Networks, a non-profit interfaith media production company in New York City.

Motivational Monday: Look the Part

Work attire is different from those college days of wearing pajama pants and sweats to class or work-study. Though everyone likes to dress comfortable, what you wear to work reflects on your personality. Let’s face it, what people think of us does matter-even if we say it doesn’t. However, there is a way to dress chic-comfy but you must follow your employers’ dress code, as well as industry guidelines.

For example, do you work in advertising, media and/or public relations? Most professionals in these fields dress very trendy and fashionable! Suits are okay but you really want to shop for:

• Funky outfits
• Cute and sexy shoes
• Funky but chic accessories.

Most people who work in advertising or related fields are flashy but classy dressers.

Speaking of classy dressers, accessories are important…especially depending on what field you work in. I don’t care if you are a lawyer, accountant, marketer, clerk, teacher, professor, etc; do not wear clunky or offensive jewelry to work. When I say clunky jewelry, I am talking about Wilma from Flintstones clunky!! Funky accessories are great but be very wise in your choices. Coolcat in Brooklyn, NY has great and inexpensive accessories. Casual accessories are great and you don’t have to wear them but they make outfits stand out.

Employers have problems with “casual Friday” because there are some employees that feel they can wear whatever they want as long as they are hygienically clean. I never wear anything less than jeans, slacks and sometimes a nice dress to work. But from what I’ve seen around me, I would advise others not wear:

• Sweat pants
• Jogging suits
• or clothes that are too little or too tight to work.

Once you do this you ruin it for all. I would suggest:

• Wearing a nice pair of jeans with a cute top with flats or kitten heels.
• Dress down but you can still be cute and casual.
• If you are not sure what constitutes casual, ask your human resources director or your supervisor.
• There may be others that do not follow the dress code but don’t follow in their footsteps.

I would also advise others not to dress casual every Friday; maybe dress up a one or two Fridays a month. Reason being you don’t want to seem too comfortable and you want to show that you are a fantastic employee. Just because the “casual Friday” policy exists doesn’t mean you have to exercise your option to dress down.

The last bit of advice is to be a trendy but thrifty shopper. I am not a fashionista but I know the basics. If you want to learn more about style and fashion, visit http://www.womensmafia.com/. Also, find out more about dress code policies or guidelines in your industry—each employer has a different overview so check with both.

Tell us your thoughts! What are work attire dos and don'ts?




Desiree Frieson, 24, is a marketing and PR manager at Odyssey Networks, an interfaith media production company located in New York City.

Staycation Part 1: Cruising My City

Usually around November and December I take a vacation out of New York City. I love the bright lights, great subway and bus system, food, nightlife and the NYC air. This year I decided not to go away but to do a staycation (stay-at-home vacation). Normally, New Yorkers don’t take advantage of the arts and culture. I am not sure we realize that we don’t have to go very far as we have many theaters, museums, art galleries, malls, outlets, bars, clubs and other special interest places right at our fingertips.

I knew that I wanted to rest and paint the town red. Like so many other working ladies, I don’t get the chance to explore the city and sites. Back in July 2009 I finally received my driver’s license. I don’t own a car, but I have a trusty unlimited Metro Card. Getting around the city via public transportation is great, but I wanted to actually drive myself around and go wherever I wanted.

Shopping was at the very top of my list. I wanted to visit the outlets, drive to Queens to visit my family and cruise the city. On November 14 I rented a car from National Car Rental, and it was a journey getting home. I got lost quite a few times because I thought I could navigate my way through Queens; it took me two hours to get home. The last time I got lost I decided to get off at Northern Boulevard and drive until I saw a sign for Brooklyn. I was not sure I was going to find one but I just continued to drive over 100 blocks to I finally made it to the BQE.

However, I got to see parts of Queens I hadn’t seen in years. I jammed to music, and I felt liberated the whole time. It was awesome. Even when I was sandwiched between two monstrous trucks! I made it home to Brooklyn in one piece. Over the next few days, I went to Queens, Mineola in Long Island (Nassau County), cruised Queens and Brooklyn, drove around with friends and visited more shops.

I never made it to the outlets but I had a great time but just being in the car. The car was my ticket to a great vacation. I didn’t relax much but I had an awesome time just cruising. Stay tuned for Staycation part two and three. Who knows what I will do, but I will take advantage of my city!

Desiree Frieson, 24, is a marketing & pr coordinator at Odyssey Networks, a faith-based non-profit media production organization in New York City.

Photo provided by http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/USA/Cities/index.html.

Work and Life Balance

Work can be a high stress factor in many of our lives and contribute too many forms of mental, physical and emotional illness. It doesn’t help that most of our personal lives are just as stressful. How do we escape from these stressful situations? One can easily say try not to be stressed-out, whether work or life related but it’s never that easy. I am not entirely sure we can truly escape stress but I know first-hand that the best way to deal with stress is find a balance—equal or unequal---or middle ground where you can take the time to relax and pamper yourself.

At work, when we have demanding work schedules and workloads, it’s hard to feed the mind and body. When we leave the workplace, we have other factors that contribute to living the stressful life. The stressful life includes worrying about student loan repayment, rent, car insurance, credit card debt and all the countless bills. I know I spend so much time worrying about the problem that it makes me sick. But I’ve realized that I am not superwoman and cannot do it all. I can only put programs and methods in place to lessen the severity of certain situations.

The most important way to deal with stress is for one to find the core problem(s) that is causing many aches and pain. By assessing the many challenges we face at work and in life, we can find specific ways to deal with our problems and ways to reduce stress. I am not an expert or a doctor but I do know that at times, we need to evaluate what we want out of life and if our place of employment or other personal areas are conducive environments to our health. However, at the end of the day, we need to feed our body and soul. That is key and the main message I can provide to you on your journey.

I don’t have all the answers or ways to ensure the mind and body is properly fed. Everyone’s situation is different and we all find ways that work best for us. But we can learn from the experts at the Mayo Clinic, WebMD and other leading sources for mental health.

Thanks to eHow, here are a few tips to maintain a healthy work life balance

• If you can, leave work at work. After the workday, go home, sit back and relax. Or if you have little ones and partner at home, focus on yourself and your family.
• Use your vacation days before you lose them! If you don’t receive paid vacation, take a short trip or go on a staycation.
• Institute a policy of work-free weekends. If you work weekends, devote time to yourself, family and either relax or have much needed fun. Its okay to have fun once in a while.
• If you belong to a gym or attend an exercise program, devote pockets of time in your schedule to exercise. If you don’t belong to a gym, take walks during breaks, walk longer from the subway or bus on your way to work or house clean.
• Last but not least, sleep! Sleep is very important. Most doctors will say they don’t know why but its very important to our health.

Resources
Mayo Clinic- Adult Health

Web MD- Health & Balance

Desiree Frieson, 24, is a marketing & pr coordinator at Odyssey Networks, a non-profit interfaith media production organization in New York City. She is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women- Manhattan Chapter where she serves as the Chair of Membership and Co-Chair of Fundraising/Public Relations.

Professional Development: Joining Membership Organizations

So you finally got the job or accepted into the academic program of your dreams! It was hard work along the way but you have finally achieved one of your goals. Well, don't think that the hard work is over. You have to show your employers or professors why they chose you to fulfill the mission of the company or education program. After all, they could positively impact your working/academic life.

During your interview or candidacy review, you submitted a plethora of supporting materials that exemplified why you were best for the job. You must show on a continuous basis why you are a fantastic hire/candidate. At work, you could work longer hours, take the initiative where warranted, work efficiently and productively across silos, show mastery in your craft or offer ideas for growth. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as doing all that they ask of you and beyond. In an academic environment, you could express interest in your professors’ work and look for opportunities to work closely with them.


All the aforementioned ideas are great but sometimes you need a little help from outside development groups and/or associations. Professional member organizations are great extra curricular activities because they offer members outlets to:

• Cultivate leadership skills
• Acquire news skills by working on various committees, events and programs
  
• Apply existing and new skills that boost marketability in the workplace
• Build network of mentors and like-minded individuals
• Host workshops demonstrating work in career field
• Conduct seminars with industry professionals
• Unearth job opportunities through selective recruitment processes. Many employers work solely or in conjunction with membership associations and groups.
• Stay abreast of industry breakthroughs, trends and research

There are professional member associations for your career field—for example American Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America, National Association of Black Journalist, etc. Likewise, there are academic groups—for example, National Student Nurses Association, National Association of Student Personnel Administration, Society of Human Resource Management, etc. Speak with your professors, supervisors and colleagues to find out what associations they belong to or groups they feel you should join. Search LinkedIn.com and other online professional networking sites for associations or groups in your field.

I would challenge you to consider how you want to grow as a professional or as an academic student and search for associations or groups that fit your needs and offers you opportunities to develop personally and professionally. Joining associations or groups can be expensive but the benefits outweigh the expense; look at it as an investment in your future. Many join associations because it looks good on a resume-- and it does -- but the real take-away is knowledge, contacts, expanded networks, new skill sets and a healthier outlook on life and the workplace.

Desiree Frieson, 24, a marketing & PR coordinator at Odyssey Networks, is a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, American Marketing Association (AMA) and the New York Chapter of the AMA.

You can read more of Desiree's thoughts on books, movies, television series, social media and much more on her blog Desi's Random Thoughts: "I have a lot of thoughts and ideas fluttering around in my head and this blog serves as my release!"

Confidence in the Real World

For most kids, especially in the developmental years, our parents are our greatest supporters; they tell us to chase after our dreams and become whatever we want to be. They are our greatest confidence boosters. However, once we reach certain academic levels and professional heights, we find ourselves constantly challenging ourselves and our self-worth. Low confidence is a major obstacle we must all overcome at some point in our lives. Boosting confidence is not an easy task, and we all cope with this differently. It’s the results that matters the most—incredible confidence to face challenges and keep rising to new heights.

For me, rising to new heights was getting a great job once I graduated from Wesley College in 2007. It is no secret that most college graduates have a hard time finding jobs in the field in which they received their degree. One reason for this trend is that millions of students graduate every year and compete in the same job market that holds few entry level positions. Only the lucky few are granted their dream jobs, while others have to take smaller irrelevant jobs while they wait for something to open up. I was one of the lucky few to find a job within 5 weeks of graduating (and currently employed with the company) with great pay. However, during those 5 weeks I was a nervous wreck and I started to doubt my talents, skills and worth.

I went on countless interviews and was only called back for a second interview twice. I started to doubt all that I learned in college and lost my confidence. I started to think I would never be good as a Media Arts professional or I would never be able to accomplish success like so many other professionals. Some of the job interviewers told me I was under qualified for the position and I needed more experience and I kept saying to myself, “How am I going to get experience if no one will hire me?” Colleges don’t prepare students for rejection, or the ones that do, aren’t doing such a great job.

Though the colleges didn’t prepare me for failure and rejection, I had a great support system of friends and family that helped me realize it is okay to be rejected and fail sometimes. They taught me to take all the negative energy and turn it into something positive. I understood what they were telling me but I was still jobless. Eventually I was hired by Odyssey Networks and some of my confidence was restored. I got the job as a Marketing & Public Relations assistant at a faith-based non-profit media production company. I became part of a team of seasoned professionals hailing from the broadcast industry. Once I learned about the background of the management team, I was once again intimidated and my confidence took a nosedive. I felt intimidated because I didn’t know at the time if I was capable of living up to their standards. I questioned whether I could perform the work without fail. I also worried if I could keep up with their pace and if they chose the right employee for their team.

Once again my support system saved my confidence by teaching me I can never be anyone else but myself and I can only achieve what I want to and be successful at it. They also taught me that the journey would not be easy but I have to be convinced of my worth. My supporters reinforced the idea that trying to live the life of others would only set me back; I needed to find my own identity and capitalize on that to be just as successful.

Today, I still face many obstacles in making myself a marketable employee and constantly proving I am the right person for the job. I am proud and confident to say I achieved a lot in the last 2 years and those around me see it too. For those people who don’t have a strong support system, it is vital to seek to build one. Be open to sincerely connecting with people not merely for a one-way exchange. You may meet truly amazing people along the way that will support and strengthen you on your journey.

You can read more of Desiree's thoughts on books, movies, television series, social media and much more on her blog Desi's Random Thoughts: http://www.desireefrieson.com/
"I have a lot of thoughts and ideas fluttering around in my head and this blog serves as my release!"