By Diana Cansino |Coyote Contributor|
I thought that I’d have everything together by now, at least the small stuff, like my life. But, alas I don’t. The year after graduation was one of the toughest thus far, and it hasn’t slowed down.
This isn’t your Cinderella story. I didn’t get a glass slipper and I’m far from living in a mansion with Prince Charming. At any rate, I am on my way to fulfilling my dreams and each day I’m getting closer.
I was a naïve graduate. I thought with a bachelor’s degree in communications how could I NOT find a job. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Two weeks after graduation and I still couldn’t find an internship, not even an unpaid one. I was confused; I didn’t know what to do or where to go. I just kept hoping and praying somebody would give me a chance.
Finally, after a month of searching, I got an e-mail from Bryant Fairly with Service Learning and Community Partnerships at CSUSB. He had an internship opportunity for me working at the Humane Society of San Bernardino. It seemed like my luck was starting to change. A couple of months later I found myself interning in downtown Los Angeles.
Then in February of this year, I was accepted into an internship program in Seattle, Wash.
Two weeks after I found out I road tripped from California to Washington. I packed my tiny car with only my essentials; clothes, shoes and of course my Harry Potter collection.
Saying goodbye to my family, and if I remember correctly, one friend, was difficult. I had never been to Washington and I didn’t know a soul. It was intimidating. Not to mention I had lied about my internship and told people it was a job offer.
My internship experience was truly amazing. I was able to really immerse myself in the world of public relations and I found different areas of interest. At the end of the internship my risk paid off and I was offered a position as an Account Coordinator.
It took me a year to find a full-time job. It’s not easy. You have to make sacrifices, but my journey has allowed me to meet so many different people many of which I still keep in touch with. I’ve met CEOs, fellow interns, I’ve worked with senior vice presidents of agencies and each day I learn something new.
I can’t say that I’m not still homesick. Every day I miss California and everyone close to me and because I’m such an introvert I haven’t made friends outside of work just yet. What I can say though, is that I love my job.
I learned that you have to take risks in life if you want to make things happen. You have to believe in yourself and you have to take everything as a learning opportunity and know that it’s okay to make mistakes and it’s okay to try new things it’s how you figure out what you want.