The Recession is Bullhonkey Kates Story

The Recession is Bullhonkey Kates Story good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up by BitsoTruth This is part of  The Recession is Bullhonkey  series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. This is Kates  Story, where she talks about her crazy career transition and how she secured the job of her dreams not once, but twice!   I’m glad I started architecture school in 2007, before the economy tanked,  because frankly, I don’t know if I would have had the guts to do it otherwise. I  was already traveling down a stable, well-worn career path in accounting. Four  years of hard work, licensing exams, and promotions were behind me; I’d be  crazy to throw that away, right? Many people used the word “crazy” to describe my career change, but to me  it felt the exact opposite. I had always wanted to be an architect and to never  even pursue that passion would be the craziest of all. How I got so sidetracked  into preparing tax returns instead of designing buildings is a whole other story.  The point is that I made my decision to quit my job to attend architecture school  amidst lots of questions about my sanity. If I there had been an added layer  of uncertainty due to a recession, maybe I wouldn’t have done it. I can only be  grateful for this timing that was beyond my control. My good timing continued as I finished grad school in 2010, in the midst of a  recession and two year free-fall in the architecture industry. I hear you calling  me crazy again, but I truly believe that it forced to learn skills and lessons that  I would have never signed up for voluntarily. As I moved myself back into my  parents’ house, I was definitely not feeling the “good timing” vibe. Over one third  of designer positions had been eliminated nationwide, which meant that any job  application I sent would be joined by hundreds of others, from people who were  most likely more experienced than I. Why would any one choose me? How  could I possibly compete? Why even bother trying? Why didn’t I just return to  accounting? All of these were questions posed to me by others and by my own  brain, as I lay awake at night. I started my job search with stubbornness and sheer determination that I would  make it work out. I researched countless firms and created a color-coded  spreadsheet to track those to which I applied. No one was posting job openings,  but I sent emails to whatever address I could find on their websites. I got a lot  of computer-generated and anonymous “No, sorry.” email responses, and a lot  of no responses at all. I was sad and cried to my ever-patient boyfriend. I was  angry and snapped at my ever-helpful parents and friends. I mention my initial  reactions mostly to point out that I didn’t get it right the first time, which seems to  be a pattern for me, but I’m hoping my hindsight can help you get it right faster. So here are some things that helped me eventually get hired: I found a routine that worked for me and then stuck to it. Three was the magic  number of hours that I could work on my cover letters, resume or portfolio in a  row without a long break. After that, I’d take breaks for exercise, food or let’s be  honest, mostly naps. Some times I had to schedule something, like a phone call  with a friend, just to make sure I stepped away from the laptop. I said yes to every networking event, industry happy hour, lecture etc. As an  introvert, this was not my cup of tea. But I made a conscious decision that every  time a person said, “Hey, I know an architect, do you want to talk to her/him?” I  would say, “Yes!” Some of the events seemed fruitless, but there were a handful  that were extremely inspiring, with people who were very encouraging. I was  terrible at predicting which event would be one way or the other, so my strategy  of saying yes to everything was all I had. Soon I began to see the same helpful  faces at the events, and although they still weren’t hiring, I learned nuances  about the firms that couldn’t be picked up from their websites. I wrote down a list of positive things I did have, to counteract my hyper-focus  on what I was lacking, a job. I was grateful for a free place to stay and home-cooked food. The suburbs provided lots of greenery, running trails, and peace  and quiet. I had the freedom to do things on my time, like take that 10am  kickboxing class that wouldn’t be possible on an average workday in an office. I also kept two lists of advice: one to which I choose to listen from all of the  supportive people and one that I choose to reject from all of the pessimistic  people. I recommend writing it all down, reading the first one often and tucking  the other one respectfully away. Although constant forward motion, even on the days I didn’t feel like it, seemed  to be most helpful, sometimes the best thing was just be still. There were some  days I allowed myself to be fed up and do nothing. Job searching had become  my full-time job, and mental health days are important for everyone who is  working whether they are getting paid or not. Six months after moving home, which in unemployment time feels like six years,  I received a job offer! It was the result of one of the informational interviews  I had done three months earlier. The architect had no work at the time I first  contacted him, but he remembered and pulled my resume back out when work began to pick up. The job was actually a hybrid of architecture and accounting  work. It worked out great for a few months, but slowly the architecture jobs came to a halt. The accounting work was still there, while there are always  bank statements to be reconciled and bills to be paid. I began to hear the  phrase, “You should be happy you have a job. So many people don’t.” But I had  come way too far to settle now. I started reaching out to contacts I had made during my months at home, and  found a temporary position at a larger architecture firm. Again they had received  my resume months ago, and noted in my interview that they were impressed I  had stayed involved in the design community, even while no one was hiring. I  was given no guarantee that I would become permanent, while the industry was  still holding its breath waiting for projects to be built. In the past, the idea of giving up a stable job with benefits during a recession in  pursuit of a temporary hourly position would have given me pause. Luckily I felt  confident that I could use some of the same tactics I used while job searching to  pursue the full-time position I desired. I kept moving forward and tried to think  positively about what I did have- this time the list included a job! I talked to as  many people as possible, not just the ones I worked with every day. I joined the  firm’s softball team and volunteered for pro-bono projects. After four months, I was offered a full-time position with the firm. Friends and  family’s reactions included, “You made it!” and “Finally, you can relax!” While  I am very happy to be a permanent employee, I also know there’s no such  thing, and am realistic that I could be in a similar position again where I need to  remember the lessons I learned. Better than a job, I’ve gained the knowledge  that I would be okay if I suddenly didn’t have one again. I would figure it out.  I wouldn’t settle, but I would find a way to stay afloat until I found another  opportunity. Any timing, good or seemingly bad, that has brought me that  confidence is worth it. Kate is a designer at an architecture firm, resident of Philadelphia, and sporadic  tweeter .