Today, I got a job. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely terrified. Because I am. Slightly less terrified than I was when I started my thesis, but only slightly. This job isn't in my field. Granted, it's kind of tangentially related to my field, but this job is in marketing. You know how much formal education I have in business? Exactly none. Now yes, the people who hired me know exactly how much training I have in business, and marketing. And they still hired me. And I was far from their only choice. So maybe they see something I don't? Here's hoping.
When I applied for the job, I emailed the owner saying that I have no experience in business or marketing, but I have spent the last 10 years in academia, studying and teaching social history. I told him that, as a social historian, I look at people groups and social movements. Basically, social history is sociology, in a historical context. I've been tearing apart marketing campaigns since my last semester in undergrad, when I was taking American Women's History, and noticed that (at least at that time), P&G had exactly zero commercials showing a man using a Swiffer. Not only was that sexist, it was bad marketing. Even though our society is more egalitarian now than ever before, we do still have certain ideas about gender roles when it comes to keeping the home. We also expect that a single guy's home will be dirtier than a single female's home. In general, women still do more of the housekeeping than the men do. So if a woman sees a man using a good cleaning product, like a Swiffer, she'll still take note and go buy it. But in general, if a man sees a woman using a cleaning product, he'll tune it out as a women's product. As a result, P&G was likely missing out on some sales, because of their marketing. Basically, in order to be successful in marketing, the people behind the marketing campaign need to understand the target demographic, and how they tick. They also then have to explain to the target demographic why they need this particular product or service. Understanding different people groups and how they tick, goes a long way towards creating a successful marketing campaign. Marketing is actually much the same thing as social history, just on a different track.
Another terrifying part of this, is the fact that the job is with a local dry cleaning chain. You know how much I know about dry cleaning? Almost nothing. Rounding down to "nothing," would be more accurate than rounding up to "almost something." And yet again, the people who hired me, know this.
This is where I really have to channel my inner Dauntless. I have to live up to my own nature. I have always been naturally brave. It took me until I was 30 years old to realize it, but I have always overcome things I "shouldn't" have. I have always pushed on. Even when I felt like I couldn't. Even when I didn't want to. Even when I didn't know how. Because that's what I do. I take what comes, and I go with it. Sometimes that's far more painful than others, but it's what I do. I had no idea how I would finish my Bachelor's degree, but I did. Yeah, the last semester I had more C's than anything, but hey. I graduated. And with a decent GPA. I didn't know how I would ever write a Master's thesis. But I did. And a damn good one. Mostly in about 7 weeks. I didn't know how I would survive the last several months, but I did. I might not be happy yet (and I may have very nearly died on the move here), but I'm definitely better than I have been. I'm still more surviving than thriving, but as I establish myself here, I'll get better. Getting a job- even one that terrifies me- is part of that.
I don't know how I'm going to do this job. I'm afraid I'm going to fall flat on my face. But I have to remind myself that I have not misrepresented myself, my abilities, or my background. The people who hired me know exactly where I've come from. They know exactly what my knowledge and experience is. And they're looking for someone to mentor. They're not expecting me to come right in and immediately perform like someone with an MBA and 10 years of marketing experience. They know I'm going to be doing a lot of on-the-job learning. And, if worst comes to worst, at least it's another thing on my resume, and a paycheck for a while. But hey, maybe I'll find that I'm really good at this, and I really like it. Maybe I'll find that I really like the people I work with. Maybe I'll find this is a great fit. Maybe it'll be great experience and will lead to something better. But I'm going to have to be truly Dauntless here. Get in there, learn, and see what I can do.
This is where I really want to cower in a corner and cry, "But what if I fail?" And I hear Taylor's question again in response, "But what if you don't?"
When I applied for the job, I emailed the owner saying that I have no experience in business or marketing, but I have spent the last 10 years in academia, studying and teaching social history. I told him that, as a social historian, I look at people groups and social movements. Basically, social history is sociology, in a historical context. I've been tearing apart marketing campaigns since my last semester in undergrad, when I was taking American Women's History, and noticed that (at least at that time), P&G had exactly zero commercials showing a man using a Swiffer. Not only was that sexist, it was bad marketing. Even though our society is more egalitarian now than ever before, we do still have certain ideas about gender roles when it comes to keeping the home. We also expect that a single guy's home will be dirtier than a single female's home. In general, women still do more of the housekeeping than the men do. So if a woman sees a man using a good cleaning product, like a Swiffer, she'll still take note and go buy it. But in general, if a man sees a woman using a cleaning product, he'll tune it out as a women's product. As a result, P&G was likely missing out on some sales, because of their marketing. Basically, in order to be successful in marketing, the people behind the marketing campaign need to understand the target demographic, and how they tick. They also then have to explain to the target demographic why they need this particular product or service. Understanding different people groups and how they tick, goes a long way towards creating a successful marketing campaign. Marketing is actually much the same thing as social history, just on a different track.
Another terrifying part of this, is the fact that the job is with a local dry cleaning chain. You know how much I know about dry cleaning? Almost nothing. Rounding down to "nothing," would be more accurate than rounding up to "almost something." And yet again, the people who hired me, know this.
This is where I really have to channel my inner Dauntless. I have to live up to my own nature. I have always been naturally brave. It took me until I was 30 years old to realize it, but I have always overcome things I "shouldn't" have. I have always pushed on. Even when I felt like I couldn't. Even when I didn't want to. Even when I didn't know how. Because that's what I do. I take what comes, and I go with it. Sometimes that's far more painful than others, but it's what I do. I had no idea how I would finish my Bachelor's degree, but I did. Yeah, the last semester I had more C's than anything, but hey. I graduated. And with a decent GPA. I didn't know how I would ever write a Master's thesis. But I did. And a damn good one. Mostly in about 7 weeks. I didn't know how I would survive the last several months, but I did. I might not be happy yet (and I may have very nearly died on the move here), but I'm definitely better than I have been. I'm still more surviving than thriving, but as I establish myself here, I'll get better. Getting a job- even one that terrifies me- is part of that.
I don't know how I'm going to do this job. I'm afraid I'm going to fall flat on my face. But I have to remind myself that I have not misrepresented myself, my abilities, or my background. The people who hired me know exactly where I've come from. They know exactly what my knowledge and experience is. And they're looking for someone to mentor. They're not expecting me to come right in and immediately perform like someone with an MBA and 10 years of marketing experience. They know I'm going to be doing a lot of on-the-job learning. And, if worst comes to worst, at least it's another thing on my resume, and a paycheck for a while. But hey, maybe I'll find that I'm really good at this, and I really like it. Maybe I'll find that I really like the people I work with. Maybe I'll find this is a great fit. Maybe it'll be great experience and will lead to something better. But I'm going to have to be truly Dauntless here. Get in there, learn, and see what I can do.
This is where I really want to cower in a corner and cry, "But what if I fail?" And I hear Taylor's question again in response, "But what if you don't?"
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