In reality? You go and you wait in line, maybe for an hour. Then you wait another hour or two while the producers interview the audience. The producers then place you in seats where you continue to wait until the show starts. It was fun! But during the interview process, I learned that my costume had a copyright, so I was disqualified from competing.<\/p>\n
I was disappointed, but I was not deterred.<\/p>\n
Months down the line, I joined a group of colleagues who were going to the same game show as seat fillers, to fund raise for upcoming student staff trainings. Determined to be selected this time, I made costumes from scratch. Using cardboard, colorful paper, and paint, I created themed costumes for three of us. We were breakfast favorites: Bacon, Eggs, and Toast. I was so excited \u2013 certain we would be chosen. But the other folks in my breakfast trio weren\u2019t nearly as excited. They just wanted it to be over. Needless to say, even with our fun costumes, we didn\u2019t catch the attention of the producers.<\/p>\n
Flash forward a month. In another attempt to fund raise for student staff trainings, I went to the same game show with 40 of my enthusiastic student staff members.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/cesblogs\/files\/2020\/07\/Rebecca-game-show-student-team.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Before going, I prepared for the interview and chatted with previous contestants to learn their game show secrets. Their suggestions: Pick an engaging costume! Show off your energy and enthusiasm! Have fun! And most importantly, chat with the producers!<\/p>\n
Based on the advice I received, I chatted with producers while waiting in line and added my own flare by dressing as a pink cupcake. Lo and behold, I was selected to be a contestant\u2026 and won!<\/strong><\/p>\n My first time through, I\u2019d expected to be randomly selected and then (of course) win. In actuality, the steps looked more like: 1) Watch and know the show. 2) Reserve tickets\/print in advance. 3) Read the fine print about participation. 4) Arrive on time and bring ID. 5) Exude your highest level of energy. 6) Charm everyone you meet. 7) Have fun. 8) Be chosen by producers to compete. And 9) Win!<\/p>\n In hindsight, becoming a game show contestant was a lot like going through a job search.<\/p>\n My assumption was that, to get to job: You write a resume and cover letter, then you send them to an employer. You have an interview where they agree that you are amazing. And bam!<\/strong> you have a job. But that isn’t how things went\u2026<\/p>\n I completed my graduate degree in 2010, when the recession was still hitting hard. I applied to so<\/em> many positions, both in my field and beyond. For the majority, I never heard back. Or I received a \u201cthank you for your application, but we are pursuing other candidates at this time\u201d message.<\/p>\n It was hard to receive and harder to stomach. I internalized much of it, thinking that maybe my experiences weren\u2019t as valuable as others\u2019 were. I doubted that I was ever going to get a job in which I felt challenged.<\/p>\n What I didn\u2019t know at the time, was what it actually took<\/em><\/strong> to get a job.<\/p>\n I thought the steps of getting a job included: 1) Apply. 2) Interview. 3) Be hired. And I was consistently disappointed. What I learned through trial and error, through mentors, and through experience, was that those three steps were just the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n There are actually several steps: 1) Research the job market. 2) Determine the jobs\/employers that you’d like to work for. 3) Meet professionals from that field and\/or organization. 4) Build your professional image and reach out to your network. 5) Learn about open positions from connections in your professional network. 6) Submit a job application along with polished materials and documents. 7) Inform your connection at the organization that you applied for the job. 8) Interview and articulate the value of your experiences. 9) Thank your interviewers. (Repeat 1-9 until\u2026) 10) Receive an offer. 11) Evaluate the offer. (Still want the job?) 12) Negotiate. 13) Accept the offer.<\/p>\n Things really changed in my job search when I reached out for help. I contacted my mentor who encouraged me to apply for a role at their university in Los Angeles. I\u2019d never considered moving across the county to Southern California \u2013 I felt nervous but I remained open to the idea. I took advice on what to highlight in my application materials. When I was invited to interview, I prepped fully for both the phone and in-person interview. When they extended an offer, I reviewed it, negotiated reimbursement of some moving costs, and then accepted the offer.<\/p>\n What these two experiences have in common is that they are both rooted in self-awareness, networking, relationship building, and preparation. College, especially a liberal arts college like Puget Sound, provides opportunities to perfect these skills. Sometimes you just need another person\u2019s perspective to help you re-frame and re-strategize in order to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/cesblogs\/files\/2020\/07\/Rebecca-on-game-show-1.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/cesblogs\/files\/2020\/07\/Rebecca-game-show-costume.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/cesblogs\/files\/2020\/07\/Rebecca-on-game-show-2.png\")
<\/p>\n