I have always been an ambitious employee, taking pride in my efficiency rate, and my expertise to complete any job with much ease, as compared with people of my age. At the age of 22, I started working as a journalist with a reputed company of the USA, and while still many of my friends were busy hunting for jobs, I at least had a secure position to boast of. However, little did I know that my pride or pleasure was not going to last many days. As the economic crisis of 2008 struck the US market, in the month of August, two months before my confirmation, my service was being terminated with the organization I had been working for.
I shall never be able to explain how ashamed, embarrassed and worthless I was feeling that very day. During the first few days, I was less depressed and more shocked that something like this could happen to me, despite all the efforts I put in my job. I kept on trying to understand what might have gone wrong, that led to the termination of my service, while other employees, with average expertise could have been retained by the company. However, soon as days passed I started becoming more pro-active on the online ob searching sites, randomly applying for any and every kind of job. I was wishing that this could also be a nightmare I was having, and yet to my astonishment the nightmare was not getting over. The gruesome reality of an adult person sitting at home, staying with parents and feeding on their money started hurting my self-esteem. I started having mood swings, feeling depressed, as days passed by and not a single company would approach me. I would hear a call and rush to my phone, only to discover that some of my distant relatives, friends or cousins had called me up for a pending job treat. Despite being a confident man, I started losing my confidence, I began feeling worthless. I gave up on my dreams, and to distract myself from all these, I started becoming more active on social media sites. Of course, my parents kept on giving me good advices, but I paid little or no heed to such meaningless talks. Gradually, I got a call from a start-up company, and I went there just to give it a try. I got selected and they offered me too small an amount of money to agree upon. I came back politely rejecting the offer. However, as I stepped inside my home and told my mother, she gave me a piece of advice that I shall never forget in life. “In life, if you want to be big, you have to start from the scratch, work hard, dream big, and say ‘yes’ to any chance. Little chances land you in big destinations”. I still thank my Mom for that precious advice, which compelled me to go to the office, the very next day and join the job.
As I look back now, I realize that in life anyone should be optimistic about every little thing. Success comes to those who work hard, persevere and most importantly who take chances, no matter how little they are. I got the necessary experience of 10 months in that small company, before I got a call from another recognized publishing company. However, that short period of unemployment did teach me the importance of staying grounded and working perseveringly.
References
Hatton, E. (2014). Flawed System/Flawed Self: Job Searching and Unemployed Experiences, by Ofer Sharone.
Lloyd, N., & Leibbrandt, M. (2013). How do the non-searching unemployed feel about their situation? On the definition of unemployment.
