Mistakes. We all make them. At least I do. And everyone I know. And everyone I’ve ever heard of. In any case, some mistakes just don’t need to be made.
I made two mistakes recently that I really, REALLY regret and I am sharing them as a reminder to others not to make this mistake and to myself, not to let this happen again.
The big reveal: I didn’t apply to two jobs.
I have my excuses and my validation for why I didn’t do it (some of which I will share with you), but the reality is that I should have.
I am exhausted from school, tired from trying to avoid tantrums from Aiden, stressed about graduating, focusing on my schoolwork right now, there are always family things, there are always work/school things, blah blah blah, but I COULD have applied. I told myself that part of not applying was that I wanted it too much and couldn’t handle the rejection if it came to that, but the absolute worst thing that could have happened would be if I didn’t get the jobs. I’d be in the same place I am now but without the regret of not trying.
One job was for 20×200, the website that makes art collecting available to and easy for everyone. As they brilliantly put it:
The position was for a social media coordinator and as someone who loves the company, art and spends a good chunk of time with social media daily (and enjoys it), I thought it was a wonderful position for me.
The other job was an internship for Etsy. ETSY!!
I freakin’ adore Etsy. I’m on their website every day looking at the curated collection on their homepage, which is always fantastic. You can find ANYTHING including the things that you can’t live without now that you know they exist (like the robot cufflinks I got Tuvia for Father’s Day). I became paralyzed by the possibility of working for Etsy and didn’t apply. Big time mistake.
I found out because tonight I sat down to finally do it and I saw that both positions were taken.
The good news is:
1- I’m not letting this happen again.
2- I have a better idea of what I want out of a job.
Regarding #2 on that list of 2 things: I love my major at FIT, Visual Arts Management (now called Art History and Museum Professions). I love how business-oriented it is, I love how practical it is, I love the possibilities it prepares you for, and I love art and art history. The downside is that there are so many things we learned about, that it’s hard for me to decide which to pursue. I can work in a museum, a gallery, an auction house, a non profit….or I can go another route and use my other skills and interests, like social media and interior design. Combined with my Associate’s in Advertising and Marketing Communications, I really do have a wide range of jobs I can go for.
What I do know is that I can’t sit at a desk in an office all day unless I’m being creative at that desk. I also know that I am fortunate in the amount of possibilities this major has prepared me for and I am excited for those possibilities.
Recap: made mistake. learning from it. score.
Shoes Off, Please 