For many college students, the goal is clear: land a job with a reputable, profitable, and diverse company that values work-life balance and harbors a positive work environment. Certainly, this goal is not expected to be achieved without difficulty; but it’s not so far-fetched either. Speaking for myself, finding a corporate job that suited my needs felt a bit like the adventure of finding the perfect partner – hoping, wishing, settling, and of course a touch of rejection. While pursuing my associate’s degree here at HCC, I have been lucky enough to limit my job hopping and to be employed by one small business with job duties that did align with my overall career goals. For me however, employment with a small business left some to be desired. While there are pros and cons to small and large businesses alike, one thing that was looming for me was health insurance. While I had countless benefits through the small business, health insurance was not one of them. As I was no longer able to be covered through my parents’ plan, was not yet married and covered under my partner, and did not have an employer plan offered to me, I fell within the 8.5 % of Americans who went without coverage for 2018. So, the hunt was on.

Scouring as many resources as I could for employment between taking classes and

remaining employed full time was not an easy feat. But through use of a ton of fantastic resources I managed to be invited to a handful of promising interviews with one particular follow up leading to a job offer that was just what I was looking for! Casting a wide net and using Indeed, Zip Recruiter, John’s Hopkins University’s online job board, MedStar Health’s online job board, and of course the HCC Job Connection site allowed me to see what was out there and maximize my efforts in applying to multiple positions per week. My inbox felt like Christmas morning each day with new leads piling in. I strongly suggest reaching out to the Counseling, Career Services, and Job Assistance if you are in the throes of a job search- asking for help can go a long way!

It can be tough to leave the familiar, or even to try something new when you doubt your ability or skill level. Lucky for offers the tools needed to elevate yourself in the job pool- making that dream job all the more in reach! If I hadn’t buckled down and faced my job search head on, I may still be without health insurance. Not only that, but because of my decision to push myself to grow I am now learning more desirable skills, networking with all new colleagues, and most importantly I am never going to be afraid to embark in the interview process again. Although I did lean heavily on the advice I received, all in all my success in the interview process can be accredited to being confident and being myself (something that you can’t quite learn from a YouTube video). No matter your situation, if you have a desire for more, and you’re not afraid to ask for help I bet that you can get there from here.