PLEASE NOTE: For security purposes, I do not mention the company’s name or position title that I am applying for.  

PART 1. Applying for a New Job 

For those who do not know, when I am not working with clients at The Career Advising Hub, I am a College Advisor at a public high school in NYC , as part of the College Advising Corps program. The program has a 3-year commitment where College Advisors are placed in a high school to help build and maintain a college-going culture. This is my last year in the program, which means I have to find a new job for the 2020-2021 academic school year. Since job security is important to me, I started my job search in September to ensure I do not miss out on my next opportunity. Every week, I casually scroll through the list of jobs to see what the job market looks like for college advisors. Then one day, I found my dream job on LinkedIn: managing a college counseling program at a high school. I was filled with excitement as I skimmed… I mean read the job description. With each bullet point, the voice in my head shouted: this is for me! 

Then self-doubt poked its ugly head: “Could I really be a manager? Am I even an authority figure? What if I can’t lead? What if the college program fails because of me? What if… I am not good enough?” My self-doubt had won. I no longer wanted to apply in fear that I wasn’t good enough.

A week had past, and I kept thinking about the position. I honestly felt that there was no point in applying because they wouldn’t hire me. Then the Advisor in me kicked in: “Are you going to let go of this opportunity because you’re scared? What’s the worst that can happen if you apply,” I thought to myself?

The only answer I could think of was: they say “NO.” That’s it. I wouldn’t lose my most valuable possession. I wouldn’t lose my credibility. I wouldn’t lose anything by simply applying. I also had to remind myself that my fear of rejection is a normal part of the entire job process, and I shouldn’t shy away from it. A harmless “no, we cannot offer you a position” is not the end of the world. Instead, it is an opportunity to find an even better position that can fulfill my needs as an employee. 

So, I finally decided to face my fear and apply. I edited my resume, wrote a cover letter that they never asked for, and spent a week perfecting my answers to the mandatory 4-page questionnaire. 

I finally submitted my application on November 1st and received their automated response indicating that they have received my application and will get back to me shortly.

Stay tuned as the journey isn’t over. I will keep you posted once I hear back!