How This Woman Reminds Us Why It’s Important to Celebrate Our Wins
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Originally posted on TheLifeCurrency.com
Do you remember how you felt when you received your first job offer from a company you’ve been wanting to work for? Some of us celebrate with dinner and others might enjoy a nice glass of brew. Despite how we decide to treat ourselves, no job celebration can top what Benita Abraham did for herself when she was offered her dream job in health administration.
The Southern California native decided to celebrate her new job offer with an announcement photo shoot that eventually went viral. Her Facebook photo album titled #Employed features 17 love moments with her and her offer letter. She and her friends staged the shoot using an iPhone, the beach, and other fun props.
The 37-year-old’s enthusiasm for her new job is exciting to see because many times we don’t celebrate our wins the way we should especially when it comes to career milestones. You put in the hours to study the company’s portfolio, to familiarize yourself with current employees via LinkedIn, and practice interviewing to prepare for the moment you come face to face with the hiring manager. Despite the job market, you stayed optimistic and put in the work, so seeing an offer letter in your inbox makes it rewarding.
The Job Market is Still a Tough Place to Enter
In 2015 only 14% of that year’s college graduates had steady career jobs. That means 5 out of 6 college graduates, 86% of the class of 2015 had zero job prospects when they received their degrees, according to AfterCollege.com. The job market is a tough place to enter and the job search process in 2015 took an average 43 days. Depending on the industry and the economy it takes some people several months and even years to break into their respective fields. According to Glassdoor.com research, the job interview process alone takes an average 23 days. Just like you, Benita applied to countless jobs in her 7-month job search, 200-300 jobs to be exact. Therefore, finding ways to standout among the thousands of applicants to get an interview and then to be offered the position is a feat on its own.
Weddings & Babies Aren’t the Only Things Worthy of Praise
The older we get the more our social media timelines begin to change and be filled with new engagement and pregnancy announcements. Countless photo updates of newborns and wedding planning seem to take precedence over anything else. “I’m not making a stance on marriage or children or anything like that, but there are other celebrations like academic celebrations, and career or even finding your faith, whatever it might be, taking a trip. There’s enough bad things in this world, and I think the good should be celebrated way more,” Benita told Forbes. At times it may seem like career and education milestones may be deemed unimportant as everyone shifts their interest to wedding dresses and onesies, but all milestones are worthy of an applause. Benita’s took the very thing that fills up her timeline and made it about her job announcement. She documented her journey as a love affair with romantic beach scenes and chalkboard calligraphy. She replaced the would-be fiance in her pictures with her framed offer letter.
Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy
It takes some recent grads a few months or even a year or more to enter the industry in which they received their degrees. Setbacks come, but you always have to be ready for when the opportunity comes. Benita isn’t a recent grad, but it did take her seven gruesome months to secure her dream job. Those seven months probably included countless emails, resume revisions, job board applications, phone interviews, informational meetings, networking events and coffee dates. You know the drill. “After eight years at the same company I just kind of took a little bit of a break. I went and traveled and visited my family in India, and after I got back, I really didn’t start the job hunt until February,” she told Forbes. No matter what stage in life, the job market impacts us all, so getting the job after putting in the work makes the offer so much sweeter.
Jobs may come and go, but having the opportunity to get paid to do what you love is priceless, especially when you know how much time and effort it took to get it. Stop and smell the flowers while you have them and celebrate your achievements.
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