Job Alert!

As I've been hinting at for the past few days, I have something somewhat like a job now. How did I get it? Stroke of luck, actually.

I'd applied for an unpaid internship on a whim back in August. It was a slow day for job searching, and one of my friends had told me that she was working a post-graduate internship at a local media company. I remembered the name; so I visited its website to peruse its 'careers' page. Around the time I forgot that I'd even sent a resume, I got a call asking if I wanted to interview for the position. *Not so long story even shorter: they liked my M.O. so much that instead of giving me the standard, "Don't call us; we'll call you," they offered me an open entry-level gig. SCORE!

So, what have I learned from this?

1. It's never a bad idea to apply for a position that you're interested in and qualified for, even if circumstances surrounding it (i.e. unpaid, no benefits, temporary) seem unfavorable. At the very least, you can closely examine the company and land a spot on the HR department's radar for other positions that sound better.
2. Show up to show out - no matter what. When I went into the interview for the original internship position I acted just as I would've if I'd been meeting to discuss an executive post (well...maybe not exactly - I'd have more experience - but you get the picture). Remember: you're selling your(best)self first and foremost; you're a quality product. You're not selling a sub par version based on how someone else may value you in a certain position.
3. Know your worth and options. Before I accepted the job - which is full-time freelance at this point (Translation: I'm still in play; holla' at me if you're an HR manager w/a full-time w/benefits job to offer :o ) - I took two days to weigh the pros and cons. During that interval, I checked my job prospects Excel sheet to make sure I didn't have any positions in serious play. I also looked on here to figure out a fair pay rate for my skills and experience. By doing this, I was better prepared to seize the opportunity with a clear conscience - confident that I was making the best decision/deal for myself. After all, at the end of the day, you owe it to yourself to be your own best agent/manager that you can be.

And with that, I'm out! Look forward to more posts about my new gig (I've already got stories ;o )