I have no idea what I'm doing with life.

"Nibby" (nibby68) 03/12/2018 at 21:00 • Filed to: None

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27 years old, work at a meh sports related job that I know I am overqualified for. I still live at home (though I can afford to live elsewhere; I just like building savings and my commute is 15 minutes... and for the most part can tolerate my family).

Those who’ve seen me shitposting for years here know I can do video editing, Unity 3D and some web stuff but the thing is I am not an expert in any of those things. I’ve applied to hundreds of graphic design, sports + video editing, art related jobs over the years and around the US and Canada. Have gotten a few in person interviews. But every time I feel like they either already have someone in mind and are just doing it for courtesy or it’s not what the job description turned out to be. Either way, they were good practice.

I have most of my work (videos, animations, prints, paintings, sculptures, games, digital experiences) on my website (which I won’t share here cause it has my real name). Redone my resume several times and had it critiqued by several designers.

My current job, no one would help me and I don’t think I’ll get promoted. It’s cliquey and they only seem to promote people the management grew up with. Plenty of nepotism. They value old relationships ahead of honest, hard working people. I’ve brought it up before and only gotten generic answers like “Things here work organically so just sit tight.”

I think though my biggest problem is I don’t know people professionally.I have hundreds of people on LinkedIn but never really am sure how to approach them.

Nibbles > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:06

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You just need to become internet famous and make that fat fat youtube skrilla.

E90M3 > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:12

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I think though my biggest problem is I don’t know people professionally.I have hundreds of people on LinkedIn but never really am sure how to approach them.

Change your linkedin status to open to recruiters. I got like 4 calls the week after I did that. You can also see jobs people posted and apply through that.

EL_ULY > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:15

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Juat like everyone I’ve ever known in that exact situation including yours truly on a couple occasions, things have a way of working not too long after you express these exact thoughts

Nibby > E90M3 03/12/2018 at 21:16

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Doing that right now. Thanks a lot!

TheHondaBro > Nibbles 03/12/2018 at 21:18

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Nibus Tech Tips!

Enginerrrrrrrrr > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:26

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I’m in a very similar spot, it’s a bit scary how similar except for job description. My work is quite terrible at the whole business thing, luckily the people that actually do the grunt work know what they’re doing.

Best of luck. Just gotta keep putting yourself out there. I assume you have a degree? Check if your school has any networking events if you need help finding other professionals. It really does seem like you need to know someone these days...

Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:29

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Well it’s good that you’re working, building a resume, saving money, building interviewing skills, etc. That’s all important and you should feel good about that.

My experience, in case you find it helpful:

The idea of approaching people for “networking” purposes makes me so uncomfortable. I’m so bad at it. Same with interviewing. I’ve just never had that kind of confidence. But given the chance to do the actual work, I know I can prove myself.

I’m a couple years older than you and from the same area (LGR!). A few years ago I made the move to San Diego without a job and it wasn’t the formal “Networking™” that got me a job, it was other ancillary activities. Ended up meeting someone who referred me to an internship opportunity that then turned into the exact job I wanted (in-house legal at a public company).

My advice is to get involved in activities outside of work where you can spend time with professionals in your field outside of the formal “Work” or “Networking” situations. Things like getting involved at a nonprofit/charity or joining a professional-skills-related group like toastmasters. This gives you a way to interact with people and build relationships more organically. That’s what I’ve found most helpful.

Let me know if you’re thinking about Southern California, or if there’s anything I can do to help at all.

E90M3 > Enginerrrrrrrrr 03/12/2018 at 21:32

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It really does seem like you need to know someone these days...

That’s how I got my current job. I did nail the interview, I’ve gotten several interviews because of friend where I haven’t gotten the job. That said, I had several offers to go back to the oilfield because of what I know.

TheHondaBro > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:38

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Not to worry, brozer, the Caliphate will be restored.

Nibby > Enginerrrrrrrrr 03/12/2018 at 21:38

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yeah, masters too

i’ve kept in touch with some professors but they’re not as helpful as i would’ve hoped

Enginerrrrrrrrr > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:42

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Same here. My thesis advisor got me an interview at Lockheed finally, but of course it didn’t come through.

Check out your alumni societies (assuming you did two different schools). I know mine set up local networking events. I haven’t done it myself, but I’m pretty darn close to forcing myself into it.

Whatever changes the same old search-and-apply strategy that’s obviously not working.

Nibby > Enginerrrrrrrrr 03/12/2018 at 21:46

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yeah and another thing also is i’ve been going through a bit of a hard time with people in general... not necessarily depression or anything but just find it hard to get motivated. been doing better though than a month ago or so

Enginerrrrrrrrr > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 21:52

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It really sucks especially if you’ve been battling the same crap for a while. It’s alright if you’ve been a little depressed, shit I know I have. Just gotta take the positives when they come. I’m not sure how your social circles are, but for me having my wife around has been the biggest bonus. She’s almost too positive haha. Pretty sure I would’ve fallen into a major slump otherwise. Just try and find your positives and focus on them. I went to having at least one good day at work a week, which is a massive plus lol. Helps me focus on the future and making positive changes.

Nibby > Enginerrrrrrrrr 03/12/2018 at 22:01

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ye unfortunately work people like i alluded to are very highs chool ish so it doesn’t help much

but i do try to make it a more positive place for everyone. someone did catch on though, told me he noticed i’ve been distant recently

benjrblant > Nibby 03/12/2018 at 22:12

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As someone with a creative/design background that spent a TON of time searching for a job, there’s a few things I’d tell the me from a couple of years ago.

In a creative field, it’s so important to keep working on something. Design and creative fields are always changing, especially digital media. Blink an eye and the whole web has been rewritten. Keep a project going. Personal, professional, ask a friend what they’re doing and make your own, find something on behance and remix it, etc. It shows you’re focused, interested, and still fresh in the industry. A stale and dated portfolio is a sure way to kill an interview. “Oh, I did that once in college ten years ago!” Oh yeah? With a slide rule? Womp womp. Vs.“Oh, I was just working on something comparable last month, here it is- take a look.”

Let everyone in your circle know you’re looking. So many potential connections through friends or friends of friends or they might be able to pass along your resume & portfolio to someone who is looking for help. Leave no stone unturned. It’s a little old school but I went so far as to start passing out business cards every opportunity I could. It’s a stretch but could help.

After a few interviews that I felt were close calls, I finally started asking why I didn’t get the job. “How can I make myself more competitive? How can I refine my skills to be more appealing or useful to (company)?” Most of the time my email went unanswered and this is the result you should expect. On a few occasions I’d get some helpful news about how I appeared to recruiters and it was usually along the lines of lacking experience- not the easiest problem to remedy but it was some semblance of confirmation that my marketing and presentation were decent.

Job hunting sucks. It’s a miserable and unrefined process with a terrible or non-existent feedback loop. I often felt I was sending emails and forms into virtual black holes and it could’ve very well been the case. I kept an application log too:

company, position, date applied, if I’d received an email read reciept, if they replied, if I had an interview, my point of contact, and a link to the application so I could review it and keep track. When new leads dried up I could reply and keep in touch with past contacts and positions.

I finally go so fed up with the process and tired of dressing up for interviews that I sort of stopped caring as much. I stopped wearing a tie, stopped printing a new cover letter, stopped getting bent out of shape about questions and my replies. I started keeping a briefcase-style bag of resumes and a notebook that I’d bring to interviews. I started giving honest-to-god no bullshit answers to questions, stopped being afraid to say no, and started being upfront. This probably netted me the most benefit as recruiters bent on getting perfect answers and checking all the boxes went away and stopped caring- fine as that’s not an environment where I could work and grow. Some of my best and most confident interviews and discussions were had in my no-BS phase of interviews. YMMV.

So it’s a bit longform and maybe longwinded but I hope it helps. There’s a lot of shit to trudge through but you’ve gotta keep focused and stay trudging. There’s a lit pixel at the end of your tunnel if you can duke it out.

Nibby > benjrblant 03/12/2018 at 22:30

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Thanks a lot for taking the time to write about your experiences. May I ask what’re you doing right now?

Generally keeping myself busy or making new material hasn’t been an issue. Moreso finding the motivation to get out of my comfort zone and do something I haven’t tried makes me uneasy, which is odd cause I used to embrace such things not too long ago. I don’t believe in BS-ing in interviews anyways and I strive to be upfront and honest with people in general (except really here I shitpost a lot )

benjrblant > Nibby 03/13/2018 at 00:50

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I have a degree in architecture from an art and design college. I’m currently doing CAD and engineering at a company that designs and builds a lot of temporary structures- mostly tradeshow and auto show booths. It’s a combination of industries and practices and I learned something at each of my many previous (and crappy) jobs that has contributed to where I am now.

Stepping outside the comfort zone is always a challenge. Just remember that if you’re feeling stagnant and held back at present it might be because what your comfort zone provides has been temporarily exhausted. Expanding that horizon will also expand what your sphere of comfort has to offer.

I think human nature is to stay in a decreasing comfort zone as we age. Burns from bad experiences and individuals along with familiarity and specializations can narrow our perspective. It’s good to step back and keep it open every so often

Nibby > Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop 03/13/2018 at 08:52

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Thanks a ton! I’ll keep you in mind. 

Nibby > benjrblant 03/13/2018 at 08:57

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human nature is making me not want to respond it makes me uncomfortable

but in all seriousness, yeah, I think I should research people who I find inspiring and reach out to them

Nibby > EL_ULY 03/14/2018 at 10:07

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I hope so, brother! Thanks

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Nibby 03/15/2018 at 14:46

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Probably I’m painfully new (only been here lurking for a year and just started authorship last October) or I’m a dumbass (it’s probably both), but I’ve never seen this side of Nibby. Ever. Well, since I don’t know much about anything, all I can say is good luck with getting things the way you want them to.

Nibby > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute 03/15/2018 at 17:06

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Thanks kid. Everyone has their ups and downs, part of life. You just gotta plow through it