As reality hits, little to none of our dreams make the cut. We have to make decisions which would make our 17 years-old self-weeping, “Would we spend the rest of your life doing this?”
We’ve read a couple career interviews from the hottest people out there and compiled the best quotes, stories, and bits of advice. Read along, girl. This might change the way you think.
My studies weren’t relevant to the career I want. Can I still proceed?
You can’t avoid classes if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer. If you want to build your own business empire, be a designer or work in fashion, Marc Jacobs has the answer: “There are plenty of designers with no fashion background, but it (the background) probably helps you get your foot in the door at certain places.” When he worked under Charivari, one of the owners noticed his oversized sweater design and asked if she can produce it in her store. The New York Times loved the sweater. People started asking who Marc Jacobs is. “All it takes is someone who believes in you.”
How do you know it’s your right path?
Experiment. A lot. Every mistake shall lead you to your best path. Gloria Baume, Teen Vogue’s Fashion Director answers: “When I was in college, I thought I wanted to be a photographer, and I was lucky enough to get an internship in the studio of a major photographer named Jim Moore. Because I had a strong sense of style, people always assumed I was a fashion person, for example--Often, if there was a styling related task, they would ask me to do it, and it wasn’t long before I realized fashion was the best place for me.”
How do I change career?
If you come from the same industry, read how Tory Burch handled it: “It was definitely scary to start over at that stage in my career. I didn’t have any design experience but working with Ralph, Vera, and Narciso was great training.” She applied thing she learned from her prior working experiences to her own brand.
If you come from a different industry, travel instagrammer Lauren Bullen’s answers will get you the picture: “Being a dental assistant wasn't something I could see myself doing long term.” She started out only taking traveling pictures and tagging pages. Then, she moved to Cairns, the photo-worthy-Great-Barrier-Reef part of Australia, and taught herself to take photos and edit. Before long, she landed a job from Tourism Tropical Board North Queensland. From there, more job offers started coming that it became impossible to keep up with her day job.
What if I fail?
There’s gotta be something positive about that. Sophia Amoruso grew her business, Nasty Gal, 92.4% annually that she was named one of the Richest Self-Made Women in Forbes Magazine. Later, the business filed for bankruptcy. Still, it’s not the end for the #GirlBoss. “There are secret opportunities hidden inside every failure.” Lately, she made a deal with Netflix to film a series, telling her life story. #GirlBoss.
What does it take to make it work?
Anna Wintour explains: “If you’re an overnight sensation, you can be yesterday’s news in no time, whereas building something slowly and carefully that has value and quality, that’s going to have legs. You just need to have a love for what you’re doing. It’s not about thinking that it’s the cool thing: it’s about really believing in it.”
One more thing. In the long run, it is normal to get so tired that we can't continue working. That's why we need to surround ourselves with supporting, inspiring people, even if it's online. We can learn a lot from them. Look out for events like The Girlboss Rally or classes like The Blogcademy.
THE BOTTOM LINE is cliche but true. No matter what you go after, it’s not easy. Sometimes, we don’t even know what we want. That’s okay. As long as you keep loving it, learning your craft persistently, and putting your work out there, one day, people will start to buy in. Failing is also okay. Take opportunities from it. Suit up, girls.
Written by Helena Natasha
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