Are you entering the workforce? If so, some of your many thoughts may be:  

• Will I find a job?  

• Am I okay with moving? Well, where to? How far? 

• What about compensation? And the other benefits?  

• How is the workplace environment? Am I a cultural fit?  

• And their diversity and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Efforts?  

As the end of the semester/school year rolls around, graduates everywhere are worrying about the next step of their lives after commencement day. Wondering what life has in store for them and wondering how they are going to adjust to post-graduate life.  

Today’s job hunt can be stressful to say the least. But after speaking with some of the newest Digital Corps staff members, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  

Getting the Job 

This is where it all starts. The first job is where you enter into the workforce and it gives you the first impression of the rest of your career. But no pressure.  

So, how do you get the first job? What are the steps? Well, everyone you ask will tell you a different story.  

They will tell you how they got their first job from a previous opportunity or internship. Or how they applied to 500 different opportunities, and they chose the first offer they were given. Almost always they will tell you how their path was “not traditional.” And that is the truth of it all. Every path is different and “not traditional.” Because in today’s job search there is no tradition. 

To give some ideas of what today’s job market looks like let’s hear from Digital Corps Video Team Lead Kallen Brooks. 

Kallen’s Journey 

Kallen attended Indiana Wesleyan University and majored in photography. During his final months of undergrad, he experienced a shift that set the tone for his post-college path.  

“Honestly, my last two months of college really got me solidified in more of the video realm,” he shared. Although he spent all four years as a photo student, he began transitioning into video production, through his senior project that focused on photography-based video. “I was fascinated with the format of moving images,” Kallen explained.  

This newfound interest inspired him to base his senior project on video, even though it was outside the traditional photography curriculum. “That was the solidification that I wanted to do this moving forward,” he said. 

Kallen’s had more than enough experience throughout college, as he has many works opportunities. “I needed money throughout my college experience,” he noted. He became the main videographer for the university’s marketing department, taking on numerous contract projects. He also worked with the Community Learning office, creating recap and promotional videos for student activities and events. Kallen also did freelance work, beginning in 2017 with weddings and commercial projects. “I was my number one client,” he said, emphasizing how the university consistently contracted him for work. 

After college, Kallen faced significant life changes that altered his initial career plans. The summer after graduation brought unexpected events, leading him to start teaching. “I’ve always been curious about possibly becoming a photo professor or something,” he said. Between 2019 and 2020, he taught at Westfield Intermediate School, first as a substitute and then as an eighth-grade math teacher. “It wasn’t my end goal by any means,” Kallen admitted, but teaching provided stability before moving back into the creative field. 

Eventually, Kallen was offered a full-time position in marketing and video production by the same team that hired him during college. “They were like, ‘Hey, we would like to hire you full-time. Let’s meet over lunch,’” he recalled. He accepted the offer and stayed in that role for about three years. 

Job searching after this period came with challenges. “My experience was kind of like a lot of others,” Kallen said, describing the numerous near-misses and disappointments. “I had jobs where it felt like it was lined up, prepared to move to another state, and then it falls apart last minute.” 

After a few jobs offers fell through, Kallen focused on his freelance work, which he balanced alongside part-time jobs like working at Best Buy. “Freelance allowed me to do my style. You would be hiring me for my version of something,” he explained. 

Despite setbacks, Kallen learned valuable lessons about patience and resilience. “I developed a philosophy at the time where I set my worries aside and let life and the universe guide me,” he said. Although opportunities didn’t always align with his ideal timeline, he found that this approach opened doors he hadn’t expected.  

“Not having a job allowed me to build within a community I didn’t think I would even be in,” Kallen reflected. This period of his life helped me understand the importance of growth beyond just career achievements. 

Insights and Lessons from Kallen:  

Kallen’s journey through college and early career revealed essential insights about perseverance, self-exploration, and creative fulfillment.  

Here’s the advice he would give to his past self and current graduates: 

Push yourself and keep your options open. 

“Push a little harder. I was too reliant on one singular possibility, and having alternatives would have helped.” 

Balance and prioritize rest. 

“Finding time to rest and figuring out what’s best for you during that period is crucial.” 

Find what matters to you and stay true to yourself. 

“Be you, and don’t just cave in because it’s a job. Find what’s important to you and remember that fulfillment can come from both within and outside of your career.” 

It’s Your Turn 

If you have taken the time to read through this portion of The Woes and Pros of Entering the Workforce, it is most likely that you are entering the workforce as well. This is not a little task, and it is not going to be an easy one either.  

After reading this blog, remember to know your worth, take initiative with your prospects and don’t be afraid to take a step back and evaluate where you are. You are on your own timeline, and you can and should do whatever it is that makes you happy and keeps you afloat.  

With Kallen’s advice and some new knowledge on the “nontraditional careers path,” take your time and truly find what is best for you. Only live your own path, don’t live through the path of someone else.