3 Ways to Create a YES!

I took this picture 10 years ago around this time. 

It was my last day interning at a mid-size PR agency. This agency occupied three-fourths of the 38th floor of the Empire State Building. I did not have a window seat, but I tried to find an empty office every day to take in where I was and my hopes for where I was going. Just like I did on my first day, on my last day, I walked in playing "Empire State of Mind." A view like this will make you feel like the world is yours, and I was optimistic. I had four interviews lined up the following week, and this Brittney knew she would get offered all of them. Things could only go up from here.

But it didn't.

Instead, I would spend the next eight months on a difficult job search. 

In this picture, there is a little light in her that I miss. I was never really able to get it back, but what I did get was a lot of self-doubts. And who wouldn't question their abilities and their purpose when you are rejected over 100 times. 

What I did learn from then to now is that I needed a yes. Any yes to uplift my spirit and to get that engine running again. So in times where we feel like we are taking a lot of L's in our lives, create a win for yourself. 

Creating a win means making a yes:

Start by being open to plan B and a different perspective on how you can reach your goals.

Add value to the small stuff. The little wins matter. Take note of little victories that get you a step closer to your goal. That could be setting up an introductory call for a career change or a corporate sponsorship. That's a win because many people don't know to find the right person for these opportunities. 

Turn corporate aspirations into an entrepreneurial trial run. There may be a role that you are having difficulty landing at a company that you can create for yourself. While you wait for the callback, try sourcing clients on your own to do similar work. You can start by reaching out to your network and sharing with them your expertise and rates. You can also try gig networks like Upwork to start sourcing clients and doing the work. If you like being your own boss, you can find a way to expand, but in the interim, you can spend your day doing what you love, getting paid for it and building up your portfolio until the right opportunity comes along. 

Open yourself up to a different path. I was hitting a wall with having a PR career, so I decided to assess what I liked about the industry and if there was another industry with similar attributes. I learned then that I liked the content aspect of PR. I gravitated to the newsletters and storytelling part of the industry and made a pivot to journalism and email marketing. Think about what you enjoy doing and look for different opportunities to achieve that particular interest. Being more specific in your interest while being open to other paths may get you quicker to a "yes." It may not look how you planned it, but you may surprise yourself and like this new career path.