How to Balance Grit and Grace During Your Job Search

Remember to trust the process.

During Office Hours this week, Her Campus Media VP of Sales and Business Development Katrina Campanale hosted a motivating conversation with Kate Haldy, the Director of Public Relations, Influencer Marketing, and Events at Anthropologie! Kate shared her thoughts on the power of connections, grit, and grace during the job search process.

ICYMI, be sure to check out the replay here. In the meantime, here are three key lessons we learned from Office Hours this week:

Trust the journey you’re on. 

As the Director of PR, Influencer Marketing, and Events at Anthropologie, Kate Haldy is able to combine her passions to create holistic creative strategies for the brand. However, she remembers how difficult it was to get a foot in the door in the industry, and encourages young people to keep putting themselves out there and trust the process.

“My first internship was at Marie Claire magazine. I was a sophomore in college, and I knew I wanted to work in fashion, but I knew no one in fashion,” Kate says. “I did a lot of research, found people’s email addresses, and would send them a short note.” After lots of virtual networking, Kate eventually landed an interview (on a Saturday!) and scored her first internship at Marie Claire. “It was so hard,” she recalls. “I was working full-time, taking the train to New York City from New Jersey, and carrying garment bags across the city all day, but I learned so much. Being able to watch famous editors and how they worked really set me on a path.”

Your first internship or job may be difficult, and it may not be your favorite, but Kate encourages everyone to stay open minded and trust that the “dream job” will come! “I interned for six months right out of college,” she says, “and the first job I had out of college was not my ideal job. It took some time. You have to trust the journey you’re on.”

Give yourself grace.

Early in your career, it’s easy to compare yourself to your friends and the progress they’re making. However, it’s important to remember that everyone’s path is different! “All we see are people’s highlight reels,” says Kate. “There’s a lot of pressure to succeed, and it can be so hard. When I graduated college, my friends were working at Versace and Gucci. You look at people and think ‘wow that’s so cool, I wish I was doing that!’ But you have to give yourself grace.” 

As someone who has had a super winding career path, I couldn’t agree more with Kate’s advice. Take a deep breath, stay confident, and know that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, even if it doesn’t feel like it. 

Look for silver linings.

Whether you’re starting your first internship or navigating your first 9-5, Kate says to remember the silver linings. There is always something to learn! “Maybe you’re good friends with your colleagues or you have a great boss you enjoy learning from. Sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and stay positive. If you’re currently in a job that you don’t love, or you’re looking for a job and having a tough time right now, always look for the silver linings.”

We loved Kate’s tips for balancing grit and grace during your job search. Catch up on the replay here and be sure to follow @generationhired, @km_haldy, and @anthropologie on Instagram to stay up-to-date on future events and updates!