When Tiana Eghdam (GBDA 鈥�18) hit a dead end in her search for an internship, she asked for听help online. The response inspired her career in the best way.
Back when I was studying Global Business and Digital Arts at the University of 蓝莓视频, I had听to complete an internship in my third year in order to graduate. Knowing this, I worked my butt听off all through my first and second year to build job experience, a social media following, and a听meaningful network by the time I had to apply. I remember coming into it feeling ahead of the听game with sky-high expectations and definitely an inflated ego.
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Come internship time, I started off with a handful of interviews. Each time I made it to the final听round where another candidate was selected over me. Fast forward through seven months of听interviews, conferences, and hundreds of rejection letters, I had pretty much lost all of my听confidence. My self-esteem completely plummeted and I was beyond frustrated. In the final听two weeks that I had left to find something to graduate with my class, I got an offer from out of听town. I was extremely thrilled.
The next day came and I hadn鈥檛 heard from the company. Feeling confused and nervous, I got听the call.... The internship had been redacted due to unforeseen funding cuts. If I hadn鈥檛 hit rock听bottom before, this was definitely it now.
Out of desperation, I posted on LinkedIn, looking for anything, anywhere. Then something听beautiful happened: my post took off. My inbox was flooded with hundreds of notes of听inspiration from professionals all over the world who had resonated with my story, and I听received three interviews that week. Within a matter of days, not only did I secure an amazing听offer where my then employer built me a rotational internship, but I was also able to connect a听handful of other classmates in similar situations to internships through the network I had听created.
Left: Tiana as a student, speaking at a conference. Right: Tiana听presenting to a class in her current role.听
At the time, I thought the worst had happened. I was convinced that I was either being听punished for something, I was totally incompetent, great things just weren't meant for me, or all听of the above. But, it was through that awful experience that inspired me to help other students听find their internships - by the end of my University degree, 15 students to be exact.
Later on, the more I worked in marketing, the more I realized that being that connector and听coach for digital arts students was my passion. From helping more and more students in my听network secure jobs, to collaborating with campus recruitment teams for fun, the signs became
hilariously blatant.
This past Spring I made the decision to leave digital marketing all together and do it for a living听for Humber College students. Now, each week, I meet with students in similar circumstances听to what mine once were and connect them to resources, social media tools, job opportunities,听mentors, and confidence. And I have to say, I have never loved a job more in my life.
I certainly never thought when I was heads down building my 10-year marketing career plan听that I would be here, nor that a job like mine even existed. So if this happens to be your job听hunt story right now, don't give up. You never know where it could lead you.
Tiana Eghdam (GBDA 鈥�18) is a graduate of the Faculty of Arts. Currently she works as a Placement Advisor at Humber听College's Faculty of Media and Creative Arts, where she manages听internships, provides career coaching, and co-facilitates Professional Development classes.听
