The Fear of not Winning + New Experiences

Tomorrow is an exciting day for me because I have my first job interview. Even though I’ve had multiple jobs, I never actually experienced a job interview. The closest I ever came was during the application process for Praxis, but even then, it wasn’t exactly for a job.

So why is this the case? Well, I started working when I was twelve, scorekeeping baseball and basketball in my city. That job didn’t require an interview. You just showed up for the classes, took the test, and if you passed you were "hired". The harder you worked, the more shifts you got, and that’s how it worked. It was definitely a great experience for me (especially at a young age) to learn new skills, compete against other “employees”, and get a feel for taking on real job responsibilities.

The second job I had was working in the nursery at my church (which was obviously volunteer, but we still got paid). No interview required, just the skills necessary to take watch over the children.

Finally, the most professional job I had was working at the front desk at a local music school. The reason I wasn’t required to interview with them was because the owner already knew my work ethic. A few years ago, I co-founded a music event called “Freedom Fest” and that music school helped support. A few of their bands performed at the concert, and they donated the stage. Between this, and the fact that I took lessons there for a while, the owner reached out to me for the position.

Now, back to the point: tomorrow is my first interview. I’m excited because it’s a new experience, I’ll get to learn what it’s like, and hopefully get some feedback on how I do. I’m also a little nervous, which is natural, but more than anything I’m excited. I want to do my best, I’d love the opportunity to work for this company because they’re absolutely amazing and I hold very similar values to their mission. But overall, I'm just looking forward to doing something new.

Don’t miss up any opportunities for the fear of not “winning”. The job I’m applying for is for a sales position - I’ve had hardly any experience in this field. But, I’m going to shoot for it anyway. I could choose to apply somewhere else (perhaps one hiring an operations position since that’s what I’ve got experience in), but, why not learn something new? “Winning” a job isn’t “winning” if it’s a job you can't grow from. The new experience is the real “win” in this situation, and I’m happy to be gaining that tomorrow.

P.S. There will be updates.