In April, I applied to work at Walmart unloading trucks.
At the time, I was just looking for a full-time job, and I was willing to work anywhere that would accept me.
I got accepted and I’ve been working there for almost four months now. Since then, I’ve been writing, working on various experiments and projects, and connecting and reconnecting with people.
Because of the project I’m working on now, where I write and share the stories of Hispanic immigrants in Northwest Arkansas, I reconnected with an old friend I hadn’t seen in over a year.
She likes the project and was willing to help me conduct some of the interviews.
But I suddenly received a message three weeks ago from her explaining that she finally got the job she wanted, only that her new job is not in Northwest Arkansas, but in Austin, Texas.
I was excited for her when she shared the news with me, but also sad that she has to leave us. I still feel that way now.
But what surprised me even more was what she sent me: a link to an application portal about her previous job.
She believed I would be a ‘very competitive’ applicant if I were to apply, given my experiences during college and the projects I’m working on now.
I wasn’t expecting this at all. I especially didn’t think I would be returning to campus anytime soon.
So I wondered, why me?
I clicked the link to see what qualifications were needed, and I kept wondering the same thing as I continued reading the page:
Did she mean to send this to me? Seriously, why me?
I didn’t see myself meeting the minimum requirements, let alone the preferred qualifications. Again, I asked myself: why does she think I would be a very competitive applicant for a role I wasn’t even sure I qualified for?
I met with her last Friday to discuss this further and to learn more about her role.
As unconfident as I felt, it sounded interesting, and I became curious about what I would do if I were offered the position.
After our meeting and throughout the weekend, I wondered what I would do and how I could contribute to this role.
What things could be accomplished?
Who would I meet?
Would this role bring me closer to my North Star?
After going on a few long walks, I decided I would apply for the role. Part of the application asks us to include three professional references, and I’ve already considered who to ask and include.
And if I’m honest, I still don’t think I’m qualified for this role— and I’m not confident I would get the position.
But here’s my thinking: I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by applying.
In strategic decision-making, such decisions are a no-brainer. There’s no downside, and there’s all the upside.
If I apply and get accepted, great. I now earn twice as much as I did at Walmart for the same hours worked, and I have more creative freedom to choose the projects I want to work on and the people I get to meet.
If I apply and get rejected, that’s okay. I still have different plans to get to where I want to be. In fact, since this opportunity wasn’t part of my original plan, not getting the position won’t significantly alter my path towards my goals.
Regardless of the outcome, I won’t be discouraged because of my conviction.
Still, there’s a student I would like to meet if I were offered that position, and working there would allow me to give him all the resources he needs to succeed.
Perhaps that’s why this role fell into my lap: to continue helping the groups of people I wish to serve.
In any case, I must fill out the application and ask the three people if they would be okay with me listing them as references for this role.
Fall is approaching, and there’s much to be done.