Never Give Up

I migrated to Canada, from my home country of Jamaica with hopes of going to school and finding a job. I went ahead and applied to the Banks, because I had majored in Business. Many rejection letters later, all said I had no Canadian experience, so therefore they could not hire me.

I went into Travel and Tourism at school, and came out with an Honors Diploma, and applied to major airline companies. I got back rejection letters, because I did not speak the French language.

My family and I used to dine at Red Lobster frequently, so I said to myself, "Hey, why don't I try applying here?" That is what I did. With resume and cover letter in hand, I went to Red Lobster the following day.

I was awarded an interview, and was jumping with joy. Within the next few days, I would have an interview with the General Manager. I believe I answered all their questions, to the best of my ability. I was left sitting for a while, and then the General Manager emerged with a booklet. This would be a Personality Assessment test. This test tests your knowledge and capability to see if you are a good fit for the company that is looking to hire you.

I do not agree with these assessment tests. They are looking for a perfect employee fit. And, rightly so. But, we are not perfect, we are imperfect human beings with flaws. Not everyone is going to fit into the perfect bubble of a personality assessment.

I, for one, am creative. I am a thinker. I am detail-oriented. I am pleasant to work with. I am a team-player. The assessment wants this, and more. It does not care that you are an honest human being. It does not care that you are a simple girl trying to land a job a bookstore, for example, hoping to get a stepping stone towards your dream job as a writer.

If you are persistent and determined enough, (as in calling to follow up, more than once, as well as a little help from THE manager who sees potential in you) you can become a candidate in-the-running for that job position that you really want to get.

And, this is how I landed my first job at Red Lobster, with no Canadian experience.

After, I got my foot in, so to speak, at Red Lobster, opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. I stayed with the company for 4 years, and in between, went to school to study Early Childhood Education. I left Red Lobster, thanked them for giving me a start, and have since began working in my new field of Early Childhood Education.

Not long after, I had a family of my own and decided I wanted to stay home with my children. I also started something, I always wanted to do, and that is WRITING. I began a writing course for Children and Teenagers, and have been writing short stories for children, ever since.

All my rejection letters that I got, just told me that I should push on because one day something good might happen. I say might, because you never know what will happen. You never know when it is going to be your time to shine.

I would say my ambitions have carried me thus far, my ambitions and my positive outlook on life. It took time, and it wasn't always easy, but I can say that I made it. All you need is to start somewhere.