Like Kanye…but unemployed

It’s been a depressing two months. After attaining the MBA holy grail, I am still unemployed. Friends have told me, “don’t worry, you’ll land a job soon!” To which, I respond with an incredulous look and say, “I got an MBA JUST so I wouldn’t have to wait in line for an open position.” It’s always a tense conversation afterwards but now I am an expert in re-direction. After their attempt at encouragement and my statement of derision I promptly change the subject to how I’m going to be like Kanye. You may think that my choice of topic is comical or born out of excessive amounts of free time and well…you’re not wrong. The more time I have on my hands between filling out pointless and poorly designed job applications online, I have spent an incredible amount of time trying to synthesize the Kanye West recipe for success. Mind you, I have no musical talent whatsoever, however, I can tell you a snail is a snake with so much passion that you may begin to question your power to distinguish the real from the fantastic. It’s a great skill I know, but one that has failed in multiple interviews where my Louis Vutton backpack and purple sweater were integral to communicating my aptitude.

Where have the days gone where experience isn’t the only barometer of capability? Where when you show heart and passion for the position and an acute aptitude to persuade the most unflinching of interviewers that you can get the job done? Where are those days? I want those days back. I may not have the right experience but I have more moxy than any ivy-leaguer or friend of a friend of a boss could ever muster. I just wish companies weren’t so concerned with data points, KPIs and whatever other metric is out there, to see that.