I Got A Job Through Medium
I recently landed a Product Design role at Bongalo. And the best part? I didn’t have to apply for the job.
I’ve seen many posts on social media about people getting jobs that they didn’t apply for. While a part of me gets excited for the poster, there’s another part of me that always suspects there’s a lie somewhere in the story. I am not being cynical. It’s just that I’ve always been of the notion that if you want something good, you have to work hard for it. Good things don’t come on a silver platter, right?
But recently, online writing brought me something on a silver platter.
In March this year, I got a LinkedIn message from someone from Bongalo. He had just come across one of my posts on Medium and was impressed. We had a brief conversation. At the time, I was only a few months into my first product design role so I wasn’t actively looking for another job. But I took my time to research the company and I was impressed by what they do.
Months went by without any further conversation. I tried to follow up but that didn’t yield any results.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, I got another message from them. This time, they wanted to discuss a possible employment opportunity with me. I jumped on the call and we had a nice chat. The chat ended with a promise to contact me for an interview and a possible contract role. One week and an interview later, I got my offer letter. To my amazement, what was supposed to be a contract role turned into a full-time position. I guess I must have done something right, aye?
It’s been a little over two weeks since I joined Bongalo and I’m ecstatic. Despite working remotely, I can feel the team’s high energy from halfway around the continent. Every day with the team is challenging and exciting at the same time.
Looking back, I can say that the biggest contributing factor to my growth as a designer has been online writing. I know it seems ironic. Even with my previous job, having a portfolio of online writing gave me an edge in the application process.
The lesson in all of this is: If you’ve been contemplating writing online, this is your prompt to just start. No one would know what you have to offer if you don’t show them.
By writing online, you are not just sharing your thoughts but also creating a system that would allow luck to find you.
Stop overthinking, just write!
