What I Learnt from the Movie, "Get a Job"
This post has very little to do with getting a job and a lot to do with the movie “Get a Job”.
I watch movies a lot, more than the healthy dose of movies for a 21-year-old. While some movies make me laugh till my roommate asks if I am alright, others are just a bank of life lessons. One of such movies is “Get a Job”. I would be sharing some of the things I learnt from this movie.
Love, you deserve it.
Not the future you, I mean the now you. We hear it all the time but we often fail to internalise it. When I say you deserve love, I don’t mean the improved you, the packaged you or the pretend version of you, I mean you in your purest form. In the movie “Get a job”, Will (Miles Teller) met Jillian (Anna Kendrick) in her purest form (as a tiny little human wearing pyjamas and slippers) and loved her. I believe that’s why their love overcame irresponsible decisions, pictures with strippers and unemployment amongst other woes. I recently met someone I really like who’s not giving me the time of the day. For a moment, I wondered if he would notice me if I talked smarter or dressed better, — of course, improving my dressing and the way I talk would be very valuable to my life generally — he could but that would not be love in its purest form.
It’s okay to not be sure, the most important adventures are the ones that we do not see coming.
In the movie, Jillian was 22, unemployed, had not job prospects. All she knew was that she had a lot to offer the world. I am 21 and 6 months, I work as a recruitment associate at a software development company, I am joining an investment bank in the summer, I think I would like to work in a venture capital firm someday. I am not sure what I want to do, I have a plan for the next 5 years but I know the chances that I’ll stick to that plan are very slim. Up until September 2014 (6 months before I graduated), I had never heard about Andela. Yet, working at Andela has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had.
You have to believe you are special.
We all get to a point where we have to make a tough decision. Will was promoted to Vice President, Corporate Communications at a job he was great at but did not like. It was a great opportunity, probably double the best salary package he can get anywhere else. He made a decision (after a speech from Jillian) to quit the job and start his own … firm. I am convinced that he could only make that decision because he truly believes he is special. He knows he can succeed at anything he chooses to do and that the VP, Corporate Comms role is not the best thing that can happen to him. You are able to make decisions clearly when you believe that you are limitless. To be limitless, you have to pick yourself.
Yes, your ability to connect with people matters.
In the movie, Fernando the Janitor connected with Will because of his relationship with his father (Roger). Later in the movie, Fernando pulled the fire alarm so Will can miss a meeting and save his father. People would do things for you not because you deserve those good things but because they like you. Of course, they’ll only like you if they can connect with you. They’ll only connect with you if you show a genuine interest in them and are sincere.
Trophies do not mean anything unless you have earned it.
Reward yourself but be prudent.
In the movie, Will gets some money from his Dad as a gift to help him get started post-college. He gets himself a TV because he thought he had a job. He loses his job. He sells the TV to some guys down the road because he needs the money now. Every time you impress, feel free to reward yourself but be prudent because you are only human. You won’t impress every single time, so save some winning to take care of possible future losses.
Believe that you deserve the best, in love, work and everything.
