I’ve never been one to conform to anything. Since I was a kid, I’ve always had high aspirations and goals in life. But growing up in Ohio, when you tell someone that you want to be like Oprah when you grow up, sounds pretty far fetched. Everyone just kind of agrees with you and asks you what your back up plans are. But for me, there never was a back up plan. When I was finishing up college, a room mate of mine asked, “So whats your plan after we graduate?” and without any hesitation I replied, “move to Los Angeles and become a tv host” and here I am.
Now, I’m not sure if you want to be in entertainment, nor do I think its a career for everyone BUT having a dream or goal in life that seems unattainable … isn’t really that unattainable. I always say, if someones going to do it … why can’t it be me? So if you are looking to land your dream job or get that position, here are some things from personal experiences I wanted to share.
Life is long and for most of us who have to work for a living, going to work everyday can be not so fun. At the end of the day, work is work no matter what you do. Do I get to have my dream job and do the things I love? Yes. Absolutely. But somedays does it still suck and I don’t feel like doing it? 100%. BUT if you are going to work 40 hours a week, every week, until you retire, it may as well be in something you mostly enjoy doing.
Like most things in life, it takes a lot of work, patience and sacrifice to get there. Having that dream job might not be so easy to get there, to read my full journey from high school to career read this post about how long it took me and the ways I went about it. In addition to the work aspect, I always kept a positive attitude and had a lot of patience.
GO BACKWARDS
One piece of advice is to take out a piece of paper and at the very top write whatever that end goal is. If you want to be a designer, teacher, writer, whatever it is put the end goal at the top. Then from there write the steps backwards to reach that goal. For example, if you want to be the President you have to be elected to office, before that you need to be voted in the general election, before that are primaries, before that is fundraising, before that is probably hold some type of office before hand like be a Senator or whatever (I clearly don’t know much about being the President but do you see where I’m going with this?) So you don’t just jump into being the President, you probably start by going to Law School or something to win a local election and work your way up. So whatever it is, work the steps backwards and then start from the bottom of your piece of paper and work your way up.
If the steps seem daunting or uninteresting, maybe that job isn’t for you. This is a good way to test out and visually see the career you are after and how do-able it is for you and your real life. I sat down and did this last night with a recent goal I have for myself and found that half the steps backwards I’ve already achieved so the end goal is something attainable.
DO IT FOR FREE
Uggggh. The land of internships and free work. I gotta tell you, it sounds like no fun but this really pays off. If you have no skills or experience in that dream career you want, not to be harsh but why would they hire you? Because you say you could be good at it? Well, for a higher up that probably isn’t good enough. You need to prove it and offering to work for free is the best way to prove your worth and learn at the same time. My first job in LA, I really wanted to work in PR. But I had just graduated with no experience. I offered to work for free and learn the day to day tasks in a Beverly Hills publicist office. Shortly after the girl who I was assisting quit and guess who got her job *raises hand* If I wasn’t there working for free, I never would have been in the position to get the job. In hosting, I did the same. I actually cost me money to get ready, drive and park to work on red carpets but that paid off. You get the chance to network and gain experience that you wouldn’t have. It also is a great way to work and think, maybe this isn’t for me. No one is too good to work for free. I know we all need to make money, so I had a full time job in addition to the times I worked for free. Some days I was so tired I didn’t want to do both, but looking back I don’t think I would be where I am today if I didn’t learn from those experiences.
FIND A MENTOR
The best way to learn is from other mistakes. Want to open a car dealership? Find someone who owns one. Want to be a designer? Who do you know that has a boutique. Find whatever it is that you want to be and just ask them all the questions in the world. I’m always wanting to help other people reach their dreams or better themselves and I’m always looking to others for advice or what to do in life. This can help save a lot of time of learning things the hard way. If you can’t find someone to mentor you, use the internet. There is literally everything in life you could want to find on the world wide web. There are sites like Skillshare that teach classes, bloggers have online seminars about social media and starting youtube channels. There is so much information online that if you need a mentor, a virtual one is just as good.
WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT
I love pretty things, but can I paint? No. Am I good at eating, yes but am I a great cook .. debatable. But I know my likes and strengths and made a career out of that. My best friend was looking for her passion so we sat down and wrote all the things she likes to do and what she hopes to achieve. She loves kids, travel, helping others and she is bilingual. So from her likes and skills, we started to google what jobs have to do with this. We found that teaching English as a Second Language was the perfect job for her. She could travel the world, help children by using her skills of being bilingual and do all those things she loves into one career. Boom. Like taking pretty instagram pictures? Be a social media manager. Like to cook, write and diet? Maybe being a nutritionist is for you. Are you obsessed with news stories and the details of it all? Be a researcher. But don’t always think of the conventional paths of jobs, there are so many careers out there now that you could really be whatever you want to be. Write a list of the things you like, what you are passionate about and what you are good at and maybe find a job you never even knew about based on those things.
DIY
If all else fails, well even not if it fails … lets say if you feel like it … do it yourself! After you’ve learned from working for other people or gained enough knowledge, you can do it on your own. Some jobs, you might have to work for others but if you can create the business yourself go for it! It is so rewarding to work for yourself and really pushes you to be successful because its all on you.
NEVER GIVE UP … WELL MAYBE EVENTUALLY
Before graduating from college, my cousin told me to stick with a five year plan. He said if I really want to be a tv host, to stick it out for five years. Most people give up after a year or two and don’t stay with anything long enough to succeed. Morgan, my cousin, said that if in five years I hadn’t made huge strides in that end goal then it is time to move on to the next thing. I’ve always kept this piece of advice close to me and shared it with others to not be discouraged if after one or two years it seems like you haven’t reached your goal. Like all good things, it takes time to get there and if it was easy everyone would do it.
Just remember to have patience, be realistic and in time I hope you find whatever your passion is in life. I wish you happiness, success and no more days of saying ‘is it Friday yet?!’
Jolie says:
You are so inspiration and positive Marianna! Just what other girls need to hear. xoxo
Sally says:
This is my all time favorite post from you ! I graduated high school two years ago and went for a program that I didn’t like .My parents are immigrants and they do not believe in taking a year off to figure out what you want to do. University has always been a paved road for me. However, a year later I drop out ( The shame LOL ). I am still looking for a career that is made for me but I can’t seem to find one that describes what I want to do(Something that I am still trying to figure out). There are no straight path for me. For example to be a teacher : Go to university and do a year of teacher’s college (here in Toronto). I love meeting people, I’m outgoing and I love all things beauty, social media and writing for fun (in both French and English). I love to work with people but I cannot for the life of me sit in an office for 8 hours (I’m doing that right now in the meantime and it sucks). I’ve enrolled into journalism and I hope I can figure out my dream career because it scares me to think that I will be stuck doing something I don’t like. Ty for this post ! xo
Paulina says:
I so needed that post! Getting the right internship is at the very top on my list now! I absolutely agree with you that no one is too good to work for free. You gotta gain that experience somehow! And in the meantime, just work on your hobbies, cause there are always ways for bettering yourself! Even in your leisure time.
Have a wonderful day, Marianna!
Paulina
shenanigan-ska.blogspot.com
Mariana says:
Thanks for the inspiration. Very encouraging.
Majean says:
Such a great post! Really enjoyed reading your tips from personal experience. It’s funny how no matter what age or stage you’re at in life we all go through the same thing….finding your passion for a career.
Christina Gogas says:
Love love love this. Just what I needed to hear right now, especially since I’m going into PR. Thank you so much ❤️
Daniela says:
Thank you so much, Marianna ! This post and your whole blog is really interesting and helps a lot to keep up with the inspiration. It would be nice if you can keep writing about this type of posts. XO
Eloisa Guerrero says:
Love this post! It’s something I’ve needed to read since I’m struggling myself to work out a path to the career I want! Thank you xxx
V says:
Def needed this post right now. Always known somehow i which direction I wanted to continue after high school. But my last year i was doubtful if it was a decision lf mine or something my family just had told me so much that i started to believe itmyself. So i took a break before I applied to college and for me it was the best decision i now realize not just what i want to do know but where i see myself and want to be. Ive struggled with the questions “how to i get there”, but seeing your post it makes me think that just because there isnt a program for it doesnt mean you can make yourself a path for it. And that motivates me more. Thank you for sharing!
Luckymecandy says:
Great tips. I’ve been on a career path for nearly 12 years now but have decided that I want to switch gears. This is really helpful in guiding me. Thanks!
Kiss & Make-up says:
I’d definitely be willing to work for free and do an internship if that means getting the chance to convince people of what I can do and how much I’m willing to do to achieve my goals.
SamanthaBeauty says:
I love reading your blog an this post is really helpfull. Good job
lisa says:
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post!!
i love all your posts but spreading words of inspiration always comes out on top!!
its uplifting when someone actually shares words and tips of encouragement in a world where many prefer to keep it secret and live it only for themselves!
thank you~
f.nockideneh says:
Thank you so much. I really enjoyed this readimg on career goals. I’ve been aching to try something new that I have a passion for so I am going to try.
Oliviaaa says:
You are beyond inspirational and I so needed to read this- perfect for a Monday morning read at my current internship! You only make me want to push even harder for my passion and the things that I truly love the most. Thank you Thank you Thank you!
Kimmaly Santhavi says:
This is an amazing, inspirational article. I will read it more than once that’s for sure. As I jot down notes from this post – your realistic and attainable (not so out of reach) experience/advice makes me want my dream more and that is becoming a swimwear designer. I’m a little late in the game, almost 30, been working full time in corporate since I can remember so I am discourage about the “timeline” of things. No experience in design however through my travels exploring beaches and being in a bikini part-time (when I can) I’ve acquired a keen eye and taste for the type of swimwear I want for my buyers. Starting with the “backwards” list you’ve mentioned, I will try to make this dream come true as it is all I can think of. Thanks for sharing your experience and also keeping it real for folks out there, like myself, who dream big but may be hesitant to take next steps to reach our life goals. And if you have any advice on swimwear design and the business aspect of owning a line, do share!
Xoxo,
Kimmaly
Rita Sousa says:
This was very helpful. I think there’s some things here that I’ll never forget. I’m 17 and next year I’ll be graduating from high school (hopefully), but I already feel pressured to figure out what I want to be. Next year I’m going to have to choose what college I’m going to and to be honest I don’t even want to go… And the reason for that is very simple; I have no idea what to choose or what I’m going to study and for me college is synonymous of studying ever more and I’m afraid I’ll have to study something I hate for hours and hours.
The bottom line is I think I still don’t fully know who I am and that’s where DVF’s quotes fits perfectly: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I always knew the woman I wanted to be”.
Mariah says:
The best Monday motivation! Thanks Marianna!!
Sissi says:
Wow, what an inspirational post. If only I would´ve read that 20 years ago- lol! I feel kinda too old to change anything- but maybe I´m wrong…maybe it is never too late?
Lisi Miranda says:
I really need to take the time to do this! I guess I can sometimes become a bit confused though as to pinpointing what exactly I see myself good at and what I find to be things I am not so good at. I honestly like a variety of things, some things that really don’t fall into the same category as others. I guess it’ll take me a bit more digging and maybe I need to just put myself in situations to figure it out. I need to go into the world and explore what seems to be most appealing to me.
Marianna Hewitt says:
internships are a great way to figure out what you like and don’t like before committing to a career
Nicole says:
Any tips for figuring out which direction to take? I have a lot of interests but am not really sure what direction to take and how to get started. Kind of stuck in a rut and need something to focus on so I can move forward.
Marianna Hewitt says:
the step where i said my BFF wrote down her interested and then we googled things that combined those should be a good place to start in what direction to go iN!
Brianna Rachall says:
I love this and can identify with what you said. I just finished a publicity internship with an independent film company working the LA Film Festival. I worked for free every day for 2 weeks and for long hours, but I had so much fun meeting great people, working red carpets, step and repeats, and after parties with photographers. I was lucky they paid for meals and parking. The most rewarding of all was to gain a better understanding of what I want to do as a career. I absolutely see me furthering myself in this field and I can add this internship to the list you mentioned about steps to your end goal. You are so right Marianna. Do what you love and what you’re good at and there is most likely a career for it. Go for it and you never know what can come out of it.
Love,
Brianna
Lauren Taylor says:
Super helpful and RIGHT ON TIME! Thank you for this much needed reminder! xo
Katie says:
Sometimes you can’t see the wood from the trees and feel like you’re going round and round in circles. And I feel like I’ve been doing that for nearly a decade in regards to my career and what I really want to do!
This article has been such help – it’s given me a lot of clarity and encouragement.
Thank you.
ejai says:
this was such a lovely post! i agree on the 5 year plan. but i am about to finish my 5 year plan and now im unsure about it. sure, its stable, rewarding, and good. but it’s not my true passion. and i’d definitely would like to start over when i’m about to accomplish something grand. but i do not want to be stuck in a situation where i must work for the next 10 years, then finally be able to do what i after waiting! ahh so many decisions! thank you for the inspiration, though. we can always multitask like you did but at the sacrifice of sleep!
Kirzlyn Gabriola says:
Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s truly inspiring and motivating. I’m going to take your cousin’s advice about the five year plan. Thank you, again!
xx
http://www.be-kirz.com/
Rose says:
Very insprirational post! It’s so hard to keep your motivation when you’re trying to follow your dream when it’s not “realistic” enough for other people
Amanda says:
This post inspired me so much!! Thank you Marianna! You are such an inspiration to me I really see myself in you, and I have also always had high aspirations and goals in life, so this post was very interesting and helpful! All the people in my life always try to bring me down and make me “realize that my goals are unreachable”… I try not to let that affect me, but it can be hard some times! This post was very motivating, thank you for that!
Keep up the good work honey 😀
Neda Andel says:
This post is exactly what I need atm. Recently I moved to another country and I am on my way to make my life goals, but u found the way to motivate me to strive it..
Thank u for advices!
Maya Alusik says:
Thank You, Sweetie for sharing! XO
James says:
A worthwhile and inspirational read. I love to hear about how people became successful and read about how they actually did it, not just hear I worked hard and it paid off. Marianna seems very good at what she does and has a passion for it, being beautiful helps, but many that have beauty just rely on it (and live on the money it generates) until it is no longer marketable and have no backup plan. Marianna is diversified and is generating multiple income sources that are interrelated with her passion and can exist without her being the face of them so she could actually sell the brand (just like these start-ups do) should she choose to do so at some later point. That is smart. Building a brand and increasing it’s value for a secure future. The only place success come before work is in the dictionary.
Katie Tavares says:
This post made my day.. Thank you Marianna…you are so inspirational!
xo
DİLARA says:
This post is really good thank you for it.Now ım in the same situation and ım fighting for it.Wish all of you to live your dreams..Best.
Erin says:
I love this post so much! Haha will you be my mentor.
The 5 year thing really opened my eyes, I have been blogging for about a year and sometimes get these tiny thoughts in the back of my mind that when i graduate I should get another job- This is not going to happen I am going to chase my cream and MAKE them come true! Thank you Marianna x
Lots of love!
Erin xxxx
http://www.erinmayfitness.com