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Job Woes


Lyichir

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Another year, another opening for a set design position at Lego. You'd think that'd be good news for someone like me whose life goal is to have such a career. It's not.

 

Let's start at the beginning. In High School when I had to finally decide what I'd do with my life (and after failing an architectural drawing class hard, and giving up on studying to be an architect), I realized that my childhood dream of working for Lego wasn't actually all that unrealistic. Through BZPower and other Lego fansites, I met actual people who worked for the company, and they loved it. And I read all sorts of news on the internet about what a great company Lego is to work for. Of course, my interests had changed since I was a kid. Back then, when I was asked what job I wanted, it was to be a Master Model Builder at Legoland. But my building preferences have never favored large-scale models or sculptures—I liked the sets. I liked minifigures. I liked the idea of actually being able to walk into a toy store, and look at a product on a shelf, and be able to say "I made that". So I decided I'd like to be a set designer, and to my guidance counselor, that meant getting a degree in industrial design.

 

So I looked at some design schools, but as I approached the end of my time in high school it became apparent to me how much my Aspergers Syndrome and Non-verbal Learning Disorder affected my ability to learn and function in school. So I ended up going to Landmark College, a school specifically for students with learning disabilities. And I loved it. They didn't have a design program, but since it was a two-year school I figured that I could get my associate's degree there and then transfer to a design school. When it came time to find a school to transfer to, I looked at a number of options, but so many of the schools seemed so competitive and their programs seemed to ask the world of students. My transfer services associate at Landmark recommended Wentworth Institute of Technology, a school that had an impressive program for getting design students internships in the field.

 

It turns out, Wentworth was a hellhole. I spent a year there and it was the worst year of my life. I went from being a bright student who was constantly encouraged by my professors to being a talentless hack who couldn't manage to complete even the simplest assignment. And it wasn't for lack of trying—but Wentworth turned out to have zero tolerance for anything short of perfection, and no useful options for a student who needed clear instructions and step-by-step assistance. I withdrew from Wentworth, and went home to see if I could earn a position at Lego through job experience, rather than through education.

 

It's been a year since then, and I've been stymied at every level. Trying to get a design job? Good luck, if you don't have education or a portfolio. Trying to get a retail job with Lego, and work my way up through the company. Good luck, for someone who can't drive (and maybe never will, since I have a crippling fear of being behind the wheel) and has no retail experience. Trying to get retail experience? Good luck in this market, where there are always more experienced people out of work and looking for the same job. My only work experience was interning at the newspaper (a business my family runs), as a copy-editor, and copy-editing doesn't offer a lot of transferrable skills (and is a dying trade to boot). I've since diversified that to interning for the radio (also part of the newspaper), handing out freebies to listeners. For the past month I was working an unpaid internship with a local toymaker, hoping that could be seen as an advantage if I apply for a design position at Lego again. But I scarcely got to do any design work, and while he was impressed with my skills and knowledge (the first person to recognize such things in me for some time), I don't think I was furthering my future at all by working there.

 

So I quit, at least temporarily, to try to work on a portfolio to submit to Lego next time there's an opening. And now there is. But just like last year (when I lost my chance at a job with Lego after the first email back from them), I have no portfolio and don't know the first thing about making one. My counselor instructed me to look at ones online, but all I've found there are amazing portfolios that I have neither the skill nor the content to make.

 

If not for the total lack of other options, I'd be just about ready to give up my dream of working for Lego entirely. After all, no matter how many people say I'm talented or knowledgable about Lego, my experience in the fan community constantly reminds me that there are hundreds of people who are both more talented and more knowledgable than me, most of whom don't work for the company either. I'm an intensely uncompetitive person who wants to apply for one of the most competitive jobs in the world. And I'm just about at my breaking point. I can't tolerate much more disappointment, or one more "no" from a prospective employer. Not with the family paper going bankrupt and my annoying little brother almost done with high school (he'll have a job before I do, at this rate, and then any hope of ever getting respect from him goes out the window). I don't know where I can go from here.

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Hey, you're pursuing something you want to do with your life. No matter how that ends, I still find it respectable. People that end up in jobs they hate always wonder "what if I had done something differently when I had the chance?"

 

If you really want this, then I say give it all you got.

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I gotta admire you. To try this hard and persevere this far is an amazing testament to your strength and work ethic. There is a path for you to take. I don't know when you'll end up where you need to be, but you'll get there and you'll love it, I'm sure. Keep your hopes up. I'm praying for you.

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Don't let that stuff make you give up, ya hear? You might not be able to get there right away, but if you work for it and take time to build up a portfolio and skill, you will get there. Does it really matter if it happens a year from now, or five years from now, or ten? When you do get there, you're gonna be so glad you didn't give up.

It's not just about degrees and money, any career is about making connections and getting lucky, and definitely determination. Set yourself some goals, and keep at it. You'll make it eventually ^^ You've got a looong, long life ahead of you. You don't have to rush anything :)

You will make it, if you keep at it. And even if you don't, you could find out there's something else that piques your interest, and learn a lot of good things along the way ;)

You're gonna get a lot of "no"s in life, don't be afraid to say "no" back, especially to those urges to give up. You deserve this, eh? Just figure out the best way to go about it and figure out what's holding you back and work on it.

There was a girl in my block last semester who dropped out halfway through the current semester 'cause it was just too demanding and she didn't have what it takes to keep up and succeed-- at least, she thought so, I think her work was pretty great and she just had to keep working at it, but she had a crazy commute and is terrible with computers and has learning issues and also insomnia and blah blah blah a lot of obstacles in her way. She decided it would be best to take a break and get help and I think it was really brave of her to take matters in her own hands and deal with her problems, and yeah. I think I lost my track a bit her but I think my point is basically never give up, and everyone takes things at their own pace, but she still has talent and ambition and is just way too hard on herself and I know she'll definitely succeed when she comes back and tries again ^^ And I think that can relate to your situation. Just do your best! Don't stress it so hard and don't be afraid of taking a fresh start :)

You still have growing to do as an individual, you never stop. Let life take its course, and take advantage of it :D

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Seriously, that seems to be the Catch 22 for all young job seekers; you can't get a job without experience, but you can't get experience without a job. (And it doesn't help that the job market is still awful and barely recovering.)

 

I'm not sure if I have a lot of good advice for you or anything, because it took me ages to get my position. But just keep trying. LEGO might be your ultimate goal, but you could always try to start at something more basic (but better than a free internship.) Look through job sites and local sources for new positions that are opening, and keep looking every day, because the "right" job might just pop up for you. Work on your resume, and remember that people and organizational skills are just as good as technical knowledge; some jobs may secretly not care if you don't have the skillset yet and are willing to train you if you can show that you have the right attitude.

 

And, as much as I hate to say it, you've got to be prepared for disappointment. You're not going to find just the right employer if you're afraid to apply because they might say no; you just have to learn not to take a rejection to personally and rather learn how you can improve for the next time. I personally went through over 40 or so job applications for 8 months last year before I was able to secure employment, and some of the positions I got rejected for were ones that I was really excited about. But if you keep at it, something will recognize your potential and bring you on. Maybe it won't be LEGO at first, but it could be a stepping stone to get you into LEGO.

 

Best of luck, and don't get yourself too down about this all. :happydance:

 

:music:

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