We always expect other people to take a chance on us. Why won’t they just let me prove myself? This is a thought that would constantly run throughout my mind over the last couple of months. I realized as I was finding my passion and the work I wanted to be doing in life. That I am so new and very inexperienced in this field. However, I want a chance to do something and show what I am capable of. It was really frustrating and disappointing to see people you thought would support you not give you the chance to do the work. Even though they knew this is what you wanted your life’s work to be. They still neglected to give you the opportunity.
It was at that moment of failure and defeat that I found they were right. Why should they take a chance on me? I haven’t event taken a chance on myself… I want to be a UX/UI designer. Yet, I haven’t paid for design software, classes, or any resource to help me even get closer. Why would anyone give me a chance if I wasn’t even able to take a risk on myself and spend the money to get the right tools and learning to become what I truly want to be.
This is where I tool a leap of faith on myself. I bought design software, an online video platform service, and a 6 week online course with a mentor. For so long I was just imagining that one day I would just wake up and become exactly what I wanted and saw myself becoming. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting but for what? It wasn’t like I was really ever going to just magically be granted the skills and knowledge I wanted. If I truly wanted to become a UX/UI designer. Then I wouldn’t wait till after I graduated and had my first job. I would just start doing it now. You need to believe you have the capabilities, put yourself around the right people and being willing to learn, give yourself the tools to succeed, and be ok with failing for awhile. You have to just starting doing it. There is no better time than now to do what you truly want to do. No one ever starts out as a practice it takes years of working on your craft to become an expert. You cannot get there if you never start.
It is so important to be able to invest time and money into yourself before you expect other to.
I agree that taking a chance on your own is a much better opportunity to make yourself better than waiting for someone to hand you an opportunity. I had a similar experience lately with a summer internship I am interested in. I think the Civil War is an interesting time period, and have taken a couple Civil War class at Penn State this year. There are several history department internships dealing with Civil War topics, but they are only open to those majoring in history. I talked to the professor in charge of the internship and was allowed to apply even though I am not a history major. If I wouldn’t have decided to go personally advocate to the professor I would have missed out on this opportunity. No matter what your goal is I believe that you must take the first step be it educating yourself, or applying for something outside your field if you truly want to be successful down the road.