Medium got me two paying jobs
This story is not about me getting two jobs. It’s about what every medium writer should keep in mind.
During the human hibernation, aka the lockdown, I decided to explore my writing skills like many Medium writers. I’ve been tackling different areas, from the pandemic to politics, from poetry to personal stories, from languages to new challenges.
Every topic was in play!
And I loved it!
Like many medium writers, I wanted people to read my stories, but what I wanted more was people thinking while reading them: Oh! I can relate to that!
Let’s say marketing is not my thing! I’ve been sharing my stories on Facebook Medium groups, on my personal social media, because I needed to promote my work, I still do. Medium curation happens on occasions, but that’s it. The point is there is no super-talent concealed here, just one more writer trying to make it.
As a university student in Italy, taking a training ship is mandatory. You need to prove that you’ve accomplished training anywhere as long as it lasts 150 hours, so a student can graduate. I found myself knocking pretty much on every door and even some windows. The only answer I’ve got was silence.
Swallowing rejection and accepting failure are never easy. And if people tell you it’s not personal, well, I think they just make things worse. Failure and rejection kick us right into our self-esteem. But I’d always rather thinking I can’t please everyone than saying that something is wrong with everyone for not appreciating what I do.
The self-esteem kicking kept going for a while, until one day, I got one answer from an Italian medical magazine that took the time to answer back. They asked me if I had any experience in writing in topics I’m familiar with, but unfortunately never wrote a single word about them.
So, I decided to send them some of my articles on Medium, unrelated to what they’ve asked. What would I lose anyway? Worst-case scenarios, they will greet me with silence, which I was clearly immune to at that time!
Surprisingly, silence turned into a job interview! And the third job interview eventually became a job, a paying job!
And I was only looking for a training ship.
Excited, happy, nervous, I called one of my closest friends, who’s been reading my work, to tell her about getting a new job.
She was happy, but she told me right after she wanted to talk along with her husband about a new business. We set a meeting, and they asked me to do the copywriting of their new ethical brand.
My answer was something like this: I’m really honored, but what makes you think I can handle it? I love you guys, and I need to be honest with you. I don’t know if I’m up to the job.
Their answer was something like this: You write in Medium for God’s sake, you can handle it. We want creative content, and we want someone who shares our values.
The point is,
My friends didn’t need to know about what I write nor the core of my values. Friends don’t necessarily share the same beliefs, yet sharing my Medium links with them triggered everything that has come next, a whole new journey.
Job applications might not require your Medium links either, but what do you get to lose if you added them to your Resume anyway? They might not be positions for you, but they might create them for you. So, always share them anytime you can.
With that being said,
The next time you hesitate to share that friend link, keep in mind that some opportunity might be waiting for you. The next time fear seizes you up, remember that companies might need you for something besides the job position they have. All they have to see is potential.