No Formula for Success

After years of suggesting that the reason I haven't found a high-paying job is because I was doing something wrong, someone finally admitted that it may not be my fault. He is a manager at his company and has recently been charged with interviewing candidates. He interviewed 3 candidates for a position but the company decided to contract the services rather than hire a permanent employee.

I guess I knew this all along but when you don't get what you picture as "success" you start to doubt yourself. In the past few years I've been meeting with people to get their "formula for success" and I've found out that there isn't one. I've talked with 3 people whose situations are similar to the picture I had of success: a PR Manager, a Media Coordinator, and an Associate Producer.

Sydney went to college and majored in English Literature. At the end of her educational career she didn't know what she wanted to do. After Talking to her sister, she moved across the country and worked as a PR Manager's assistant where she "learned the ropes" of PR. She has worked with publications including Elle, Glamour, and Harper's Bazaar. Now she is an internationally known PR Manager. Contrast Sydney with my friend Jennifer. Jennifer went to school and majored in Communication then interned with a local PR Firm. The firm did not hire her and she now works in customer service.

Ashlee went to college and majored in Education. She moved away from home because her husband found a job in another city. Once relocated, Ashlee volunteered at her husband's job for years in creative arts. A manager in the media department noticed her work and she was offered a job at the same company in a different department. Compare Ashlee to me. I went to school for Media Production, have a MS in Communication, I've held 2 internships. I have yet to be hired and am rarely called in for an interview. In the last 3 years, I've had about 3 interviews. I now do contract work through my company ByJRochelle.

Stacey went to school and majored in broadcasting. She worked at a news station in a small town where she did everything because she could not find a job in her hometown. Even though she acquired a plethora of experience at that station since the staff was so small, she still couldn't get hired for a job above entry-level. When she finally did get hired, it was for an entry-level position and the thing that set her above the pack was her personal blog on being a vegetarian. She still is not where she thought she'd be but she's further than I am.

What I learned from getting to know a few people is that there is no formula for success and maybe I should define success as I go as not to drive myself crazy. What do you think?