No amount of coffee or Adderall will prepare you for this tedious process
Diary of a Sad Black Marketer is a series of personal essays about topics ranging from professional development to mental health. Though most people would describe me as “a ray of sunshine”, I have my cloudy days. These thoughts and opinions are through my specific lens, a young black girl just trying to be successful in the design world. Thanks for clicking on this article! Enjoy!
Upsetting Me and My Homegirls
Don’t worry, this isn’t gonna be true sad girl vibes. You can put away your box of tissues. Or keep them. I’m not here to dictate your Kleenex needs.
“Then why did you choose a crying gif?”
To reel you in. LOL. Don’t you understand the laws of clickbait?
The biggest inspiration behind this series is my tendency to bottle up my emotions. I want to make progress in that department. Especially because I know for a fact that I’m not the only one who has negative feelings about the current state of the marketing realm. I hope I can provide a safe space for other minority marketers to share their opinions.
Even though the title of this series suggests I’ll be upset this whole article, that’s not the case. If you hang out until the end, you might find some hidden gems. So let’s dive right into the very first journal entry: job hunting.
Houston, We Have A Problem
“JOB HUNTING IS ONE OF THE GREATEST PLEASURES IN THE WORLD!!!!!!”
Said no one ever in the history of the universe. Let’s be honest here. The job hunting process is about as exciting as watching paint dry. I would rather do 100 loads of laundry back to back than sift through job descriptions. That speaks volumes because I absolutely loathe doing laundry.
There’s so much stress that comes with searching for roles, no matter what industry you are in. You’d think that with the number of remote roles on the market that getting hired should be a breeze. If anything, that makes it harder to get a job due to more competition.
I'm not gonna sit here and act like there are no happy chapters in your job search story. For starters, you learn to develop thick skin from all the ghosting and rejection that you experience. On the other hand, you could be the type that curls up into a ball and floods your pillow with snot bubbles. Aw shoot, where did I put those tissues from earlier?!
Another pro about being a job seeker is you become an expert at marketing yourself. Wait, I work in Marketing. Shouldn’t I already be excellent at this? Contrary to popular belief, just because I know what language to use to increase conversion rates, doesn’t mean I know how to talk to all employers. I’m not SuperWoman. Geez!
Alright, enough about the positives. You can’t call this a sad diary without complaining for at least 75% of the entry. Time to channel my angsty teen self. Rawr xD.
You Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It Too
Most people aren't jack-of-all-trades. Even though these unfortunate job descriptions would have you thinking otherwise. Companies expect you to have eight arms and the ability to do the jobs of 15 people, all for the delightful federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
“We’re looking for a unicorn to join our family!!!!”
I just projectile vomited while typing that out. Pro tip: if you ever see a sentence similar to this in a job posting, do me a favor and chuck your computer across the room. Why? Because that’s what you’d want to do working for a company like that. Welcome to the wonderful world of toxic work culture! (more on that in a future article *wink wink*).
Don’t get me wrong, some companies actually encourage people who don’t 100% fit the job description to apply. This is a step in the right direction. Realistically, there’s no such thing as checking off every box. If you find that is the case, somebody is either lying or there wasn’t much criteria to begin with.
There should always be an opportunity to learn something on the job. Otherwise, what’s the point of doing the job if you’re not gonna grow? Sure, there are people who are fine with staying stagnant in their careers. But, I want better for you. Strive for greatness for crying out loud! (New drinking game. Take a shot every time I talk about anything related to tears)
Prepare for Alcohol Poisoning
The other day, I cried for the 1st time in 6 months. See, I told yall I bottle up emotions! Truly, I was 5 months overdue for flooding my Squishmallow with wet saltiness. The culprit of this is you guessed it: another regret letter. But, not just any regret letter. One from a company I made it to the final round with. What a buzzkill.
In theory, rejection is inevitable. All employers can’t let you pass go and collect $200. But imagine running a marathon, being right in front of the finish line, and then you get struck by a boulder. You spent all this time training for the race, getting a taste of victory, just for it to get snatched away at the last second. Such a terrible feeling.
Even though I cried, it definitely wasn’t for long. My toxic trait is I’ve been conditioned to believe that tears = weakness. I've also been told I need to uphold the "Strong Black Woman" trope and convey "Black Joy" at all times. Well, you know what? Quite frankly, that’s complete and utter bullsh*t.
Crying is normal, valid, and healthy. It doesn’t mean you’re a weakling. If anything, crying proves your strength for not being afraid to show negative emotions. It’s also not a black person’s job to be “strong.” We should be given the same amount of grace as our counterparts. Yes, we’re tired of seeing black trauma in the media. That doesn’t mean we can never be sad.
If you needed a sign to feel the full spectrum of emotions during your job search, this is it. Punch a pillow. Break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most amount of tissues used in one sitting. Sing the beginning of the song “Boo’d Up” by Ella Mai. Eat an entire cake to celebrate that offer letter you finally get.
“Feeeeelings, so deep in my feeeeelings, no this ain’t really like me, can’t control my anxietyyyyyy.”
Nursing You Back To Health
Now that you are done getting your stomach pumped from all the Jack Daniels you chugged from the drinking game, let’s improve things by giving you the medicine you need to survive the turmoil of job hunting.
Prescription #1 — Network 300mg
As cliche as it sounds, it really is about who you know. Networking events will help you practice selling yourselves to stakeholders in interviews. Plus, you never know who could get you your next opportunity.
Prescription #2 — Mentorship 250mg
Having someone guide you through the job hunting process is extremely beneficial. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. After all, humans are meant to be social creatures. That is why we end up going insane if we’re isolated for too long.
Find someone who has your dream role. Or maybe they work for your dream company. I have a mentor who works for Google (woohoo, he survived the layoffs!) and he’s been so instrumental in my career growth.
Prescription #3 — Therapy 100mg
I am a firm believer in every person trying therapy at least once in their life. That means booking an appointment with a real licensed therapist. Your significant others and friends are not your therapists. Although they are great to vent to, they can’t offer you the same insights as a professional.
No surprise, there is a stigma associated with seeking help. Especially in the male demographic and black community. If you’re a part of the melanated militia, you’ve probably heard the following phrases at some point in your life:
“Therapy is for white people!”
“Maybe if you went to church and prayed more, you wouldn’t be in this mess!”
“What do you have to be depressed about? You have food, water, shelter, and a loving family!”
Remember I said that black people are tired of seeing black trauma in the media and would rather see black joy? Well, you’re never going to be truly happy if you haven’t dealt with your demons in a healthy way.
Most likely, job hunting is going to turn your mental health upside down. Chances are, your mental health was already spiraling from the early stages of the pandemic. The atrocious job market of 2023 is the tip of the iceberg. Do yourself a favor and talk to someone about it before you drown in the Ocean of Depression and Anxiety.
Phew, I could probably write an article on mental health alone. Maybe I will (follow me to find out!)
Prescription #4 — Self Care 800mg
Admittedly, this is something I neglect, hence it being the highest dosage. There’s more to self care than massages and bubble baths. Take breaks from applying to jobs so you won’t experience burnout. (more on that in a future article *wink wink*)
Turning On My Megaphone
Part of my protocol as a writer is to acknowledge anyone that aided in the creation of this article. So, here it goes.
First off, I must shout out Kassandra Mendes. She has always believed in me and given me so many opportunities to share my opinions with a larger audience. Thank you so much for handing me a platform to connect with other like-minded individuals.
Next up is Devyn Bellamy. If it wasn’t for his brilliant mind for coming up with the idea of HubSpot’s Black@INBOUND group, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. I’ll cherish the relationships I’ve made in this organization for life. I’m looking forward to our next Zoom call (whenever that is)!
Jerome Axle Brown completely transformed my job hunting materials. If not for him, I’d be an even sadder black marketer as a result of not getting interviews. Keep up the good work!
Melody Koh has made me laugh more times than I can count from her Medium articles. She is one of my biggest writing inspirations. Please never stop publishing articles and continue to forget the haters!
Wone Young has listened to me b*tch about job hunting more than anyone else. I’m sure he’s gonna throw a huge party when I land my next role. He’s one of my best friends and I love him to pieces.
Last but not least, shout out to Neffie Khaos for talking on the phone with me the night of my overdue stress meltdown. I really needed someone to cheer me up and you delivered. Thank you for being a night owl!
As always, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Ta ta for now!
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