Ask, Seek, Knock

This week started off in a negative overtone, because this sporadic weather left me with a fever, migraine, coughing, body aching, and sneezing all of last week. I laid low this week and took it easy as everyone in the office encouraged me to stay at home. Nevertheless, I kept that promise to myself to explore DC while I still had a chance too.   Less than 6 weeks and counting as my undergraduate studies approaches to the last page my chapter, I desire to persist in enhancing my experience by searching for new opportunities to "knock" the doors of people that will help me in my voyage. Illness cannot impede me from discovering the endless possibilities in DC of my pursuit of knowledge, even though I probably infected a few people along the way.

First of all, despite my condition, I decided to walk into the Pentagon City mall to find a seasonal part time job. From my past experiences, I learned that I have to ask to speak to the manager and greet my potential employees with respect and kindness. A couple of weeks ago, my friend suggested to me to apply for Brookstone. As soon as I walked in, I asked the manager if he was hiring new employees. He told me to finish the application and come back for an interview as soon as I am done. After 15 minutes, I went back upstairs, interviewed with him, and he offered me a sales associate position right on the spot. He said his first impression of me approaching him with warmth and a smile caught his attention immediately. Secondly, I did NOT take the opportunity to explore any of the famous Smithsonian museums since I first stepped foot into DC. Yet again I probably infected the people around me as I walked around the Natural History Museum, the Botanical Garden, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, and the National Mall. My favorite part of all the exhibits that I saw was the butterfly room in the Natural History Museum. Butterflies represent growth and renewal, my old nickname from my father used to be butterfly.

One of my favorite quotes is "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  This quote is not only relevant to its religious meaning, but also in some ways networking and finding yourself. Inside of me my heart, the flame continues to rapidly burn brighter as I desire to seek and find the next step in my journey. What mesmerizes me the most about the vibe in DC is many people are willing to honestly open up about their life and work experiences. Wholeheartedly, I believe people walk into your life for a reason. On Sunday, I had the random urge to watch football in the Crystal City Sports Bar. No, the least of the NFC east aka the Giants were not playing, but I always enjoy the atmosphere of passionate fans cheering on their beloved teams. Little did I realize, I was going to meet a woman sitting right next to me; in which she is currently employed by the Department of Defense.

The ice breaker of the conversation started off as she said apologized to me for saying a derogatory term as she was talking about her past relationships to the bartender. Out of curiosity, I began the conversation by asking, "What are you currently doing"? I conducted another informal informational interview as she opened up about her experiences as a defense contractor that specializes in Information Technology. Throughout her career, she was deployed to various parts of the globe, such as Iraq. Her hands on experience of immersing herself within Iraq by emphasizing her Greek heritage assisted her in gaining the trust of the Iraqis. She basically assured to me to use certain aspects to help you in your job, such as cultural, religious, and traditional values. She said once you get your foot in the door by working for the government, they will immediately take your word more seriously.  Moreover, she asked me if I knew how to speak a language and I emphasized to her that I understand Tagalog and I know how to casually speak the language, but I am not yet fluent. She gave me advice to put in my resume to include that I know how to speak Tagalog and to research American companies that have branches overseas. Many of these government contractors or even the Department of State are diversifying their workforce.

I also disclosed to her the high level of uncertainty I am experiencing as I am officially done with my undergraduate degree. As she labeled herself as an expert in interviewing, she provided me with the idea to be unique in your resume and the way you present yourself by wearing an eye catching colorful necklace, clothes, or even put on a strong perfume. She emphasized to me to look different from the rest of the crowd for the employer to remember your name.  I explained to her my situation that I am leaning towards a government position as my "next" step, because I want to be eligible for the student loan forgiveness program. Luckily, she was nice enough to write down my email, because she promised me that she will email me job postings from the DoD. I explained to her my ambitions of running for Congress and going to law school at night. She encouraged  me to continue to keep moving forward by not giving up in that dream, because she understands the lack of women in powerful roles. Lastly, since she has been a loyal patron in the bar for years; she introduced me to the owners since I am thinking about doing waitressing if I decide to live here beyond the internship program.

 In the end,  I am beginning to believe these random instances are no longer occurrences of "luck" as I continue to "Ask, Seek, and Knock" by putting myself out there throughout my time in DC. Particularly, I appreciate the honesty and rawness from all these people, who I met so far. I am sure that the universe is beginning to conspire around me since I am setting that goal for myself that I refuse to become a statistic that college graduates cannot find a decent entry level job....not me.