10 Things Millennial Job Seekers Can Learn from a Former Aspiring Child Star

We’ve approached the time of year where thousands of recently graduated university students face the same existential dilemma: the classic “what the *insert soul crushing profanity* am I doing with my life?!” I too faced this gritting dilemma up until a few days before my college graduation; the day when the global head of the Business Leadership Program at LinkedIn called to offer me the job that would eventually change the course of my young career.

What most people don't know about me is before the days where I dreamt of traveling the world, I dreamed of being a child star. Yes, at the tender age of six, my very pregnant mother would drive me through the pits of congested Los Angeles in rush hour traffic in order to deliver me to various casting calls and auditions. My parents couldn't be anything further from stage parents, but the selfless beings that they are, they somehow made time between both their very busy careers and raising four children to help me fulfill my dreams of *stardom.* 

I dropped these dreams very quickly after I realized my core competencies did not lie in showbiz. But throughout my short career of 10 auditions, 2 call backs and a 1 final call back (for a dancing Barbie role, nonetheless), I learned a few things that would help me land myself into one of the best post-graduate rotational programs in Silicon Valley.

1. “Half of life is showing up"

My father used to tell me this before every audition. “Whichever way it goes, “half of life is showing up.” He also would tell me this in high school when I tried playing hooky before an exam, but I digress. Even on those days when showing up seemed insignificant, I learned that sometimes simply showing up, no matter how seemingly insignificant in the moment, can change an overall outcome.

After initially not even landing an interview into the Business Leadership Program during the first rounds of recruiting, a few months later I learned that I could potentially have a second chance to not only meet with the gatekeepers of the program, but to understand the why of the initial outcome.

2. Rejection is inevitable – Don’t Give Up.

Somehow I had the insight early-on that an acting career was not where my passion laid. After a short stint in the world of stage moms, cattle calls, and the hustle and bustle of showbiz, I quickly decided that this world was something I did not wish to pursue.

The first time I heard about LinkedIn’s vision to create economic opportunity for the global workforce through creating the world’s first digital mapping of the global economy, I knew I wanted to be part of this coalition to work with purpose. Thus, when I learned that LinkedIn was once again coming to campus, to recruit interns I decided that this was something worth persevering. On the day of my 21st birthday, after starting an early morning at my job and completing a grueling afternoon calculus midterm, I pushed my exhaustion aside and once again and showed up.

My friends and even my parents could not understand why I was attending the same event I had attended only a few months prior. Nonetheless on my birthday when I should be out celebrating - especially since the program had already made their hires. I thought back to my early audition days and my father’s words and decided to show up anyway.

3. “Focus on what you want - Don’t be afraid to ask for it.”

The first time I went through the recruiting cycle, I didn’t fully know what I wanted. I had heard about the program, but did not have the foresight to understand how this path truly aligned with my personal mission, vision and values.

During my “second chance” recruiting event, I made sure to sit in the very front of the room, ask insightful questions and engage with the presenter whenever I could. After the speaker finished, I edged my way through the crowd to speak with the recruiter as other hopefuls began to flood her peripheral view. She remembered me immediately and started the conversation with a soul crushing “Yes, I remember you and you were not selected.”

It was this moment when I had a choice, turn around defeated and use the excuse of “it’s my 21st birthday” to cope using some serious boozing, or ask the all-important why.

4. Understanding the “why”

As someone who is motivated by self-improvement, I chose the latter. What the recruiter revealed was that from the time they had originally considered me, I didn’t have the right experience. At that point my focus was on selling her that since they had first considered me I had new and relevant experience that would prove valuable to LinkedIn. Although she assured me that all the hires for the upcoming class had been made, true to LinkedIn’s vision of creating opportunity, she ushered me to the head of the program to make my case.

5. Passion is electric

 Although our conversation was brief, by conveying my genuine passion for wanting to enter the program, I tried to convey in the most succinct way, how I could prove to be a valuable member of both the program and LinkedIn. Something resonated, because Gordon Tobin suggested we continue the conversation.

6. Be Thoughtful

I followed up the conversation with the most thoughtful email I could convey. I was honest. I expressed that the first time I had gone through the process I had just come back from a year abroad and not only wasn’t prepared but didn’t understand the opportunity that was in front of me. I asked for another conversation, and luckily Gordon agreed.

Although the end of our conversation did not end with a job offer, it did open the door to a relationship and dialogue with LinkedIn. A seed was planted.

7. Relationships Matter

A few months after my initial phone conversation with Gordon, I received an email from the professor who was advising my senior honors thesis. Almost serendipitously and without any knowledge of my desire to work at LinkedIn, he wrote: “I don’t know what your plans are for next year, but I connected with someone recently who wants me to send him talented students. He works at LinkedIn. Are you interested?”

I couldn’t believe it and was incredibly humbled that my professor had thought of me. A few days later I got an email from a VP’s executive assistant requesting a 1:1 while he was visiting campus. My professor’s contact was Brian Frank, the VP of Global Sales Operations at LinkedIn and an executive sponsor of the Business Leadership Program.

8. Prepare

Before meeting with Brian Frank, I knew I needed to have mental clarity about my intention of entering the program. I recognized that I had to go bigger picture than just the obvious reasons for wanting to enter such a competitive and sought after training program. Again, I went back to my personal mission and values.

Over the next few weeks, I had as many conversations as I could. I spoke to my aunt, a seasoned marketer, personal and professional mentors, close friends, a former BLP Mac Witmer, my trusted professor, and my mom (a hippie life coach.) Once, I had the mental clarity and understood the big picture why, I knew I could speak about my intention and experiences from genuine place.

9. Genuinely Connect

The morning of my meeting, my mom came down to San Diego to help me work through any last minute nerves or uncertainty. Mostly she helped me hold the vision and intention. As she dropped me off on campus, she left me with these words “Just genuinely connect: If you are able to do that, than you will have succeeded.”

As I walked around campus helping Brian track down a chocolate chip scone for his wife, admittedly one of the least conventional interview settings I've experienced, we spoke about family, my academic and professional interests and personal passions. He did not ask me about my work ethic, how many ping pong balls I estimated would fit into the White House or about my resume. He got to know me as a person, and we connected.

10. Express Gratitude

A few weeks later, I received an email from the same head of the program that I was being considered for the program and they were speaking internally about creating a spot for me. To this day, I still don’t fully know what went on behind the scenes, but I am truly grateful for the opportunity for growth and all the lessons learned along my non-linear path inside LinkedIn.

Throughout the entire process I made sure to express my gratitude to those continually rooting for my success through follow-up emails, personalized notes and phone calls. I hold this same standard during my time at LinkedIn, consistently making a point to express my gratitude to all who consistently enable this journey and the opportunities that have come along with it.

To all millennials and job seekers searching for your path during this time of uncertainty, just remember that the road to success is not linear. Stay big picture, follow your passion and nurture your relationships. Show up even when your presence may seem insignificant and always express your gratitude. You never know what opportunities may be the result of a simple interaction, or in my case a seemingly failed career as a child actor.

Special thanks to Gordon Tobin and Brian Frank for taking an intelligent risk on me and Mike Mallazzo for editing this post.