I walked into my new position at VH1 with a bit of resistance. Okay, maybe a lot of resistance. A big part of me wanted to enjoy my summer, carefree and without stress as many college students hope to do. Hell, I was even planning to travel Europe, but things change.
I accepted a full-time summer freelance position as VH1 Press Coordinator and was thrown into the mix of the 30- and 40- somethings of the real world. I got to fully experience temporary adulthood after interning with the network for two semesters, which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I was given, as most young professionals are not allowed a test run before signing on for the real thing. I've learned more about work life than I ever could have imagined.
I've had six internships at this point and naive, little me expected to walk in knowing it all. Yes, I did know a lot, but internships don’t prepare you for everything. I would call my mom often to fill her in on the daily happenings of my job and her response was typically along the lines of, “Now you understand what a real job is like.” Of course, I also learned a great deal about entertainment publicity and press and how to manage talent. I learned that Amber Rose loves Italian food, Will Smith is the world's greatest dad, and Queen Latifah is one tough bitch. I also learned that entertainment publicity and press is not the thing for me. I admire anyone who dedicates their life to the profession and quite frankly, there is no other way to succeed. The job is demanding, intense, long and hard. Talent can be difficult to work with and ensuring the happiness of all parties is often impossible. Publicity simply takes the right kind of person. In all honesty, these past months have been extremely challenging and it took me a very long time to realize thinking a job is cool and being passionate about a job are two very different things.
But as I mentioned before, I am incredibly grateful for finding myself in this rare, unlikely position. When my contract ends in August, I'm free to explore other interests. I can learn more about myself and where I feel I belong. I used to think securing a position was the only thing that mattered, but with all that's gone on, I now realize if I'm waking up in the early morning and paying off an infinite amount of student loans, I better find something that brings me joy and becomes something I can connect with.
Overall, my experience with VH1 has been incredible. I've met some of the most inspirational, caring, helpful individuals who I will keep close to forever. I've learned more about people, work, and life than I thought possible and I know I am all the better for it. This experience has given me so much and I am extremely excited to continue on my journey of self discovery.
I hope sharing my story will be beneficial to anyone who ends up in a similar position. It’s okay to change course. It’s okay to not have a plan or a single idea of what you want to do. No two journeys are alike, which is what makes life so wonderful. I’ve learned to stop stressing over things out of my control. The only thing I’m focused on now is finding whatever it is that makes me happy.
