Graduating & Job Seeking During The End of the World
By: Carolina Gaviria
Tags: Job Search, Networking, Covid Diaries, Bootcamp, Pandemic

I began my UX design bootcamp on March 2nd. I was in South America visiting my family, due to return to New York on the 4th. The rumors of the illness coming to the US from Wuhan were slowly spreading. On the day before my flight, we went on a hunt for face masks-making frequent breaks for snacks, ice cream, and shopping for other little knick knacks.

On the way to the airport, my step dad took a new route, the Tunel De Oriente. After being delayed for decades, the longest tunnel in South America was finally complete. It cut our drive to the airport by about half an hour. Thinking back, the awe I felt inside that tunnel with its long stretches of darkness cut by short spans of open road and beautiful views, foreshadowed the upcoming year. That night on the plane I attempted to complete my first assignment, a competitive analysis. While I waited for my connecting flight, three people wearing masks caught my eye, distracting me from my assignment. “Should I put my mask on? I only have three, maybe I should save them,” I worried.

Less than 3 weeks after my arrival, the city went on lockdown. There was a never ending flood of ambulance sirens. The number of cases and deaths soared. Sitting in front of the tv became a routine, fearing the field hospitals and mass graves. We got calls from family members asking, “are you okay?” “Is it really as bad as they say?”

The bootcamp, my instructors, and my cohort went through this pandemic beside me. My tiny groups and projects became a lifeline. The bootcamp acted as that long winding tunnel-I walked into the dark scared and unsure, and came out on the other side ready and excited for my next adventure. I graduated from Flatiron’s UX bootcamp 10 months later.

But searching for a job has been so difficult. With the blatant crimes against humanity, the sickness, the grief, the trauma and the civil unrest, it feels almost impossible to network. How can I message someone about my resume or their company when mass shootings are becoming an every day occurrence, when there’s a black life lost to police brutality daily, when India and Brazil are losing people by the thousands, when people in my neighborhood are lining up to receive food from churches, when my own mom tells me she’s scared because the COVID rate is up and the ICU’s in her city are full? I don’t know how to act like these things aren’t happening. I wish I did.

For now, I’ve been trying to connect with like minded people. I’ve been looking for UX hackathons that focus on public health solutions. Every day I wonder if there is something I can do through research and design that’ll help the world. For now, I just want everyone to know that I’m deeply affected and angry by what’s going on in the world. I’d love to reach out by saying, “Hello, I’m Carolina. I’m emotionally drained, but I think your company has a great mission and I want to be a part of it. Can I please help?” Most importantly, I want other young professionals to know that it’s okay to take a breather. It’s okay to take on projects you care about, even if they won’t further your job search.

If you’ve taken the time to speak with me, a junior designer, thank you. I appreciate your time and recognize that you’re probably tired as well. If you want to connect in a more casual way to vent or partner up for a project, feel free to reach out, I could use a conversation that centers around the real world.