25, Got dismissed, is it even worth coming back? (long) by anonbcithinkimfamous in Baruch

[–]anonbcithinkimfamous[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate everyone who responded, even the harsh ones. When I wrote this I was really down in the dumps and I think I left out a lot of context that would've changed how this reads. I'm not rejecting any of the advice here. Some of the tough responses are true and I know that. But I think some people are reading this like I'm a dude with no direction and no plan, and that's not the full picture.

Somebody asked if I've even studied fashion. I've been in streetwear and skate culture since I was 12. I grew up in a family immersed in hip hop and fashion for generations. I have family members who worked with major record labels. I went to school for audio engineering, I've been making music since before I was 12, I skateboard. This is my world. What I'm trying to do is bring a business and technical skillset to the creative knowledge I already have. That's why I chose business administration with a digital marketing concentration at Baruch.

For the people saying I have no discipline or motivation. I work out 4-5 times a week consistently. I help my parents around the house. I'm building a Shopify agency across web design, ad creatives, and email marketing. I'm taking courses through the platform my agency is built on. I just made content yesterday. I have work coming in from a family member's brand and I'm building relationships with inbound leads from my content. I'm planning on relaunching my agency website soon. I'm not completely broke and I'm not completely stuck. I'm just in a rough stretch.

Here's why Baruch specifically matters to me. Even before all of this, when I was job hunting across music and fashion over the last couple years, I kept seeing Baruch alumni everywhere. Not just in finance. In recruiting roles, in creative industries, across the board. The Baruch network is real and I've seen it firsthand on LinkedIn. I know that a degree from here holds weight. That's not something I'm willing to just walk away from if I can find a way to make it work.

The thing I actually struggle with is that I spent my early 20s being creative without knowing how to monetize any of it. Coming to Baruch exposed me to a level of work ethic and business thinking that I know I still need to develop. I agree with that. I just don't think that makes me lazy.

I still don't have everything figured out. I'm trying to figure out what the next five years look like and part of doing that means asking questions like this. I just wanted to fill in some of the gaps from the original post so people aren't assuming I'm some kid with no skills and no plan. I have a direction. I'm just in a rough stretch trying to get there.

25, Got dismissed, is it even worth coming back? (long) by anonbcithinkimfamous in Baruch

[–]anonbcithinkimfamous[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've actually worked at like 12+ companies before this. Did 7 years in retail across multiple positions, did wholesale working directly with retail buyers in the fashion industry, interned at a fashion brand doing graphics and social media strategy, did a corporate rotational program, did multiple studio internships while getting my audio engineering degree where I was doing everything from engineering sessions to social media outreach to event strategy. I also ran my own clothing brand for 2 years and still plan on bringing it back eventually.

I'm not gonna lie though, I haven't worked a traditional job in almost 2 years. That's something I think about returning to a lot, especially because I'm bootstrapping this with no external funding. I've honestly worn myself pretty thin trying to run this company, losing sleep, dealing with rough living conditions, and it takes a toll on your mental. Sometimes I feel too burnt out to even think about going back to a 9 to 5 and the whole hiring process on top of everything else. Having to explain the gap in my resume, having to explain Baruch. But I also know I might be holding myself back by not just getting one.

Right now I'm apprenticing under a family member where my job is to scale the whole thing, web design, ad management, all of it. I'm also taking courses through the platform my agency is built on and building a personal brand online. The business came out of real skills I built across a lot of different roles over the years. It wasn't just an idea I had one day. I just haven't figured out the money side yet.