175+ Applications Later: What Keeps Me Going & Re-Introducing Myself

It almost seems like a blur. The hours spent typing rapidly. Hours pouring through various job boards, forums, and industry-specific websites. Hours spent in wait, hoping for one response that will set it all in motion. After over 175 applications, I’ve approached? my process to assimilate everything as if I’m in a role I would thrive in: Start my day with priority tasks(Applications bookmarked to be done, follow-ups to hiring managers), Secondary tasks(Scouting for department heads on LinkedIn to make intros, drafting copy for said intros, etc) and an open block period (go outside and touch some grass, call friends, write LinkedIn Article drafts). Though I enjoy the pursuit of a challenge or new goal, I would really appreciate a new routine. In a new space. With health coverage. Exciting colleagues. Inspiring work. Oh, and a paycheck would be lovely.?

Some have told me I have gone “off the rails” by not sticking to doing one thing as a professional for my entire life, that I have put myself in a difficult position to succeed. For me, that couldn’t be further from the truth, even if past prospective employers saw that through an opaque lens.

Since we could formulate formal thoughts as children, the adults in our lives have asked us “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and we have often been conditioned to say just one thing. It is?wild to think about that, considering we are just getting to know the world around us, how it works, and how we want to find our place in it. For people like me, that journey has carried? well into adulthood. I started off powering through the Sports Industry, with my biggest impact coming in MLB/MiLB. Memories I won’t soon forget because of the leaders, coworkers, and industry peers who have been my biggest advocates, confidants, and cheerleaders. Like many people coming out of the COVID Pandemic and a canceled MiLB season, I had a mini existential crisis on what I should be doing for the rest of my life. I gave baseball one more try in Greenville, SC with the Drive, but ultimately realized numerous personal factors in my life were failing to be addressed and needed a dramatic change to get those focuses corrected.?

Jordan, Phil, and Eric, I’ll never forget the kindness and light y’all showed me then.?

So, once I left baseball, the nearly three year adventure I’ve been on of? self-discovery continues. It brought me 13,000+miles over land and sea from Milwaukee to Miami, across to Latin America, Seattle and? back home to Wisconsin again. Over the course of this journey, I’ve been a disaster response volunteer helping families grieve what they’ve lost in Hurricane Ida, worked in luxury hotel leadership were I was inspired daily by my teammates, stood on mountains and walked along oceans backpacking, made friends from all walks of life, worked for a start-up company that has torched a defined path in the outdoor space, and most importantly through it all, I’ve put my happiness first. As I look back to those moments through the adversities and the joys, I’ve developed a strong appreciation for the courage to take those leaps of faith despite being unsure of the outcome. I can say with certainty that this journey has not been easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way because of what I’ve learned about myself and the world in the process.?Translating all of that in interviews isn't hard for me because I know how to quantify and relate what I've done to the work I'm looking to do. I unfortunately can count the number of interviews I've had over the last two months on one hand. So, despite having references from all career stops, cover letters that paint the picture of my experiences and skills being transferrable, I have more often than not being met at an impasse that leads to a dead end. Because I have the belief in my skills and all my experiences, I push on.

If there is anything I’d want a hiring manager to know about me, it is that I’m curious. I’m a driven individual that can tackle what is put in front of me (sales, event ops, client relations, strategy, etc) and if I somehow find a task where I can’t, I’ll be resourceful and find a way. If application #175 is being done with the same tenacity as #1 doesn’t showcase a refusal to surrender to adversity, I don’t know what does. I'm courageous. Instead of accepting the status quo and what is "expected" for one's life, I took gambles and tried new things to not only increase my ability to develop professional skills in new ways, but positively impact the people I met along the way. I’m a team player that knows how to uplift and encourage, and I don’t need a leadership title to do those things.?

So with that, let introduce myself for those who’ve known me a bit, and those who don’t know me at all:

My name is Luke Johnson. I’m from Racine, Wisconsin. I graduated college from UW-Oshkosh. I’ve lived in seven states and loved South Carolina so much, I lived there twice. I started learning Spanish because the friends I’ve learned it from have become my family. The two greatest films (in my opinion) ever created are Titanic and The Shawshank Redemption. I sat on top of Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Baseball was my first love and everything I’ve learned about life can be traced back to the principles I learned spending my time playing it as a kid and? working in it as an adult. The coolest thing I did this year was watch two of the most important people in my life get married in the ceremony of their dreams. I believe Langston Hughes is one of the most important writers in our nation’s history. My mom and my sister are the two biggest heroes I have in my life. I believe happiness is not only within you, but is also a result of how you share it with the world.

My journey continues. The rejections and slow progress may be hard at times, but my spirit refuses to be broken. I know the opportunity awaiting me will arrive on time, because I am in relentless pursuit of it.

Like what you read? Hiring? Want to chat? DM me on LinkedIn or email me: [email protected]