Confessions of a Job Seeker
By Samantha Divine Jallah
Someone recently asked me “Why don’t you have a job?” and I did not have an answer to the question. I was prepared for many questions, but not the most important one. After digging deep, “we” have come up with something. I say “we” because, in many ways, my journey has been like Cinderella’s: it has taken many godmothers (and godfathers, too) to get me ready for the ball – I mean, practice of law!
For a while, I was comfortable just being Cinderella. I could not see beyond the rags of my reality. I desperately wanted to acquire a prestigious position as an aspir-
ing new lawyer, but feelings of inferiority persisted. I did not finish in the top ten of my class, was not on law review, and was not invited to join moot court. These “shortcomings” clouded my vision until “we” uncovered the traits of a strong work ethic and an attractive experience.
My journey of self-reflection and evaluation has led to a defined brand I can market to employers. In collaboration with my network of “fairy godmothers,” I formed valuable partnerships. They intro- duced me to mentors and sponsors within their networks, giving me opportunities to cultivate my own career-sustaining relationships. Now that their work is close to completion, I finally see what they saw in me from the beginning. Allow me to tell you (and remind my-
self) why I have the profitable traits of a great lawyer and business leader.
1) I am persuasive. And I can prove it. At 13, I convinced my mother — a strong-minded person by any standard — to leave the country she loved during war. Why was this important? There were other persuasive parties — adults who she respected much more than me — who had her ear and wanted her to stay. I was David against many Goliaths in a culture where children were to be seen and not heard. There I won my first great, life-changing, battle, and I have never looked back.
2) I am a negotiator. Except for my short stint as the youngest child, I have been a middle child most of my life. I had to live with being less perfect than an
awesome older brother and needing less attention than a younger brother. I negotiated my time and attention well. I aimed for win-win situations and often achieved
them. However, when that wasn’t possible,I had no problems fighting for what I believed. Being a middle child toughened me up for those fights.
3) I am a good manager. I have led high-performing and low-performing teams. From those experiences, I learned you’re only as strong as your team. I have learned many things along the way and reflected on the things I would do differ- ently. I know you can teach many things but, you can’t teach people to care. I know engagement and retention are possible and profitable if you value people as individu- als first. I know that not everyone wants to rise. That’s okay. I know that not everyone wants to live up to her potential. That’s frustrating. Overall, I know the role of a good manager is meeting people where they are and working to get them to their goals in a mutually beneficial way.
4) I am a leader. As the CEO of Libe- rian Awards, Inc., I saw a problem and began to solve that problem. The problem was that young immigrant minorities were not seeing successful people who came from their backgrounds. They lived in a “Do as I say, not as I do” cycle; that dis- connect between what was said and what was done led students to not attend or complete college. Our organization solves this disconnect problem by showcasing immigrants who have excelled in business, art, academia, medicine, law and nonprof- its. Our community now sees immigrants that live what they say, and that reality inspires and gives hope to future genera- tions.
My most important leadership role be- gan in law school when I became a mother twice. I am COO of the Jallah household serving two precious future leaders (who are 17 months apart). I lead by example. That means I do not quit. I did not quit law school because God’s timing did not coincide with mine. I finished the semes- ters strong, while working through the nights with constant interruptions from the future leaders needing food, wanting attention, fighting colds or reaching de- velopmental milestones. I manage logistics well. I can literally feed three human beings at once while reading in front of a computer. It is an art. I strongly encourage learning by making it fun. Purple pan- cakes, anyone? I delegate so that others have an opportunity to develop and I stay near just in case I am asked to help. I correct without degrading, because respect and self-esteem matter. I listen to learn. Most importantly, I have learned not to take myself too seriously. After all, I am still Cinderella, and now I have a job.
Now if someone asks me, “Why don’t you have a job?” I have an answer. I am looking for my prince. Before I did not believe I had reasons to seek, or be found by, a prince. Today, I am actively looking and believing I deserve that prince as much as the next person, if not more. I am now not only ready for the ball but, I am confident that princes will find me attractive.