Friday, July 30, 2010

Overqualified?

Is there such a thing? Or is that the "nice" way of saying, "Sorry babe, we just don't LIKE you!"? I have sent out thousands (no joke) of my resumes, but I'm not giving up! I know that I will be successful, I know that I have what it takes. I know that my dreams of being a Fashion Journalist won't end and I will not, and I repeat WILL NOT settle. I may only have a degree from FIDM and I have been donned "The Forever Intern" but I will break that curse and I will become someone.. I will prove that I'm meant to be the next Anna Wintour, Joe Zee, Kelly Cutrone... ME!

I've received more "Overqualified" emails than "Let's talk"... okay I lied... I haven't had one "Let's talk"/"When's the best time to set up an interview" email... ZERO!... I've sent continuous follow up emails, probably about the same amount of Resumes I've sent.

Just recently I received one of these...

Dear Marjaneh,
Thank you for your interest in the position of ____________ in Soho, New York, NY.
We have carefully reviewed your skills and qualifications. Unfortunately, we do not have an appropriate job opportunity for you.
We thank you again for your interest in exploring employment opportunities with us, and wish you much success in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Human Resources

Okay, thanks for being honest sir. Here is a better one...

Dear Marjaneh,
Thank you for your interest in ________ Group, Inc. and applying for the following position:
______________________
We have reviewed your qualifications and background and were impressed with your accomplishments. However, we regret that to inform you that we are pursuing other candidates who more closely fit our needs.
Thank you for considering ___________ Group, Inc. You have our best wishes for success.
Sincerely,
Human Resources
or how about this cute one...
Dear Marjaneh:

Thank you for expressing an interest in the________ position. While it is never an easy
decision, we have decided to consider other candidates whose qualifications more closely
matched the needs of this position.

Sincerely,

__________ Team

Thanks for being "impressed" enough to say no... Really? How much work experience does one person need to make the cut? Isn't working endless hours as a FREE intern enough experience? Even if you've stayed a loyal intern 30+ hours a week for 2-3 years enough "experience". Try juggling that plus a paid part time job and being a full time student who lives 3 hours away! Yeah! If I can manage that... I can conquer the world SIRS!

Okay... now I'm sounding bitter huh? No, that's not what I'm trying to show you all. Be positive Marjaneh... Be positive! God has a better plan for you... YOU have a better plan for you...

Until next time,

XOXO


M

Thursday, July 22, 2010

NY it is!

After my first entry, I had a revelation. I AM going to NYC and I am going to follow my dreams! Being 24 and done with school, no kids, not married, nothing but a degree. I have no chain holding me down!

Step numero uno is complete. Now about the job part... hmm? I'm not going to lie to you. I think all of New York has been flooded by my resumes and clever cover letters. I have researched each and every job so that I could relate myself to them in my personal statements. I pretty much think that 1- New York probably has a hit out for me because they're tired of seeing my continuous emails/faxes OR 2- I can create my OWN company with every detail I've learned from each business/company I've applied to. Haha jk! No no no, I'm not quite there yet with the "Being My Own Boss" venture.

Recently, I've applied to People's Revolution in NYC. No I don't think Kelly Cutrone is a B*tch nor do I think she is evil. I think, scratch that, KNOW she is a business woman. Her business is her baby and for people to expect her to be "nice", to sometimes incompetent workers is TOO much to ask for. She is, after all, paying her employees bills, so to say. So YES, she has a right to yell and YES she has a right to fire. If you can't make the cut, then sayonara dolls!

I feel that I am CUT out to work for her. I need and want that brutally honest, down right "mean" behavior from a boss. In this industry, you can't play nice and get results. I want to enroll in the Kelly Cutrone Boot Camp and I believe that I have all the qualities that she is looking for.

I like criticism, I like brashness. Call me weird or call me a future Entrepreneur. But I KNOW that you won't be successful in a industry or even a city, for that matter, without understanding that Nice guys DO finish last. I'm not saying go out and make enemies and I'm definitely not implying backstabbing friends or coworkers to get to the top. I'm just stating that you can't allow harsh words to get in the way. Take every word as a lesson from a teacher.

Have you ever had a "hard" or "mean" instructor, and hated every minute you had to endure their lesson plans? Well think back to now. Have you become stronger? do you have a thicker skin? do you REMEMBER what was taught? Most of you probably said NO, and for those that did, your stubborn and haven't opened your eyes. For those who said YES, bravo!

I have sat in front of my computer for the last few weeks trying to contact Kelly. I have sent emails to her generic email address and have even tried playing as a Private Investigator and tampering with the generic email address and sticking KellyCutrone@peoplesrevolution or KCutrone@peoplesrevolution and so on, but alas I keep getting an email from my Best Friend, Delivery Message Failed. Yeah he and I go WAY back haha.

So FIDM Alum, join me on my new adventure "Get Hired by Kelly Cutrone!" Until next time.


XOXO,

M

Thursday, July 15, 2010

LA or NY?

Post Numero Uno- for the POST FIDM life. Let me tell you, being "done" with school isn't a whole bunch of twinkly Hollywood or New York lights. The Pap have other hot messes to worry about and you, a straight A, student council, Mode Magazine contributing alum is sitting in a cubicle, in a job you don't like, making only enough to fill your gas tank. Not you? Yeah, that's because this is me. Precisely 8 months of being a FIDM alumni and 1 month from turning my tassel I am here, square -1 with 60 Thousand in school debt, making the same, if not, a tad less than the 18 year old, who took down my lunch order, at the fast food joint in Santa Monica. Interning has gotten me no where but alas, my heart is dreaming my next scheme. Am I cut out to rub elbows (or in some instances rub lotion on the legs of the models for the magazine I interned for) with LA celebs? Or am I the same 17 year old with the Big Apple shining through my eyes, hoping and envisioning my life as the next Anna Wintour? Who am I kidding? I'm now 24 with just a FIDM degree and a pocket full of fairy dust and dreams.

As I saw myself board the plane 2 months after my 18th birthday from NY back to OC (where I'm born and raised) I made a vow to return one day with a better plan.

Maybe I should begin this first entry with an intro on why FIDM? Growing up where most girls saw the fashion industry portrayed in the glam life, living in SoHo or Beverly Hills, I saw Karl Lagerfeld, a then husky yet intriguing Chanel mastermind. I too, wanted to rule the scene, not just the front page of every glossy magazine. Mix in my Rolling Stone Magazine Editor of an aunt and Marjaneh, fashion journalist was born. I wanted to portray the fashion in WORDS, where you saw and felt the glamour in a different way, than a price tag or hung as decoration on the frail bodies of models. I read books on Anna Wintour's life, where most girls where flipping the pages of her magazines. I was going to work for Vogue, I told myself that everyday. Packing just a suit case I moved to New York, to study journalism and learn fashion the amateur way, through the many racks at Bergdorf Goodman. After 3 months and ONLY ancient literature being taught, I realized this path wasn't as "creative" as I had hoped. Returning to Orange County, I enrolled at FIDM. Mind you, this was about the same time the infamous 'Hills' began and every where I went I was being compared to Lauren Conrad. Sorry but no! If you knew me, you'd know that wouldn't fly. Being neighbors with that girl was enough, but being compared? No thanks.

When MTV decided reality was better than music, a whole generation of culture died. Please don't chime a Hillary Duff or Natasha Bedingfield tune my way sister. If I had a "show" based on my life, I'd choose a better theme song like Gwen Stefani's Tic Toc. Yeah, that'd be perfect. Time was ticking and so was my career. Now here I am, done with FIDM, a decision I don't regret. I've learned the aesthetics, the business, the marketing, the definition of fashion, this is what and all I needed.

Now enter 2010. Recession, lay offs and people closing their wallets and even their subscriptions to Fashion Bibles, such as: Vogue, Bazaar, and WWD. The pages were now more of a high end JCPenny catalogue, than a 'Voice of Fashion.' The most words you could find, were the tag lines of an advertisement. Now what FIDM? Where do I go from here? I've done the styling, the event planning but what about my dream? What's next?

Here my friend Tharry and I (along with other Alums) give you a chance to follow our "Pursuit to Happiness" and our versions of the Post FIDM life. Welcome and enjoy.


XOXO,

M