Landing a job in New York after 420 rejections is a massive win, but for international student Divya Bansal, it also came with a vital lesson. Sharing a first-day post on Instagram, the creator explained that while her new role pays the bills, she refuses to let her career consume her entire identity.
“As an international student with limited options and visa struggles, I landed this job after 420 rejections. It’s a big deal for me, but not so much that I make my life revolve around it,” digital creator Divya Bansal wrote on Instagram.
She continued, “10 years ago, when I started my career- if someone told me I would be working in New York, I would laugh it off but today, it’s a dream come true. This dream also comes with a realisation that your job is a part of your identity, not your entire being.”
The video she posted opens with a text insert that reads, “First day of job after 420 rejections.”
Bansal says, “I got a job in New York and today is and today is the first day of it and here’s the bada** energy I am starting it with” while walking through the city streets.
She continues that she landed the job about a week after graduating from NYU as an international student. She adds, “I applied to about 420 job, got three interviews, and landed two.”
She explains, “In an economy where getting a job is tied to your self-worth, it is a big deal for me.” However, at the same time she says that though her job is important, it’s not her entire life.
“It’s a part of my life. A part that challenges me, helps me grow, and pays my bills but it’s not my identity. I am going to make my work revolve around my life and not the other way around.”
Bansal adds that she would still do the things she loves and make time for her loved ones; if she made her job her entire identity, she would lose interest in the things she enjoys.
“I came to New York to build a life and not just a career. My career is something I do, it’s not who I am and it’s not what defines me.”
(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Divya Bansal. This report will be updated when she responds.)
How did social media react?
An individual posted, “A job is a part of our life. True.” Another expressed, “As someone who just started at NYU. Thank you so much. I needed this.”
Also Read: Indian employee turns down US job opportunity as he would have to ‘clean house himself’
A third commented, “Love your energy.” A fourth wrote, “You are on the right path.” While some congratulated her, a few reacted to the post using heart or clapping emoticons.
