Tales from a Bruised Mind

Take a moment to look back at your life over the last five years. Pinpoint when that period began and you will quickly realise you have come a long, long way.

Through therapy, I’ve been thinking a lot about the past lately and, through all the good and the bad, I have realised that I have still managed to accomplish a lot. Sure, it’s certainly hard to look back at difficult times. Heck, it’s the reason why so many choose to simply just not go there at all. “I don’t want to remember that” or “I’m only going to look forward,” I’ve heard people say.

But looking back also has its positives. It can drive you to do better, to be highly motivated and to also just reflect on your prior actions.

I can tell you that there is nothing worse as a member of Generation Z to have so many stumbling blocks in life. The rising cost of living, the stresses of getting (and holding on to) a good job, saving up for a house or investment property, or just simply trying to get by day to day. It’s all very difficult.

But don’t ever, ever let that get in the way of your dreams.

Here’s why you should keep pushing even if it gets very difficult. You shouldn’t ever give up on your dreams. Check out the reasons why below!

1. Dreams can become reality, it just takes time

When I was finishing up at journalism school and looking for a full-time job, it was bloody difficult. Journalism graduates pretty much face this dilemma every single year, and with AI, things are changing in the media space very quickly. Anyway, when my friends from high school finished university, some of them got job offers almost instantly. To me, that was super depressing. As I have always set a very high standard for myself, this was a bit crushing. I couldn’t help but compare myself to them, no matter how hard I tried not to.

But somehow I managed to tell myself that one day my time would come and that I should not let high expectations get the better of me.

I just had to be patient.

But with that, I also had to buckle up and push hard to fight for a job (and a career), for a spot at the table and to get my name out there.

Patience… patience…

When I became very mentally unwell in early 2019, I was incredibly devastated. My heart was torn apart. I had to literally start what I had built all over again. It was soul crushing.

But I was patient, and eventually the good times arrived, just as I had told myself that they would. The career I always wanted, writing, talking and driving new cars, became a reality.

So that brings me to point number two…

2. Passion makes no job too niche

If you have a deep passion for something, that is what you should do for a career.

Don’t feel like you should settle for something just because of the salary or the reputation or because it’s what your friends do.

I decided to become a motoring journalist not because it paid well or that it would be a cool thing to tell my friends. Instead, I chose to do it because I loved it more than anything else. I love cars so much. I understood them as if they were a close family member. For most of my life, they are all I have really ever known.

But I had to come to grips with the fact that the automotive media industry is very, very niche. There are probably less than 100 automotive journalists working in Australia. In a place where the population is just over 26 million people, it’s a very niche field to get into.

But that didn’t put me off or deter me one bit. Why? Because I held incredible levels of passion. I could see that end goal and pushed incredibly hard to be here.

3. Getting your dream job is not easy

I’ve heard a thousand times that “it’s not what you know, but who you know” that might get you your dream gig.

In a way, that’s pretty accurate. Career guidance counsellors will probably tell you that you need to network, network, network to get a good job. Some might shrug that off and say “no thanks”, but networking for me was the best thing I ever did.

When I needed work experience as part of my Bachelor of Journalism degree, I did all that I could to get a cadetship (or internship) with a automotive media outlet. Some of the lecturers, tutors and students at university thought I was nuts. But my neighbour at the time just happened to be an automotive media advertising executive (how lucky is that?) and sent my two page “please let me intern for you” speech to Melbourne to a man called Dylan Campbell, a good friend of mine who changed my life for the better.

But that wasn’t the end of it. I did two two-week stints at MOTOR magazine, but left afterwards without a job. They weren’t hiring, and neither was the prestigious Wheels Magazine. I was left feeling very deflated and unmotivated.

However, my passion did not go unnoticed. I was picked up by RACQ’s The Road Ahead Magazine thanks to a lovely lady called Deb Ecclestone. She believed in me from the start and helped give me much more experience with a six month cadetship.

The passion blossomed again.

When I became very mentally unwell and visited hospital for the first time, I was pushed back a bit with my career progress, but it didn’t stop me. I still loved cars and media and writing. Nothing was going to change that.

What is it like to live in your dream career?

Here in 2024, I am incredibly thankful and happy to be completely living my career dream as an automotive journalist. I am thankful to be one of the very few professionals to work in this industry. I am thankful that my editors believed in me from the start. I am thankful that my work has been accepting of the hurdles I need to face with my brain day in and day out. I am thankful to be here living the best life I can every single day.

There were many times over the past five years where I questioned everything to do with my career. I thought about going back to university and becoming a social worker, or a therapist. I thought of just giving up and doing nothing at all.

But the reality was that my dream was in the back of my mind driving me to do more and be the best version of myself. That sounds a little lame, but it’s true.

Having a clear passion is so, so important. So please remember that even if you don’t feel like it at the time, or you’re having second guesses, stay true to your dreams and your goals, for dreams will eventually in time become reality.

Love,

Zak