So I'm still working at it - trying to find my "window of opportunity."

Let me rewind a bit. I attended a renown communications school - Emerson College. Unfortunately, however, I began my career with the recession looming overhead.

In 2005, I ardently applied to so many internship programs hoping to establish some connections and garnering experience. The Spring semester ending with no internship in hand, I waited for my next chance the following summer.

I applied to every ad agency and marketing department from Providence to Boston to no avail. Despite a polished resume and near-perfect GPA, I had to settle on accepting an administrative internship where the highlight of my day was either replying to donation requests from local non profits and the like or cataloguing promotional materials for one of Harvard's myriad library collections.

I'm not ungrateful - not at all - we all have to start somewhere but this wasn't the "somewhere" I'd imagined.

Upon graduating, I was set on earning my MBA or Master's from New York University, Boston College, Babson... - another notch of academia to propel me to where I wanted to be. Yet...when I called admissions at a number of schools, the response was the same - candidates ideally had an average of five years experience.

So the plan was to gain the customary years of experience through entry level marketing positions and then applying to schools.

That was the plan. It has been five years and, being a novice in the marketing field as the recession began, peaked and continued, it has been pretty near impossible to be "at the right place, at the right time."

I am grateful for the experience I have had thus far. I work at a great company with really awesome, interesting and talented people. The downside is that it isn't marketing - it isn't the branding, strategy, advertising, public relations realm I yearn.

Coming from immigrant parents who came to this country with virtually nothing, working hard and earning has always been the way - even a flaw for me, you could say.

For the last few years at work, I've been taking on any additional projects at my department, networking with marketing leaders from various segments, polishing my resume, even dressing more professionally - seriously.

Currently, I have an amazing mentor, over three hundred contacts on LinkedIn, a professionally manicured resume and nearly five years of a proven track record in multi-tasking, communicating through various channels and producing quality work.

At this point in my career, I thought it opportune to write down my progress in hopes that I can one day look back and say - wow, I came a long way to where I want to be and, yeah, I worked my butt off to get here. Aside from this, I hope that (if anyone is reading this), it will inspire someone in my shoes.