Recently I've been feeling that my life is becoming a little too easy. Since my homecoming I have been fervently applying to an abundance of positions related to my field of writing/broadcasting/entertaining, without much luck. So what have I been doing with my days you ask? Well I must say that I do not sleep in until 11a.m. and lounge around all day...
Until recently I was spending what seemed like tireless hours of my time on the computer and filling out online applications as well as chasing down leads. However, the luxury of being home allows me the time I need to come and go as I please, running errands I need to accomplish or doing household chores. Pretty standard stuff.
A week and a half ago I went back to a Temp Agency I had utilized the summer after my senior year of high school, thinking perhaps they could assist me in my fleeting dreams of employment. I waited about three days until I received a call from the agency, informing me that they had a position I might like. Through the telephone lines, the job seemed to be a place that organized and planned birthday parties for children. I thought it would be a great opportunity; I'd get to play with a few kids while gaining "event planning" experience which would look respectable on my resume. I jotted down the address and reported to the job two Fridays ago, expecting something fun.
However, when I pulled into the parking lot of the "venue" I knew right away I was not going to be dealing with children. The building was somewhat removed from major roadways, giving me the impression that small children did not frequent the space. To make a long story short, the job turned out to be in a toy manufacturing and shipping company and I was basically on an assembly line prepping the toys to be shipped. Yeah. I blame this on possibly a bad phone connection and my own naivety and constant state of living on cloud nine.
All last week I counted marbles, folded papers, and prepared children's problem solving games to be shipped to the masses. Not exactly riveting work. But when I came home each night I discovered two things. Not only was I totally wired after I arrived home (I assume because I literally used no part of my brain completing my monotonous tasks) but I was shocked to find out that there were only a few hours left until I had to go to bed and repeat the arduous process the following day! I was so used to being home and having my freedom, that I was positively flabergasted that the whole day had been wasted, in a manner of speaking.
I also desperately missed the cold, hard cash my previous restaurant work provided me with.
Now, the job is more or less finished and I am pleased to rediscover an old friend; my free time. Then I laughed to myself. I realized I sounded entirely spoiled and that the majority of working professionals on planet earth do the same thing I just described (minus the marbles) five days per week. I have a new found respect for those people and have come to appreciate the phrase, "there are not enough hours in the day".
Step Two of the Post-Grad Survival Guide is that we all have to be persistent in our respective endeavors. I realize now that I have slacked off and instead of spending those extra minutes on facebook, just apply for any old job. It's a step where I have to "practice what I preach" because I too need to keep my dreams in my peripherals. And even if not all post-grads are at home and searching for their next move, they could be in the empty job they are overqualified for and striving to get out of. Be persistent. Bide your time. The chance for us to conquer is imminent, I'm sure of it.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Step One: Just Like Old Times
Even though I sometimes complain about having to move back to my hometown now that I have graduated, I was reminded on Wednesday that it is not nearly as bad as I once thought. Wednesday, of course being one of the biggest nights of the holiday season as far as reunions go, could not have gone better.
There is a feeling I sometimes get (and I do not think I am alone in this) where I initially dread doing something because it seems like a chore or hassle. For example, going to sports practices in high school, or getting out of a comfortable chair to go out to a party at night; it seems like a massive inconvenience and you think that it is purely a waste of time to participate in such endeavors, but once you are out, you have a blast.
Recently I have been feeling like that a lot. However, on Wednesday night when I was able to see people from high school I had not seen in literally YEARS, it was such a breath of fresh air. I forgot how much fun high school had been, had a momentary memory lapse of all the friends I had and all the fun things we used to do together. It was like opening an old book and reliving old moments. Once I saw the faces of the people I had grown up with, everything came rushing back.
I think now that I, and my peers alike who have had the pleasure of moving back home, are lucky to have the safety-net of each other being friends. It's the First Step of the Post-Grad Survival Guide: Having friends and people you can fall back on and who understand.
Because in the end, we are all in the same boat. We all are just starting out in the next chapter of our lives. Whether we have our first jobs or not, whether we have student loan payments to make or are becoming first time billpayers, we are acquiring all new kinds of responisibilities. However, having the peace of mind that the people we grew up with and know the best are going through the same trials and tribulations as we are, is priceless. At the end of the day we can go to the neighborhood bar with our childhood friends and know that our buddies have our back
There is a feeling I sometimes get (and I do not think I am alone in this) where I initially dread doing something because it seems like a chore or hassle. For example, going to sports practices in high school, or getting out of a comfortable chair to go out to a party at night; it seems like a massive inconvenience and you think that it is purely a waste of time to participate in such endeavors, but once you are out, you have a blast.
Recently I have been feeling like that a lot. However, on Wednesday night when I was able to see people from high school I had not seen in literally YEARS, it was such a breath of fresh air. I forgot how much fun high school had been, had a momentary memory lapse of all the friends I had and all the fun things we used to do together. It was like opening an old book and reliving old moments. Once I saw the faces of the people I had grown up with, everything came rushing back.
I think now that I, and my peers alike who have had the pleasure of moving back home, are lucky to have the safety-net of each other being friends. It's the First Step of the Post-Grad Survival Guide: Having friends and people you can fall back on and who understand.
Because in the end, we are all in the same boat. We all are just starting out in the next chapter of our lives. Whether we have our first jobs or not, whether we have student loan payments to make or are becoming first time billpayers, we are acquiring all new kinds of responisibilities. However, having the peace of mind that the people we grew up with and know the best are going through the same trials and tribulations as we are, is priceless. At the end of the day we can go to the neighborhood bar with our childhood friends and know that our buddies have our back
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
...still waiting???
I'm back! Fear not loyal followers, like a phoenix I have risen again and am here to blog my heart out once more. It is nearly Thanksgiving 2010 and unfortunately, the job offers have not been pouring in, so I've decided to get back on the horse and do what I do best and enjoy the most...BLOG.
From the glamorous Hamptons I have relocated south to my hometown of West Deptford, New Jersey; a suburban domicile located on the banks of the Delaware River and just minutes from Center City, Philadelphia. Growing up in West Deptford was pretty much exactly what one envisions when they think of middle-class America. We had a stellar high school football team, enough drama to fuel one of the many bonfires us teens used to have on weekend nights, and high school was just as stereotypical as what is seen in teen movies.
Ah, it's good to be home.
I can't complain too much though, as I get to see my family and friends who I was estranged from all summer. Heading home though was quite an adjustment; almost like reverse culture shock when you come home from a foreign country for an extended period of time. The places and people look familiar, but somehow, inexplicably, they are different. For the first few weeks after moving home I felt very detached from myself; from the self I had come to know and love so well during the recent summer months. Needless to say, it was hard to come home. Harder than I ever thought it would have been.
However, I have upheld my philosophy about work. I have been rigorously applying and scoping out potential career prospects, but so far nothing promising has come my way.
I did however go on one interview which seemed mildly intriguing. It was advertised as a sales and marketing position , but was vague on the details.
So I slapped on my charcoal colored suit and a snazzy shirt and tie and made my way to meet with the director of the company. The initial interview went well and my interviewer even invited me back to "shadow" one of his salesmen the following day. I was excited to set out and meet some clients and get a fresh perspective on the professional world of sales. However, the following day was anything but fresh. It was actually, quite stale. The aforementioned "shadowing" turned out to be me and a greasy, smooth-talking salesguy going door to door to different businesses trying to persuade them to buy into some type of electrical company. This went on for eight hours. Eight hours of door to door sales. Thankfully it was a gorgeous day weather-wise, but I mean, what if it had rained? What then? And the guy even made me drive! By lunchtime I was tempted to throw myself in front a Mack truck.
To make a long story short, I was offered the pleasure of being a part of the elite work force, but for my own sanity, I sadly had to decline the offer. I guess the point is, I'm not taking just any job thrown my way. Call me picky, but participating in mindless employment just does not interest me. Maybe in a few months when my student loans are chasing me down with pitchforks and torches and my car breaks down, I'll change my tune. But until then...I'm still waiting.
From the glamorous Hamptons I have relocated south to my hometown of West Deptford, New Jersey; a suburban domicile located on the banks of the Delaware River and just minutes from Center City, Philadelphia. Growing up in West Deptford was pretty much exactly what one envisions when they think of middle-class America. We had a stellar high school football team, enough drama to fuel one of the many bonfires us teens used to have on weekend nights, and high school was just as stereotypical as what is seen in teen movies.
Ah, it's good to be home.
I can't complain too much though, as I get to see my family and friends who I was estranged from all summer. Heading home though was quite an adjustment; almost like reverse culture shock when you come home from a foreign country for an extended period of time. The places and people look familiar, but somehow, inexplicably, they are different. For the first few weeks after moving home I felt very detached from myself; from the self I had come to know and love so well during the recent summer months. Needless to say, it was hard to come home. Harder than I ever thought it would have been.
However, I have upheld my philosophy about work. I have been rigorously applying and scoping out potential career prospects, but so far nothing promising has come my way.
I did however go on one interview which seemed mildly intriguing. It was advertised as a sales and marketing position , but was vague on the details.
So I slapped on my charcoal colored suit and a snazzy shirt and tie and made my way to meet with the director of the company. The initial interview went well and my interviewer even invited me back to "shadow" one of his salesmen the following day. I was excited to set out and meet some clients and get a fresh perspective on the professional world of sales. However, the following day was anything but fresh. It was actually, quite stale. The aforementioned "shadowing" turned out to be me and a greasy, smooth-talking salesguy going door to door to different businesses trying to persuade them to buy into some type of electrical company. This went on for eight hours. Eight hours of door to door sales. Thankfully it was a gorgeous day weather-wise, but I mean, what if it had rained? What then? And the guy even made me drive! By lunchtime I was tempted to throw myself in front a Mack truck.
To make a long story short, I was offered the pleasure of being a part of the elite work force, but for my own sanity, I sadly had to decline the offer. I guess the point is, I'm not taking just any job thrown my way. Call me picky, but participating in mindless employment just does not interest me. Maybe in a few months when my student loans are chasing me down with pitchforks and torches and my car breaks down, I'll change my tune. But until then...I'm still waiting.
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