Looking for a job...

I know, right? It stinks! Although, maybe not. At first. It depends on whether or not it's your own choice or you have to. There's a difference between looking for a job and looking for the right job. I'm not even graduated but I'm already looking, because friends of mine who graduated a half a year ago are still looking for a job that they actually studied for. And I have to say, after a while of writing letters and getting no (positive) responses it kinda starts to get to me...

 (BTVS 4x07 - as a student, messing up her notes)

Dreamjob

As a kid you imagine what your life will be like when you grow up. You look forward to it and dream about that life that would be perfect for you. As you get older you learn that the way to get to that job is to get an education (more on this in a later blog). So you study for it and it gets especially interesting when you get to college, because this time you don't just get those classes like math or chemistry when you're not interested in them and wouldn't want to do anything with it. No... this time you choose your own path. You go to college to learn for a profession, you may or may not do an internship so you can finally learn the practice and you start to dream again. Soon that will be you, a fulltime job, not having to study for finals, but simply working. The income you make is yours and (if you have no student loans) you can spend it on holidays and such. It gets you excited to live in the 'real world'. But the closer you come to graduating, the more you start to write letters looking for a job. And than reality hits you in the face...

(BTVS 6x04 - 6x05 - 7x04, left to right, up: Buffy looking for a job in construction, working behind the register in the Magic Shop, working behind the counter of the Doublemeat Palace, bottom: Buffy asking for a loan, drinking her sorrows away and finally working at the high school helping teens)

Selling yourself

No, not literally! But in a way, yes. The thing with job interviews is that you have to talk highly of yourself. Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, I went to a career event. I visited workshops in which I learned that this is something that not all people - and I'm talking about me as well - aren't good at, but it's a must. Depending on your upbringing you're taught to be modest/humble and not selfish or braggy. This is exactly what you should do in an interview because the question being asked is 'Why does the company want YOU?' Answering for myself, I always think "I have no frickin' clue. Why on earth would they want me? I'm nothing special..." At this event we were forced to answer it, which made me think. I don't have to say or think that I'm the best. But I do have some qualities, I have knowledge of things and I'm good and stuff. Now I wouldn't say that it would make me better than other people, but it gave me in insight in the fact that I might actually have something to offer. And I still wouldn't go bragging about it, but it's damn good to know and I can still use it. Because those are the reasons why they should hire me. I'm an individual and in that I'm unique. Other people may have the same (or almost the same) education, but they are not me. So therein lies my strong point. 

 

(Charmed 6x04, Paige at her temp job packing fruit)

Paying the bills

But finding the right job for yourself is easier said than done. Especially in the shrinking economy. People get fired, more experienced people, and they are also looking for the jobs I'm looking for. So that makes it tuff. Considering that a lot of businesses are cutting back, they are also not hiring people. So where does this leave the young graduates, like me? Well, I"ll tell ya. Right where you are. You take the jobs you can, because any income is still better than NO income in my book. It pays the bills, gets food on your table and you may even have enough to enjoy life a little. I could go on whining, but that doesn't help me. It just gets it off my chest for a while, but I have to keep looking anyway. So I'm going to find a job that does exactly that. Whether it's a temp job or not, I have to do something (and currently it's delivering mail). I'm also one to keep my options open. I'm not being picky and I'm also looking/willing to take internships, because in that way I can get more experience, learn more, still get some pay and meet new people. But most importantly, I'll be doing what I love ;-).

Note one: I can imagine there are a lot of people (student or not) who are in the same boat. I hope (if they read this) that it helps them a little, gives some perspective or something. And I also wish them a lot of luck. Because everybody needs a job to get by.

Note two: Now, I know this isn't really related to BTVS, but a there are a lot of shows in which the unemployment, not being able to pay the bills or find a job gets attention. Because I'm a Buffy-fan I used these pics.(SPOILER!!!!) Buffy was a student but dropped out because her mother got a braintumor and died. Buffy then had to take care of her sister. When she went looking for a job, considering she's a Slayer and she didn't finish college, she couldn't find a great job (no offence!!!! - you know what I mean by this if you have seen the show). But I like to think that she ended up some place really nice, namely the high school as a counselor. In Charmed (the other picture) there are a lot of characters who are searching for their jobs/the right job/their meaning in life. In this picture above you see Paige working on one of her temp jobs - others were walking dogs, spending time with an old lady, helping out an columnist. So that's my silver lining to you. Sometimes you have to take on some crappy jobs to get to the good one ;-).