With a little more than a month left until I graduation, you better believe that I am making these last few days count. I have pulled allnighters (something I have never done before), I have forsaken studying at times and if I did not already know it before, alcohol is my best friend.
Despite my having a good time in the last few days of my college experience, there is one thing that I cannot seem to shake off my mind: What happens next? I mean sure, there is the typical answer – I am going to get a job, and start paying back my dues slowly but surely. Now, as much as I would love for that happen, the reality of it all is that that is not how it goes.
My parents have been consistently hounding me about working after graduation. Now do not get me wrong, I get where they are coming from. I did not go to college for four years to end up living at home with my parents for the rest of my life without a job. However, I do not want to end up working as the manager of some fast food joint either.
With that in mind, I have been applying to every job that has ‘communication’ in its title. I do not care if it is public relations related, so long as I know I can do it, I am applying. Now, at this point I have received numerous rejection letters. At first, that did not really phase me. I was even excited because I knew that meant that someone was looking at my resume. They thought that I was somewhat capable of working for their company but ultimately decided that I was not. For someone who does not have that much work experience just being considered is a big deal. After rejection letter 30, you can see why I have become a bit discouraged.
In fact, a bit it an understatement. I have become VERY discouraged.
I did not expect someone to just hand me a job after graduation. I may be foolish, but I am no idiot. I know that is not how the world works. I knew that I was going to have my work cut out for me, and that finding a job would be no walk in the park. I knew that it was going to be difficult, but I figured I would have at least one or two interviews by now. But nope, I am here with nothing.
The main reason I keep getting rejected is because I do not have enough experience. So let me just get this straight. I need experience to get experience? No respectable public relations firm is going to hire a twenty something year old right out of college will little to no experience. Wait, I take that back. They might hire me… To be someone’s assistant.
I think that might be my worst fear: Going to school, learning as much as I possibly can, and being left with a gopher position. I do not want to get someone’s coffee and print out their agenda for the day. I have so much more self-respect than that. Not to mention that I am capable of much more. My parents make the argument that being someone’s assistant or working at a fast food restaurant would just be temporary as it is a job. It would give me some experience. They have told me about when they first came to America, how they had to work at a mediocre job they hated to make some sort of living.
My response to them is always the same. You wanted me to go to college so that I would not have to go through the same ‘struggles’ you did. What’s more, I wanted to go to college to be able to provide for myself, not have to depend on anyone and be able to take of my parents when they are older and cannot take care of themselves. With that in mind, all be damned if I end up working at McDonald’s after I worked my ass through four years of college.
The point I am making is that most everyone has this grand idea of what life is going to be like after college. They do not really come to terms with the fact that they have been living in a bubble for most of their lives. Life after college is not all that it is cracked up to be. It looks like it is filled with unemployment, college loans with little hope of paying back within a reasonable time and moving back in with my parents (oh joy!).