Thursday, September 08, 2005
Rediculously Self-Indulgent Whining
As anyone who has done it before can tell you, it sucks, and if you haven’t done it before, let me assure you, they’re right.
I am going to theorize about what it takes to get a job, but forgive me if me theorizing is totally off base, because I haven’t gotten one, so I obviously don’t have the answers in what it takes to get one. To get hired for a position, you have to market yourself as attractive to the company that is interested in hiring people. Ideally, a company would prefer to hire a brilliant, smiling, simpering, non-offensive weenie, who has no problem dedicating his or her entire life to the organization. 70 hour work weeks? Sign me up! I didn’t really have a social life or interests anyways. Now, like most people, I try and portray this image of hard-working and dedicated, even though I secretly know that my motivational level can fluctuate from time to time. Especially when the job is something as exciting as IT training for a company that specializes in Medical Records software. Unfortunately, the HR people seem able to see through my web of lies. Is it my disappointing GPA that is doing me in? (God I wish I’d gone to more classes Freshman and Sophomore year.) The fact that I seem unable to lie in the middle of interviews? My crazy hair?
It’s definitely the hair. Anyways part of the problem for me, is that I have no idea what kind of job I really want. Sure I spend time looking online, and some look good, or even great, but I don’t know where I want to end up. If you are a doctor, or a lawyer, you have structure to fall back on. When you have two undergraduate social science degree and a masters from an international school, you trade surety for freedom. But the job market is somewhat overwhelming.
I try to look at it as having goals. I want, in my 20s, to spend some time living in an area where I can ski, and an area where I can surf. I want to travel the world. I want to make some money and become truly financially independent. I want to go back to school and get either a PHD in international development, a law degree in international law or human rights law, or a medical degree. I know I don’t want to do that for a few years. I want to learn Spanish fluently to increase my career opportunities.
But while I have my medium term future planned out, my short term future is in shambles. My goals there are to get the fuck out of my house before I make my Mom think I hate her through excessive surliness and to keep from going insane from excessive boredom. I’m not doing so well on either count. And I have not yet won Mega Millions, which is really holding me back.
As they say in Hustle and Flow, it’s hard out there for a pimp. So if you can give me any advice on how to get to pimpin’ please leave me a comment.
I am going to theorize about what it takes to get a job, but forgive me if me theorizing is totally off base, because I haven’t gotten one, so I obviously don’t have the answers in what it takes to get one. To get hired for a position, you have to market yourself as attractive to the company that is interested in hiring people. Ideally, a company would prefer to hire a brilliant, smiling, simpering, non-offensive weenie, who has no problem dedicating his or her entire life to the organization. 70 hour work weeks? Sign me up! I didn’t really have a social life or interests anyways. Now, like most people, I try and portray this image of hard-working and dedicated, even though I secretly know that my motivational level can fluctuate from time to time. Especially when the job is something as exciting as IT training for a company that specializes in Medical Records software. Unfortunately, the HR people seem able to see through my web of lies. Is it my disappointing GPA that is doing me in? (God I wish I’d gone to more classes Freshman and Sophomore year.) The fact that I seem unable to lie in the middle of interviews? My crazy hair?
It’s definitely the hair. Anyways part of the problem for me, is that I have no idea what kind of job I really want. Sure I spend time looking online, and some look good, or even great, but I don’t know where I want to end up. If you are a doctor, or a lawyer, you have structure to fall back on. When you have two undergraduate social science degree and a masters from an international school, you trade surety for freedom. But the job market is somewhat overwhelming.
I try to look at it as having goals. I want, in my 20s, to spend some time living in an area where I can ski, and an area where I can surf. I want to travel the world. I want to make some money and become truly financially independent. I want to go back to school and get either a PHD in international development, a law degree in international law or human rights law, or a medical degree. I know I don’t want to do that for a few years. I want to learn Spanish fluently to increase my career opportunities.
But while I have my medium term future planned out, my short term future is in shambles. My goals there are to get the fuck out of my house before I make my Mom think I hate her through excessive surliness and to keep from going insane from excessive boredom. I’m not doing so well on either count. And I have not yet won Mega Millions, which is really holding me back.
As they say in Hustle and Flow, it’s hard out there for a pimp. So if you can give me any advice on how to get to pimpin’ please leave me a comment.
# posted by Marmaniac @ 10:41 AM 
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I commiserate with your situation completely. Professors taught liberal art folks such as ourselves how to learn; asking the right questions, evaluating sources, and drawing conclusions from evidence instead of pure speculation. Beyond that, my list of marketable skills learned in college are frightfully low. To bad I can't put Party Supply MacGyver or A-Grade Spatula Specialist on the old resumee.
The long term goal poses the largest stumbling block. I'm afraid of choosing a doctorate progam in haste, irrecovably sending me down a lifelong course of study that I could come to regret. So what did I do?
1. Move Out of the Parents House - the clean sheets, burgeoning fridge, and well appointed decor made me lazy.
2. Got a Menial Job - providing structure and a modest income
3. Budget for a Simple Life - no cable, no a/c, cook as much as possible, scout bars for drink specials. This has the added benefit of driving out the distractions.
Explore the City - Without cable I get off the couch. Without a/c I get out of the apartment. I found out that the library has both cool air and entertainment. Also - free lectures, art galleries, museums, concertes are abundant in a large city. One can be surprised by how much there is too learn, and that the same people tend to show up. If you don't want opportunities that don't lead to corporate zombification, network with individuals and idealists.
4. Explore the Internet - I pick a topic of the day and roam. I organize the info I collect and consider it for future plans. For instance, I spent a weak in July learning about Medieval History from the perspective of European, Islamic, and Central American cultures. It got me excited about a possible emphasis for a doctorate in history. This week: climatology.
5. Volunteer - Something I've been lax at this summer. Hopefully when summer ends I'll have more free time to volunteer. I've already signed up with the American Cancer Society's campaign to ban smoking in Chicago's bars. I haven't attended a meeting. However, I met a cool girl at a bar last weekend who is involved, and I see and in. Using the hormones for contructive purposes; now that's progressive.
Ultimately everyone's plan is different. Assess your resources, surround yourself with growth opportunities, and learn. I never thought I would spend my young adulthood this way. My parents, teachers, and counselors directly and indirectly told me to mold myself into the system. Luckily I had some great friends and mentors who showed me I didn't have to, and still accomplish greatness.
Pimp On,
Broyles
The long term goal poses the largest stumbling block. I'm afraid of choosing a doctorate progam in haste, irrecovably sending me down a lifelong course of study that I could come to regret. So what did I do?
1. Move Out of the Parents House - the clean sheets, burgeoning fridge, and well appointed decor made me lazy.
2. Got a Menial Job - providing structure and a modest income
3. Budget for a Simple Life - no cable, no a/c, cook as much as possible, scout bars for drink specials. This has the added benefit of driving out the distractions.
Explore the City - Without cable I get off the couch. Without a/c I get out of the apartment. I found out that the library has both cool air and entertainment. Also - free lectures, art galleries, museums, concertes are abundant in a large city. One can be surprised by how much there is too learn, and that the same people tend to show up. If you don't want opportunities that don't lead to corporate zombification, network with individuals and idealists.
4. Explore the Internet - I pick a topic of the day and roam. I organize the info I collect and consider it for future plans. For instance, I spent a weak in July learning about Medieval History from the perspective of European, Islamic, and Central American cultures. It got me excited about a possible emphasis for a doctorate in history. This week: climatology.
5. Volunteer - Something I've been lax at this summer. Hopefully when summer ends I'll have more free time to volunteer. I've already signed up with the American Cancer Society's campaign to ban smoking in Chicago's bars. I haven't attended a meeting. However, I met a cool girl at a bar last weekend who is involved, and I see and in. Using the hormones for contructive purposes; now that's progressive.
Ultimately everyone's plan is different. Assess your resources, surround yourself with growth opportunities, and learn. I never thought I would spend my young adulthood this way. My parents, teachers, and counselors directly and indirectly told me to mold myself into the system. Luckily I had some great friends and mentors who showed me I didn't have to, and still accomplish greatness.
Pimp On,
Broyles
# posted by 
: 3:26 PM
: 3:26 PM
speaking of networking with idealists, there is idealist.org, which turns up 101 full time job opportunities in chicago on first glance. many require experience, but there could be some good things there in any city you want.
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# posted by : 6:13 PM
: 6:13 PM << Home
