The Job Market...

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009:

Today I got an email from one of the companies that I applied to for a job. They need to apply for more grant money, so I don't have it yet. They told me it's a 50/50 chance that they will get accepted for the money, and they should know by Thursday of this week (which is May 21st). Although I am thoroughly hoping this job works out, this is not the first job I have applied for. I have spent six months looking for a full time job, and in that time I have managed to uphold one part time job for three months during tax season. Since then, I have lived at home, applying to at least one job a day, and I have yet to make any ground on the whole "real life" thing... unless this is it?

It's disheartening, knowing that you have "what it takes" to get a job, yet no one will hire you. I spent four and a half years at Keene State College, where I spent over $35,000 to get TWO Bachelor's degrees in Economics and Geography, and I still can't land a job. What does it take to get one these days? I have experience in community service (as a Resident Assistant for two and a half years), I was an Office Assistant and Desk Attendant, I am a member of two honor societies, I received two degrees and graduated with a 3.224 GPA... is this not enough? Tell me, you employers who are reading this, what else does it take?

Today it was posed to me that I may be "overqualified" for the jobs I am applying for, which may be the case. If I am overqualified for these jobs, and the other available openings I have seen required 5-10 years of experience (which I am under qualified for), than what AM I qualified for? It seems to me that many people are experiencing this problem across the country, and we cannot find a solution.

In lieu of everything I have just stated above, I am still not giving up hope. As I hear all the time, there are plenty of jobs out there, it just takes some dedication to finding one. I am not going to give up when the going gets rough, I know there is more. I have too many impressive things on my resume to stop at one disappointing email; I am interested in too many things and have dedication to too much in my life to stop now... and neither should you.

Find what you are good at, and pursue it. You will not succeed in what you hate doing, so make the best out of what you love. After all, "do what you love" is what we're told from childhood... but we're also told that a college education will give us a better paying job when we graduate too...