|
|
Professionally SpeakingJul 01 '04 (Updated Nov 21 '06) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Prepare for a new life where the good times are gone, and adulthood is here. It's been three years since I've been out of college and a lot has really changed in my life with all things considered. I graduated in May 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Communications. I want to go into film, which is a goal I'm still striving for, as I now work at a local television station. I consider myself damn lucky to at least be in my field, given how a lot of my compadres are not. A lot of them aren't happy and while I hate to sound like I might be comparing myself to others, I'm not. I've got one friend who is a certified personal trainer with a degree, becoming disillusioned with his clients. Many of these idiots whine to him about how they're not losing weight, when he points out the obvious that they don't stick to his recommendations of NOT consuming junk food and NOT following their fitness plan. Another buddy has been laid off from multiple jobs as a biology technician, which he studied for and he's constantly searching. I don't quite understand how he's been out of work for months until it's pretty obvious that he wants that one job and he won't settle until he gets it. I'm just observing it from people telling me firsthand, from general impressions and how lucky I am to be doing something I aimed for. Getting a job while nearing the end of your college career or shortly after graduation is something that will waver above your head. When I graduated college, I had absolutely no idea what the hell I was going to do, but film was, and still is my main goal. Nothing was set in stone. So what did I do? I got a job like everyone else. This was after over a two month search which I can tell you, I wasn't sitting on my keyster watching television and playing video games. I wanted money (don't we all?) and the only way to get it, is to work...unless you won millions from the state lottery, sold a vital organ or danced for pennies in a city alley to the tune of bad covers of Beatles songs. What I did was something a lot of other people did: temping. Now don't think if you're a budding young college grad, that you're above temping now that you've got a degree. There's nothing wrong with it, and you shouldn't put yourself in the situation where you should be picky. Hell, even temping leads to a permanent job. But I'm not saying that picking pig innards out of a meat grinder is something you should be doing if you've got a law degree from Harvard (unless that's your choice of course). Obviously, they don't go hand in hand. But you should think of temping as a means to an end as either temporary or permanent. It's a great way to network (a word you've probably heard countless times), to get experience and if you don't quite know what you want to do, go out and get a feel for what you do want. If you've only registered with a ma and pa temp agency in your nearest hometown where everyone literally watches the clock turn each minute, then you'll probably grow inevitably frustrated at waiting for that phone call where they've found something. I registered with a couple agencies where the only activity seems to be where one of the employees fart out to the tune of a bad song. With some agencies, you might be low on the priority list, if you're even on that list and many of them do repeat business with companies, which means you'll be doing repeat work. This is great if you're in college, but I don't think collating paper is something you want to list as one of your resume's job duties. I was bulls*it that I couldn't get any work, despite my persistence of a phone call every day, with the promise I was going to get something. But one agency came through for me and got me a job. This was great at first, until I slowly but surely disliked it. The job was for a transportation company, which obviously sounds vague. But if I told a lot of people that it was transportation logistics, they would consider that even more vague. But that was the job, coordinating the logistics of moving a client's freight from the west coast to the east coast. At first it wasn't a bad job but incredibly difficult to understand. I felt very uncomfortable because first off, I was getting used to the process of working at 6am everyday and my motor skills weren't up to snuff. Second off, because the job seemed so complex that there was no way to get my arm around it and process the information. Plus, the stress gets to you, especially when you only have 15 minutes the instant you walk in the door, to generate a report for the client who will call at 6:15 and 2 seconds later to ask politely "Where's my email report?" That, and the fact that nothing ever ends in the job. Things go wrong (as they occasionally do), things are unanticipated and you're there holding the bag and getting reamed by the client. You know your supervisor is groaning about you asking him another question. But eventually, you boggle it all down to saying "What the f*ck am I doing here?" This can be attributed to the fact that every second I walked into that building at 5:55am every day, I could feel my chest tighten, my head pounding and my legs turn in an angle back toward the entrance for escape. But something drew me back to that place of dread. Even sacrificing weekends, personal time, illnesses, holidays and days off that everyone else got off, but you didn't. This is because you work in transportation logistics and because the driver is still working on that day, means you're working too, even if it means the client you work with, is on their day off, you're not. One of the more fantastic moments on the job included a security guard questioning why the hell I was there that early in the morning in the office, the day after Thanksgiving and I instructed him that it was work-related, even having to wake my boss up at his home to let him know what was going on. I think one particular moment that caught me off guard was a hard working family man who started on the same day as me, and was still behind his desk when I came back to get my jacket 12 hours later with no signs of packing up for the day. A 17 hour day? Common for him, even abandoning the fact that he never saw his two boys and his wife. Even going so far as to come back from his vacation two days early to get the work done, or literally work himself through WORKING PNEUMONIA. While that is definitely above and beyond the call of duty, it's also above and beyond sanity. This was primarily the account he worked on (which the company later lost in a renewal/bidding war), required his undivided attention on a 24/7 basis. Fed up with my situation and having been in it for 11 months, I called it quits and went to the agency and told them I wanted out. They didn't understand but I did, and I didn't want to be at that desk anymore. The ironic thing is when I spoke to the client's employees that I worked with (all in the same line of work), they all confessed to me that they all hated their jobs. I still remember the chief guy I spoke to, pleading "DON'T WORK IN TRANSPORTATION! I hate it!" I have nothing but respect and admiration for people who work in this line of business, because of the hours it requires and the sacrifices it takes. I know a lot of them didn't want to come in on a Saturday, just to make a big toy company happy by delivering their trucks on time but they did what was necessary. So cut to a month later and I'm finally in the job I have now. It was only part time (before going full) but it's definitely a start. But since part time isn't going to help, I need something a little more. So I apply to more day time jobs to fill the void and land an interview with an engineering firm. I originally applied for a data entry position because it doesn't require much stress and I'm a hell of a fast typer (85 wpm). But on the ignorant behalf of the interviewer, they weren't going to offer me the job. But they did tell me about a job as a production clerk which I considered. This position which I was soon hired for, was miscellaneous administrative stuff like ordering supplies, running errands and sorting out mail. I was an office lackey if you will, and I admit I wasn't happy to say that I was, but it did put money in my pocket. But eventually, things take a turn for the weird and you find that the seesaw that you're sitting on in the playground, starts to raise itself and you're being lowered. This is when they started adding custodian-like duties to my daily productivity (which wasn't listed in the job position). In addition to making bank deposits, binding reports and working with sales reps, I'm now cleaning out garbage cages, replacing ceiling tiles (which you told your boss you didn't want to do) and having to spray goose feces off front property with a hose, there's no doubt I felt a little violated. That and working with a lot of smarmy co-workers in the other departments and of the same age (who knew that I had a degree and a profession like they all did), the inevitable work duty of "reorganizing" their very messy filing room of boxes that would've broken my back and then getting caught up into someone else's workplace drama, kind of drove in the point that working 60 hours a week, commuting between two towns of sizable distance and eating on the run was wreaking havoc on my system. I wanted out. The ironic thing about that situation was the person they did hire for the data entry position, was someone a little off their rocker and seemed to develop a reputation that my boss may have regretted hiring her in the first place. I even trained someone in my last week there and noticed probably weeks after that the position was open again, meaning that person was wise enough to leave. Looking back on that job, there were several things wrong with it, highlighting the sharp division between white collar and blue collar professions. There's a perception that you're expected to fulfill in the eyes of someone like an office manager, and it's one that, according to this person, slowly became degrading. So in those two personal accounts, what I want to relay are a few basic points. The first thing is this, if you feel that you're above a job and it's really something you don't want to do, then quit. I'm not advocating spilling spaghetti intentionally on your boss' head, but if you do feel you're overqualified (which can seem like a fictional term), then get out while you can. In my time at both jobs, I disliked them intensely. At first they seemed great, but underneath, you begin to see a whole different layer that's much darker beneath the top. One filled with a lot of unpleasant things and people. The transportation logistics job showed me that working 6am-2:30pm wasn't all that it was cracked up to be in favor of one half hour lunch break for the day and a lot of unwanted stress. I remember my daily lunch breaks were relatively peaceful when I would stare out the window and into a green oblivion of trees and wonder why I was still here. The production clerk job speaks for itself, even when you're hauling a mail cart around and this two-faced wannabe Duane Allman clone makes a wise remark. The second thing is this, if you're young, don't expect to land a dream job out of college. That's a rarity in most cases and one you shouldn't hold out your hopes for all the time. It's great to look for your dream job but not to expect getting it right away. Never give it up, but also don't spend months sitting on your keyster like some friends of mine are doing, waiting for that job to come through. Even if they've hooked up with several headhunting agencies (a BIG no-no since they could cross paths). If I were a film director right after college, then I'd be happy as hell but I'm working at it and working hard to get it. In between jobs, I worked temporarily for a film equipment warehouse. I thought "Just maybe, it can get me somewhere." That somewhere was working on a 90 degree day after the 2004 Democratic Convention just ended and they had a hell of a long day ahead of them. This was the only reason why I got hired was to work a couple weeks in something that wasn't permanent and would've taken my weekend in the process. I even befriended a fellow film buff who had graduated from Emerson, a hell of a good communications school and here he was, moving heavy crap around and putting his expensive degree to no use. We shared stories about wandering around different places, trying to get work from TV stations to film production companies. So in that fulfilling conversation, I didn't feel alone which felt nice. But still, I didn't want to be there if it was a warehouse job. I remember the moment it hit me when I decided to quit after the clock hit 10:30AM and they had a roach coach pull up. The employees were drawn to it like flies to sugar. I felt the sun beat down on me, my back ache and my muscles stiffen up. I sauntered back into the warehouse and spoke to the guy that called me and said "Sorry man, but it's just not working out for me and I'm leaving." A blank facial expression appeared on his face and he said "Bye". Not that I was expecting a pat on the back. When it comes to getting a job, it's good to really spread out your cards and get a feel for things. My own personal approach was going to multiple jobhunting websites, setting up accounts and registering for job search agents that send daily job postings to your email. This isn't a sure thing and I'll be honest, more often than not, no one replied to my application but it doesn't hurt. Aside from scouring the big sites like Monster, Careerbuilder and Craig's List, are actually looking up the websites of companies you're interested. More often than not, you'll find this in their About Us section which will feature some kind of job section as to how to apply or what's open right now. Of course you can also do the old fashioned method of looking through the newspaper classifieds and seeing what there is for work. That's how I found the production clerk position and that's how I managed to land in a couple interviews (which didn't work out). But be warned, sometimes there's an ad that's too good to be true, like a certain advertising company that promises big things but is really a total sham. I scheduled an interview at this place which I found to be very impersonal and I smelt horses*it when I had the brief interview with a woman who didn't even make eye contact with me during the entire run. They said to expect a call at 7pm that night for a second interview, which I waited faithfully by the phone but didn't get a message. Ironically, the next day I did get a phone call for another interview and was told to wear comfortable shoes. I told them I wasn't interested and later found out for a friend and fellow graduate, that it was a door to door salesman job that specialized in selling coupons for big companies. He of course, didn't take the job either because he knew it was a load of crap. I also want to say with Craig's List that it's a grain of salt as well. My interview ended up with a seemingly shady man and woman who ran a medical software company. After an hour and a half of proselytizing where they did nothing but diss former employees, most of whom I sure didn't exist except in fiction, that they just gave me the job by telling me that they were all equal and there were no job titles. I excused myself, slowly walked out the door and bolted to my car and sped off. You've gotta remember with Craig's List, that it's free, meaning anyone can post anything and respond to anything, like your resume. In addition to those application and search methods is to do cold calling. You can walk into a place and see their human resources person but this most likely won't be met with open arms. But it is one method. Another method is just by getting the names of the HR people and addressing your cover letter to them and mailing them out. This is how I got my current job now by printing up a bunch of resumes and mailing them out. I expected nothing to happen but it did and that's how lucky I was to get the job. The other method of course is temping, and for those who don't have the experience, it's very easy. All you've got to do is go in (either by walk-in or appointment), fill out an application and some additional forms, have an interview with the agency and then do some tests to analyze your skills. Practically all agencies run in the same fashion. I would also encourage researching out the agencies and knowing what they're like. If it's an agency that has maybe two employees, it might not be as great as it sounds. Another thing you should use is some discretion. You don't want to align yourself with like ten agencies all throughout the area because it is a good way to burn bridges. I'm not saying all the agencies are in cahoots with each other but I do believe it's possible that they can come across one another, and find out that you're with both of them. It's a good way to get yourself blackballed and develop a reputation you don't want. Two to three agencies might be a little better. But temping can lead to a permanent job if you try it out. About life after college, there's no way you can prepare for it. You just have to do it. If there's that ideal vision of working 9 to 5 existing? For me, it really doesn't but that's because I work in television production and our hours are contingent on what goes on around us. But regardless, you can't prepare for life the same way you can prepare for a vacation. You just get into it and see where it takes you from there. I don't care how many seminars or lectures my college had for future graduates, it doesn't matter about one's personal experience because everyone's experience in life is going to be different. I've got a friend from college who wanted to work for T.J. Maxx since he interned at their headquarters, but now he's the co-owner of a convenience store in his home city. I've got two other friends who work for banks, by far the complete opposite of anything I ever imagined them to be working at. On a miscellaneous note, I was told that with my resume, it might not be a bad idea to either move the education aspect where you got your degree closer to the bottom as a way of not distracting the interviewer who may note your just graduated. Or don't list the year you graduated. But aside from that, graduating from college is different. There's a sense of alienation as if no one knows what you're experiencing. Believe me, they do because they've been there. You're going to hear a s*itload of suggestions, ideas and proposals from multiples friends and family members. They might be helpful but you have to think about yourself and what you want. Also, you won't be as poor as you were in college since a lot of your money went to school and partying. If you know what kind of job you want, then get it. Know this: nothing can prepare you for college, no matter how much you think you know and memorize, you don't actually know it till you experience it. Trail by fire as they say, and that would be an accurate description. Life isn't like it is in the movies, because life throws you a curveball you don't expect. But also consider: getting a job isn't easy as it sounds, but there are plenty of resources for you to seek out and use. Use it best to your advantage because all in all, it really is a gamble.  |
| Read all comments (2)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
