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Job Search
"The reality of yet another unforseen twist in my life occured to me: I went to college so I could get paid twelve dollars an hour to act like Martha Stewart."
By Latifah Mohammed
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A college degree can open a lot of doors, but keeping them open is another story. All across the country, recent college graduates face the grueling search for work: There's the resume, the cover-letter, the follow-up calls, the first interview, the "don't call us, we'll call you." But Youth Radio's Latifah Muhammad says she's trying to stay positive about the hunt, and is moving to the Big Apple to follow her dream career as a writer. (September 15 on Marketplace Money)
I learned a lot in college, like how to speed read hundreds of pages and ace the test the next day, and how to survive on dorm food. But here's one thing college didn't teach me: how to get a job.
I thought I was doing everything right. Long before graduation, I focused on my future by writing for the school newspaper, attending job fairs, juggling two internships, and keeping my GPA at or above 3.0. I knew all this would add to my job experience and impress employers.
At least I thought it would. Honestly, I'm starting to feel like I'm on some kind of prank reality show. I apply for at least three media jobs a day: editorial assistant, entry level reporter, public relations associate. If it has something to do with media, I'm game.
It's been over a year now, and I haven't gotten anything back... Nothing, except impersonal emails that say things like, "After looking over your resume, we have decided to go with another applicant. Good luck with your job search!"
My dream is to write for a magazine in New York City, so a couple weeks after graduation in California, I packed up, sold my car, gave away all of my furniture and moved to Northern Virginia to live with my older sister. Now that I'm only four hours away from Manhattan, I'm more anxious then ever to get there. So I've decided by mid-September I'm kicking Virginia to the curb and moving to New York. Dream job or no dream job.
In the meantime, to make some money, I started working for a GPS tracking company. They monitor criminals who wear ankle bracelets. On my first day, the manager sent me home with one of the ankle bracelets so the system could track me overnight, giving me a better understanding of the product.
While charging my ankle bracelet at one in the morning, the reality of yet another unforseen twist in my life occured to me: I went to college so I could get paid twelve dollars an hour to act like Martha Stewart. The good news was, my new boss was totally impressed with my resume, and asked me to do some technical writing and editing... But I only proof-read one email, so I kept looking for something better.
I quit the tracking company when I found an administrative assistant position with a small janitorial supply firm. I really enjoy being an administrative assistant, because I get to sit in a chair at a desk all day. But I'm never bored because there's so much work to do. The money's good and the people are great. But since it's not in my field, I'm only about fifty percent satisfied.
Since I only a 45 minute plane ride away from Manhattan, I've been able to visit the city without breaking the bank. I New York won't make me a writer, but writing will. And moving across country for life after college is giving me something to write about.
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