The State of Me & the Job Market

"The worst economic crises since the Great Depression" - Uh oh, I was a history major! I think I remember something about the Depression being really, well... depressing. Evidently, this is not a great time to be graduating from college and looking for a job. I have experienced the difficulties of a looming depression as I have yet to secure post undergraduate employment. I've heard the same thing almost everywhere: "There is nothing wrong with you or your profile, we just have a hiring freeze right now."

Maybe that’s just the standard line to throw out when you are not generous enough to give a job candidate any candid feedback about why you won't hire them... but I hope it's more likely that companies are just scared right now (since that has the obvious benefit of erasing me from the equation of my not being hired.) The economic picture does not necessarily look grim, it just looks horrifyingly unstable and companies are afraid to hire into uncertainty. "Call us back in six months." Great, so now what? Keep looking, keep the glass half full and keep putting yourself through the emotional roller coaster that is job searching? Change your expectations, change your goals, change your entire approach to the situation, give up?

There probably is not a right answer to those questions. It depends on the person, their goals, dreams, desires and ambition. I've decided to take the first approach. Just keep looking. After all, sooner or later someone is going to see the true value in hiring me, right? And once they come to that conclusion I'll make sure they never regret that decision. Changing my goals is not an option, if you want something you have to keep going after it no matter what life throws at you. And I never want to be in the awkward position of trying to explain to an adcom why I lowered my expectations and settled for something less than my best.



So in the meantime I start GMAT prep with the Princeton Review and I continue to search for jobs. I also hope this extra time will give me an opportunity to get more involved in my community, something my intense stint finishing my undergrad in three years prevented me from doing – at least to the extent I would have preferred. At some point in the near future, after the GMAT is out of the way, I think a move will be in order. Not just a small symbolic move, but a bold move to a new city where I can focus my attention on an industry, get myself employed and begin to plant roots somewhere.

Our economic situation has not been a road block or even an obstacle to me. It has been an opportunity to explore options I never would have considered before. Let’s see where this ride is taking me. I’m still excited, which is reassuring and reassurance has become quite a luxury these days.