Career Opportunities

January 1, a long time ago, and I was on my way to the end of my last year of college. Happiness, amazement, joy, lots of pride, and a new kind of nervousness and pressure. My dad sent me into the death spiral when he did his job by asking, “So, what’s your plan come June?” (What a killjoy — he just could not let me live in a little bliss for a few weeks!)

Yipes! Now, I was desperate. My engineering and business-minded buddies already had jobs and were talking about their new lives and bonus checks. I was happy for them, but it just added pressure to my artsy, political, explore-the-world, loving-life existence.

My dad gave me a wake-up call and a resolution for the new year: get a job.

This wasn’t my first go at it. I had experience. My internships and jobs included picking fruit in South Carolina and, working on a factory dock and sweeping floors in Manhattan. I had been an office assistant and stocked clothes for a manufacturer. I was paid to be a graphic artist (in the pre-software era) and got interested in museum curation when I worked for a historical association and cultural heritage organization. I made it to a lab each day at 6 a.m. to feed fruit flies. I was too social to remain a filing clerk for too long. I loved coaching, chitchatting, and learning stuff. I even had a run engaging in my own brand of slinging, serving, and otherwise hustling (don’t we all).

But, I just didn’t know what I wanted to do.

I wanted to change the world but didn’t have much of a plan. And, I wasn’t sure how much my father was going for “change the world” as the goal statement on my resume. I was desperate and could only think about getting rent money, better loan repayment options, and, hopefully, health insurance — I just wanted a J-O-B.

My late resolution was to make a plan that included ideas for what I could do with my life (and change the world in the process).

I still think about what I might have done if I had the Net available. Something like this would have been helpful:

And here are some sites, I’ve been clockin’, that I wish I could have surfed (and, in some cases, wish I had created):

The new year is a great time to stop; breathe in; breathe out; and, figure out the simple stuff. So, whoever you are, what are you going to be doing in six months?

One comment

  1. Dean Elmore, your words of wisdom (and encouragement) are always so profound and impactful! I also urge the class of 2011 to breathe in, breathe out. The next few months will serve as a great time of discovery and excitement. Figure out what you want to do and where you want to be and don’t be afraid to take chances in getting there! You will find your place eventually. The best years are ahead of you! And of course never forget those words to live by:
    “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

Post Your Comment