"I Just Want to Start at the Bottom and Work Hard"
During my long search, I've often psyched myself into believing I'm about to land a job. That's when it hurts the most: when you glimpse what should be.
With the release of new employment numbers on Friday March 4th, we at FrumForum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face the challenges of this economic crisis. Over the next days, in an exclusive series, we will be featuring a number of their first-person stories in this space. If their experience is yours, we welcome you to join the conversation at Editor@FrumForum.com.
Click here for David Frum’s introduction to this series.
* * *
Before I graduated high school, my father told me that if I did well enough, I could go to "Hargrad". Needless to say, my father was not educated. But that was okay. He had a good job in a skilled trade, and made enough money to live a modest life. If I did well enough, then I could go to college like no one else in my entire family. The limitlessness of that potential has since been diminished.
Like my father had hoped, I did well. Not enough to go to "Hargrad", but I was able to attend a decent state school on a partial academic scholarship. After graduating last year, I was not too concerned about the economy. An excellent G.P.A. and great test scores made graduate school seem like the logical next step. Continuing my education is something I hope to do on my own, for my personal satisfaction. But academia and professional schools are not for me, and they do not seem to make sense financially.
Partly because of my interests, and partly because the government was supposed to be hiring, I made plans to build a career with a government agency. Intelligence and diplomacy sounded fun and exciting. Contrary to the Washington Post exposé , or perhaps because of it, intelligence agencies are not hiring people right out of college with little to no experience. Nevertheless, my family situation made leaving home troublesome. My encouraging father fell ill, and became physically disabled. Thank God for government safety nets and unions. I'm 22, caring for a 57 year old man. I am young. I am educated. I am responsible. What more could any employer ask for?
This is not a sob story. My romantic plans for an espionage or diplomatic career hit silent barriers even before I began caring for my father. I continue to believe my career will take off and I will achieve the same modest lifestyle my parents enjoyed for much of their adult lives. I just want a job that leads to a career. I am not limiting myself to a certain job type. I have applied to work anywhere from lowly retail to entry-level positions at Fortune 500 companies. In this period of idleness, in between the applications and obligatory phone interviews, I have mowed lawns, laid bricks, and bagged leaves. Viva la raza!
I am not asking for much. I want to start at the bottom and work my way up. I want to be trained and pushed to work hard. The private job market is just not there yet. This experience has brought out an entrepreneurial spirit that I did not realize I possessed. It has not come to starting my own business yet, but I have thought about it. Maybe that's a good sign, for all of us. I'm not the only one in this position. There are many, and one of us has to have a great idea.
When will the job market recover? And then what? That uncertainty is, of course, worrying. I have psyched myself into believing that I had landed a decent job numerous times. When it comes to that point, when I think that maybe I'll have a steady paycheck, that's when I start thinking about the future. And, that's when it hurts most. When I see a glimpse of what should be and it vanishes. What's the point of thinking about the future when it's a mirage for people my age? How long before we are a lost generation? And why does it seem like we're being ignored? Enough of all that seriousness and worry. Let's end this on a happy note. When the hope fades, there is always Snookie and the Jersey Shore to cheer me up. Maybe that should be my answer next time I'm asked, "What are some of your weaknesses?"
Justin Gomer can be contacted at jvstin.gomer@gmail.com.
Tweet