One of the highlights of my senior year of high school was the college visits that routinely got me out of school for a completely legitimate reason for once. This was a key opportunity for me to really stretch my social wings and utilize all my newly developed party tricks in the enchanting realm of the college world. Oh, and I guess it was also kind of important to see where I would attend school for the next four years. To this day I remember the feeling I got as I took my first steps on Ohio State's campus. Even though there were several solid choices in the running, something about OSU just seemed right to me. Or maybe it was the hundreds of barely dressed coeds laying out in the oval that convinced me. This was nearly five years ago however so it is understandable why I do not quite remember.
Anyhow, its a little funny how looking for a job reminds me of applying to different schools. While it is nice that I have been provided with countless of opportunities to pursue, at times all these choices can be a bit overwhelming. Initially one must decide where they wish to live. Personally I did not exactly have utter liberty in this sector of my decision as my mother's separation anxiety drives her to call me three times a day as it is. One of the reach schools I did apply to however was Arizona State in part of a little wishful thinking that I could be studying all day in my bathing suit (though my topic of interest would probably have had no academic focus). The process was a breeze considering ASU's application was a bit reminiscent of a third grade aptitude test, though I never ended up going there. I ultimately narrowed down my decision (and calming my poor mother's nerves) to two schools: Ohio State and Ohio University. OU actually ended up playing a stringent PR game as I visited during Palmerfest and participated in activities that make me never want to have children for the sheer reason that oneday they will be 18 and participating in them. In the end, I chose Ohio State, a decision I have only regretted when I am forced to walk to class, knees deep in snow.
While the party factor is important, as I sit here laughing at the idea of me trying to entertain my ADD self at Wright State, there are other big variables one must take into the equation. While looking for jobs, as colleges, one must take into account a huge aspect that affects all walks of life: location location location. Location is huge because it affects the demography, cost of living, and how many pairs of fake boobs you will see in their natural habitat. Location will dictate what activities one will be involved with, the kinds of people one will meet and most importantly the new clothes one will have to consider buying, for practical purposes of course. After all, there is no better place to rock $600 boots then on the cold Chicago streets (Dad, if you're reading this, it is just a mere comment on how cold it is in winter, and not at all suggesting I would really like a pair http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3099890/0~2376778~2372808~6007659~6011963~6025467?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6025467&P=1).
Location is also an issue when deliberating the proximity that one wants to be with people who they know and a culture they can relate with. While I'm sure there is a demand for young professionals in places like Boise, Idaho, I don't think I could ever quite get myself to move there, especially given that potatoes are my least favorite starch.
Another big issue to consider when looking for a job is deciding what the hell you really want to do. This is a bit of an issue for me, considering that while I would ultimately like to have my own show on the food network, I don't think there are any available time slots right now. While the execs at FoodTV decide how they're going to break the news to Robyn Miller that her recipes suck and she will be replaced with "Meem's Party in the Kitchen," I will have to figure out something else. So now, one takes in their skills and weaknesses, their likes and dislikes, and determines where to direct their job hunting efforts. This process of elimination is sort of how I realized that my lack of consumer-restraint disallowed me to make a proper financial planning major, and my sole computer use involving Microsoft Word and the internet took CS&E out of the running.
Similarly to searching for a major, I am a bit lost on this job search. Long gone are my parents' hopes that I could have settled with an accounting degree and a definitive job offer immediately after college. Instead I graduated as a History and Political Science double major with a minor in Econ. This means that I was very, very good at figuring out exactly what major-minor combination would be least likely to guarantee me a 6 figure salary. It is uncanny, really, how my job search has become a similar cat and mouse chase to picking my major, as tricky commitment issues have always seemed to dictate my decisions. Can I really spend three years of my life with my head stuck in a book in Law School, or work a desk job indefinitely in the corporate world? Probably not happily, hell I can't even commit to a breakfast cereal. Plus, in this day and age there are just so many options. I feel like I could be selling myself short if I don't find something I feel good doing. After all, you can find a job doing anything these days, careers are not limited to your classic occupations anymore. Kids are not going to grow up exclaiming they want to be a teacher or a firefighter, they're going to be saying they want to run a hedge fund or be a social media relations consultant.
At the end of the day, I chose Ohio State because I felt home here. I only hope that my future job hunt will result in a fit that will work just as well.
Meem
No comments:
Post a Comment