Right now I'm working near minimum-wage at a bookstore where I have been known to beg, plead, and offer up my first-born child in exchange for extra hours. And I'm on my third, fourth, or fifth attempt at writing my thesis and finally graduating from college. And I just found out that my inability to do said task has prevented me from graduating debt-free and I will have to apply for my first student loan tomorrow.
But I'm trying to look for the silver lining.
I didn't spend the last four and half years of college stoned and my GPA is atleast a three-point-something. But otherwise, I didn't join any clubs, I didn't play any sports, I didn't get noticed by any of my teachers, and the professor editing my thesis and presenting me at my thesis defense still can't pronounce my name correctly.
But I want to turn that around. I want to graduate and move out of my parents' house and show them that I can survive outside of their safe, sheltering, money-lending household. I was spoiled, I admit that, but now its time to grow up. My time at the bookstore has been the best time I've had in the last five years. I love my coworkers, I love the environment, and I love being around the books again after I gave up pleasure-reading in college.
So I think I want to go into the publishing industry. Probably not editorial work since my grammar is atrocious by literary standards, but maybe acquisitions or distributions or something along those lines.
But I don't know how to make it happen. Or more to the point, even if I know HOW, CAN I make it happen? My resume is sparse and short. I wasn't editor or writer in any school paper or magazine. My advice articles seem to advise getting a Masters (and I just can't handle graduate school right now) or some sort of summer program, where spaces are just as limited as the jobs are.
Other places make it to be much easier. Paying or non-paying internships and lots of grunt work. Which would be ideal for me. I'd much rather learn on the job than in a classroom. And I'm not afraid of photocopying or coffee runs and trying to learn about the business from snippets of conversations in the lunch room. I would be willing to go back for my Masters in a few years if that was necessary for advancement.
But I don't know if this is realistic. I don't know what cities are best. I don't know what I should be doing right now though my guts says to stop worrying about a career since my graduation in May is hopeful at best.
Is there hope for an underachiever wanting to get into such a small hiring industry?
Any words of wisdom to aid my self-esteem so I can feel brave enough to leave home and try and make it on my own?
What's a hopeful graduate to do?
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Move to New York. And prepare for extreme poverty. :-\
Actually, I take it back. Move to Secaucus or Rutherford. And prepare for slightly less extreme poverty. But get a subway pass.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Incidentally, it's your undergrad that's requiring a thesis? And you can't get them to budge on that requirement?