After graduating from Utah State University in spring 2011, I went out with high expectations and hope -- if I found my dream career, perfect! If not, I would return to graduate studies after a year.
My first mistake in finding a job was to graduate in American Studies with a writing and folklore emphasis. Sure, some places may be needing writers, but the fresh college grad rarely gets that chance.
My second mistake was dreaming big. I applied to video game companies and web sites as a writer or a tester, and I even had one interview. As cash dwindled, I looked at other places needing writers or historians -- an Air Force base, the IRS. Desperate, I applied to fast food and Wal-Mart. No luck. To save money, I slept in a friend's closet.
I found a temporary position at a diaper factory where I stood for twelve hours a day staring at mind-numbing machines. After months of searching, I received a part-time job facilitating classes at the university; it was only $400 a month, but it was sufficient for my cotton-filled domicile. I was poor but happy.
If you want a job, dream big but keep your options open. This flexibility paid off; I returned this fall to the university for graduate studies in literature and writing, managing to land a position as a composition instructor.
And yes -- I've upgraded to an armoire.
