It’s been just a few weeks since I graduated college, and in that time I have spent less time relaxing and enjoying my newfound freedom and more time worrying about trying to find a job that I couldn’t get without a degree. I wish I could use this post-graduation time to travel or just stand still for a moment, but alas I’ve been hunting for new opportunities since the afternoon I walked across YSU’s stage.
At this point I have just entered the job market alongside everyone of my fellow graduates. I am not naive enough to think I will land the perfect job at 22 years old fresh out of college. I know I have a lot to learn, and I am willing to put the work in. But only if that work has something even remotely to do with a career path I can legitimately see myself traveling down.
In this time I have come across very few possibilities. However, I did find one job posting for a local PR and Entertainment Marketing company. I applied, got an email, scheduled an interview, and was on my way to their office near Youngstown. The interview went great, the people were really cool at the company, and the job began to sound more and more exciting. Working with local sports teams like the Pirates and Phantoms, and the company even had accounts with the Yankees and Mets. There was also a possibility to travel to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and even New York for company trips. It was salaried, too, plus bonuses.
Later that day I was given a callback and scheduled a second interview, however this time it was a job-shadow day. I’d be working directly with the PR department and overseeing what a day in the job really looked like. Despite all the great things about the job, I remained skeptical to keep myself level-headed. Last Monday I showed up at their offices again to find the new Blink-182 album playing in the lobby of the company. About 20 minutes later, two other business-looking people and I got into the car of the woman who interviewed me directly. We’d be traveling to Beaver Falls, PA that day for PR and Promotion of the Pirates- sounded cool. Now, aside from the fact that I’ve never had to pee more in my life on that hour and a half car ride, I knew immediately that the day was going to be a bust.
Long story short, I was quickly informed that the company’s idea of PR was literally going door-to-door trying to sell Pirates tickets, or whatever other company or brand they were representing that day. I played along, was respectful, and even made a sale myself. But about halfway through the day the woman in charge went into more detail about the position, and the company’s manager training program. It was a lot to take in, but it basically boiled down to the first three months being door-to-door, with the only way of making an income being your ticket sales, and the rest of the time being primarily ‘out in the field’ (door-to-door) with opportunities for increased office time. They called this time ‘boot camp’ as to “weed out the lazy individuals who don’t want to do hard work”.
It was then that I told her I’m not a salesman, respectfully.
When we got back to the office five hours later I thanked her for the time and opportunity, politely declined, got in my car, and left.
On the drive home I began to get a bit discouraged. Not that I wouldn’t have any other job opportunities, but because I was called “lazy” for not wanting to be a door-to-door salesman. At 22 years old, I realize that - despite how I may feel about myself - I still am starting out at the bottom of whatever job I may have. I don’t expect to walk in and get some job that you normally have to work up to. I realize that. I’m not just another millennial looking to waltz in to a high paying job without having to do any work. Trust me, I hate when people are entitled and get everything they want without having to work for it. That work is part of the journey. But why would I commit to possibly three months of sporadic pay just to get somewhere I don’t want to go?
At the end of the day I want to find a job in which I can flex my creative muscles, not go from business to business trying to sell people something that they don’t really need. I want a job that will help me develop skills that I can take into my future. Skills that will help get me where I want to go, and will lead me into a career in the creative industry.
Now, saying all of this I do realize that it’s going to take some time to get there. I know that there will be jobs along the way that have nothing to do with my ‘end game’ plans. But that doesn’t mean that I can, in good conscious, just accept the first job I find for the sake of having it. I know me saying all of this may sound like I’m complaining or feel entitled, myself. And I already know there will be those people who say, “Back in my day…” trying to make me feel bad about being so against this job. But my degree is in Media Communications, I want to find a job that I can at least do something related to my field. I didn’t take a door-to-door sales class at YSU. And that’s not to speak poorly of the company or position or anyone who does that job, it’s just simply not for me.
So here is to my continued job search, scrolling through page after page of LinkedIn and Monster.com ads hoping for something that catches my eye. Here is to my early-twenties stubborn attitude. And here is to not selling myself short for the first job that comes my way.
