I set out to earn my degree in pre-veterinary medicine, but my life went in a drastically new direction.

By that, I mean that I suck at math and chemistry, and I knew I'd never want to go to vet school. I've always wanted to be a writer, and after I took a freshman creative writing elective, I had made up my mind. Almost four years later and I'm a senior about to receive a degree in Creative Writing. Also, tucked into that time span was my decision to join the Army and attend basic and MOS training.

I've struggled to find jobs and to settle on a career path post-graduation due to my major.

I'll admit, a BA in creative writing does not take you 1,001 places; probably not even 10 places. The careers are specific and often narrow, usually, the options are to become a struggling writer, an English professor, or you can continue on to law school. Well, paying positions are also few and far between, with their occupants staying rooted until they are well past retirement. This was one reason I enlisted in the Army National Guard, but I always knew I would need to find a normal day job. This past April, after buying a house and crafting an appropriate class schedule, I knew it was time to find a long-term position.

I applied to over 100 jobs in a span of five months and heard back from none of them. Seriously, I was getting desperate.

My savings were gone, my ever-supportive mom was having to pay my bills, and I was definitely existing on an entirely new plane of misery. I tried to apply to jobs I qualified for, but then I really didn't qualify for any. I tried looking for freelance writing jobs, where I accepted that I would be unhappily writing for prompts that I would never be interested in. I tried to apply for freight processing jobs like where my boyfriend works during school breaks. Still, no matter where I applied and no matter what the requirements, I never even got a response. It was a real case of "what the hell is wrong with me?!"

A university job fair was my last hope to secure a decent, well-paying job.

People, let me say that was the best use of a class skip in my whole educational career! I took a chance and filled out an application to work for an industrial/commercial construction company in their office. They swore they would call me back, and low and behold, they did! I got an interview after my birthday that same month, and soon after I got offered a job. Never could I have imagined that would be the job I would end up in. I knew I would be learning a lot that none of my degree experience could have prepared me for. Regardless, I was ecstatic to start, nevermind the pay or the hours or the onboarding, those were all bonuses to me. The job offer itself was what made me happy, and it wasn't anything near creative writing.

I ultimately realized that sometimes, you ought to get a degree in something you enjoy, not necessarily something you want to work in.

My job is the highlight of my week; I'm always looking forward to seeing my coworkers and learning something new. It made me realize that I really didn't need to stress so much about whether or not my degree would open specific doors. I love that I will have a bachelor's degree, it is something that can never be taken away from me. I also love to write, but I know it won't be something that I choose to focus on in my career.

For now, and the foreseeable future, I aspire to keep working, learning, and improving at my job. I definitely couldn't be more thankful and appreciative of the opportunity I was given and I still haven't ever felt like my job is a chore. I hope when you go out looking for a job of your own that you will keep an open mind, and remember that you should work where you are happy and fulfilled, always.