As I sit in the library preparing for another week of exams, project presentations, and papers I just can't help but wonder if the past 15 years of schooling and the next two will actually pay off. I don't doubt that after college graduation I'll have a plethora of opportunities coming my way, but the thought of settling for a job out of desperation and fear continues to consume me as I calculate the amount of hours I've spent in classrooms all my life.
Education is a virtue and a privilege.
I in no way underestimated or under appreciate education, but a girl can only write so many papers on philosophers before she starts to question the actual purpose of it. Since I was five years old I was conditioned to try my hardest in school, memorize the important information, and work my way up as I went along. All of these things, I hope, have prepared me for adulthood and my future career.
So when the time does come for me to graduate and endeavor to find the best job opportunities possible, I sincerely hope employers realize and understand just how much preparation went into this moment. It starts when we're taught to reciprocate the alphabet, it continues through us memorizing our times tables via timed one-minute tests, it manifests itself when we're taking the ACT for the sixth time to meet college requirements, and it embodies us as we work through our college years to become just what employers want. We maintain our GPA, take renown professors for the possibility of recommendation letters, land pivoted internships, and sometimes it's still not enough.
No one owes me anything.
I would never expect to have these jobs handed to me. I fully understand how competitive each field is and what my competition has that I don't. All I ask of the person examining my resume is that you take one second to recognize the grueling 18 years I spent preparing for this exact moment. Just a simple thought.
To the company that actually ends up hiring me: thank you.
You reviewed my qualifications, questioned my setbacks, evaluated my worth, and decided it was worth offering me a job. And now I can go to my high school reunion with more than 'Seinfeld Enthusiast' written as my occupation which will be super cool. My mom will probably make a Facebook status about it, praising me and your company -- so there's some free publicity for you guys! I promise I'll do my best not to sleep through my alarms and hide in the bathroom every time things start to get overwhelming. Thanks again for keeping me from sleeping on my friends' couches for the rest of my life.
