About a year ago, I finished my coursework requirements for an MA in Art History (thank you, thank you), and moved to Washington D.C. in the starry-eyed hopes of carving out a living for myself in the arts. Since then, I have applied for 98 jobs (insert record-scratching sound here) in at least three countries, to no avail, and am constantly fighting off cynicism and bitterness. (I am also fighting the urge to deliver a swift crack in the nose to the next person who asks, "Have you looked at the Smithsonian?")
I know that I am not the only twenty-something out there in this position, that my lack of employment is due to the vague, oppressing burden of The Economy and not to a lack of drive, education, experience, or passion. Still, until that perfect job comes along, we all have to eat, and that's where the "odd jobs" come in.
Sometimes you just have to put your education on the back burner and take a job which doesn't utilize your qualifications or your gray matter. I have spent many years in the employ of some very strange jobs, and I have learned to put the right "spin" on cover letter to make it shine. For example:
- The job: Wearing a costume, carrying a candle-lit lantern, and telling ghost stories to superstitious tourists.
- The resume: Over four years' experience in historic interpretation and interpersonal communication.
No one can squeeze the blood from a stone like me!
This blog is my attempt to share my stories and look on the bright side of a wholly unfunny situation (unemployment with a Master's degree) not only so that I can laugh at myself, but also in the hopes that someone who is in the same boat as me will recognize my situation and laugh along with me.
Although I want you to find that job, I look forward to reading this blog! I love your storytelling and I trust there's a lot of wisdom behind every story! Miss you girl!
ReplyDelete