... but I don't feel like I'm doing "nothing" anymore. Thanks to duotrope.com. If you didn't read the GFQ post, duotrope is a lovely website that lists publishers, deadlines, and if those deadlines are themed. And I have lined up a list of deadlines I intend to meet. And I've already submitted two stories (the odds of these getting published are very low... but you never know).
I'm not delusional. I mean, I know I'm going to need a day job, seeing as I'm not topping the New York Times bestseller list (I would like to add the word "yet" to the end of this sentence)... but I'm doing something towards the direction of the career I want. And frankly, folks, it feels downright awesome.
So, here's to meeting deadlines and hoping to hear back from publishers!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Mythical Experience and Other Job-Related Rants
Okay, so I had promised myself that I wasn't going to blog until I got a job. Well, I'm breaking that promise to myself to have a nice and healthy rant that, in the present company at the moment, I don't feel I can have.
So, I've been out of college for months now. Months. Preston's starting an awesomely awesome job tomorrow that pays GOOD. Which means that worries such as bill money and wedding funds are really a thing of the past. The wedding can proceed as planned (and, folks, it was rocky there for a while) and although there is about a two-week limbo between tomorrow and his first paycheck, there's really not a lot to worry about.
Which leads into two feelings: 1. First and foremost, I am very, very, very happy for him. This job will bring so many opportunities for him that will help in future career-type plans. 2. I'm so freakin' pissed at the Universe. I have a DEGREE!!! I have spent nearly 20 years of my life in an education facility. Where's my job? Where's my opportunities? Where's my random email from a company who just happened to find my resume (and it's out there, trust me)? (Seriously, for those new to this story, that's how he got this job). No, I, so far, have none. Or the few that I do have are either in cities that I can't live in right now (more on this later) or months and months away.
No, nothing. So then there's the family. I mean, on all sides. Asking the horrible question, "So what's Trish doing?" or my favorite, blunt variation of this, "When's Trish gonna get a job?" This coming from people who either have not worked a day in their life, are pleasantly retired, or have job security of some type. One of my relatives--and the one I'm referring to might surprise some--suggested that I go out and work at fast food or something to get "experience." Hello? I mean, uh, I've only held 3 jobs, but that's given me experience. And I'm going to play my degree card one more time (seriously, does that thing mean anything? I'm moments away from folding it into a paper airplane and playing with it). But yeah, mythical experience... I have experience in clerical situations. Also in dealing with about 100 kids, at one time. I think I can pretty much handle anything a job might throw at me. But no, I need "experience." Jobs that I think are really cool require at least "2-3 experience in this or a related field." Every single one! If that's the case, how am I supposed to get this mythical experience?!
Do they think I like sitting at home all day, doing nothing? Like having no money to call my own? No! I'm used to being relatively independent. I love Preston to death, but I hate to depend on anybody like that.
So, then I've noticed all the really cool jobs that are the highest earning for my degree (and again, really cool)... are all in Huntsville, Montgomery, or Birmingham. Okay, yeah, that would be great. Let me sign right up... oh, wait... I can't do that. I don't have my license (neither Mom nor Preston's car is ready right now for me to take the test that I'm so willingly to take now) and then, I don't have a car. Not to mention no way to save up to live in those cities, considering that I MUST get married this year if I want everything to work out at least a little close to what I want in my life.
Which leads to the car rant. I want a car. How do I get one? Well, get a job, of course. How can I get to said job without a car? Hmmm... quite a paradox that a lot of people don't seem to get. Preston's job is going to take him all over the Southeast. Even if I had my license, I have no way to get a car anytime in the near future, and Preston must have his car o do his job.
And then there is this sincere lack of jobs. I mean, there's this one job... but it's not until May that I can even start it. It's awesome, pays well... but again, may and lack of transportation. I'm so limited I can scream!!!!!
I think I've covered my whole job rant. I have other, little, tiny annoyances, but that's for another time. Except that, right now, I feel like crap. I scalded the roof of my mouth--at the very back, almost my throat--with pizza sauce so now it hurts to swallow or even talk. My stomach hurts, my head hurts, and my back hurts. I'm tired, but, because I sleep with my mouth open, it dries out where I got scalded, causing it to hurt.
Worse of all of this, if I try to tell the people who keep ramming these problems down my throat about all of this, I get either "automatic comfort" or "you're just making excuses" types of reactions.
So, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go throw up now.
So, I've been out of college for months now. Months. Preston's starting an awesomely awesome job tomorrow that pays GOOD. Which means that worries such as bill money and wedding funds are really a thing of the past. The wedding can proceed as planned (and, folks, it was rocky there for a while) and although there is about a two-week limbo between tomorrow and his first paycheck, there's really not a lot to worry about.
Which leads into two feelings: 1. First and foremost, I am very, very, very happy for him. This job will bring so many opportunities for him that will help in future career-type plans. 2. I'm so freakin' pissed at the Universe. I have a DEGREE!!! I have spent nearly 20 years of my life in an education facility. Where's my job? Where's my opportunities? Where's my random email from a company who just happened to find my resume (and it's out there, trust me)? (Seriously, for those new to this story, that's how he got this job). No, I, so far, have none. Or the few that I do have are either in cities that I can't live in right now (more on this later) or months and months away.
No, nothing. So then there's the family. I mean, on all sides. Asking the horrible question, "So what's Trish doing?" or my favorite, blunt variation of this, "When's Trish gonna get a job?" This coming from people who either have not worked a day in their life, are pleasantly retired, or have job security of some type. One of my relatives--and the one I'm referring to might surprise some--suggested that I go out and work at fast food or something to get "experience." Hello? I mean, uh, I've only held 3 jobs, but that's given me experience. And I'm going to play my degree card one more time (seriously, does that thing mean anything? I'm moments away from folding it into a paper airplane and playing with it). But yeah, mythical experience... I have experience in clerical situations. Also in dealing with about 100 kids, at one time. I think I can pretty much handle anything a job might throw at me. But no, I need "experience." Jobs that I think are really cool require at least "2-3 experience in this or a related field." Every single one! If that's the case, how am I supposed to get this mythical experience?!
Do they think I like sitting at home all day, doing nothing? Like having no money to call my own? No! I'm used to being relatively independent. I love Preston to death, but I hate to depend on anybody like that.
So, then I've noticed all the really cool jobs that are the highest earning for my degree (and again, really cool)... are all in Huntsville, Montgomery, or Birmingham. Okay, yeah, that would be great. Let me sign right up... oh, wait... I can't do that. I don't have my license (neither Mom nor Preston's car is ready right now for me to take the test that I'm so willingly to take now) and then, I don't have a car. Not to mention no way to save up to live in those cities, considering that I MUST get married this year if I want everything to work out at least a little close to what I want in my life.
Which leads to the car rant. I want a car. How do I get one? Well, get a job, of course. How can I get to said job without a car? Hmmm... quite a paradox that a lot of people don't seem to get. Preston's job is going to take him all over the Southeast. Even if I had my license, I have no way to get a car anytime in the near future, and Preston must have his car o do his job.
And then there is this sincere lack of jobs. I mean, there's this one job... but it's not until May that I can even start it. It's awesome, pays well... but again, may and lack of transportation. I'm so limited I can scream!!!!!
I think I've covered my whole job rant. I have other, little, tiny annoyances, but that's for another time. Except that, right now, I feel like crap. I scalded the roof of my mouth--at the very back, almost my throat--with pizza sauce so now it hurts to swallow or even talk. My stomach hurts, my head hurts, and my back hurts. I'm tired, but, because I sleep with my mouth open, it dries out where I got scalded, causing it to hurt.
Worse of all of this, if I try to tell the people who keep ramming these problems down my throat about all of this, I get either "automatic comfort" or "you're just making excuses" types of reactions.
So, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go throw up now.
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