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Someone said to me in passing: the last stop, I don't know, but it made me realize where I am in the grand view of it all. Let's see what I'm thinking before it vanishes
Yes, this is the last stop, the end of the line, a rail system to my supposed success. I've been on this train for the past 14 years, probably more, I've stopped counting. And yet, this is where it all ends, where the track meets the dirt and where I learn to walk the rest, jump the big gaps of skills and experience and face the adult life.
This train has taught me everything either in passing or at its major cities of knowledge and philosophy. I've learned so much and yet I know I missed a lot being on this train towards adulthood, a graduating university and the station that's cared for me financially and even physically. When I was told this was the last stop, where I would be applying myself to jobs, careers, actual employment, there was a revelation, an end of the tunnel in my understanding that this was, indeed, the end. The end of the beginning, the setup into a wondrous world that is so similar to everyone else's; where we all need to walk, need to work to where we want to be. Yet, I know mine will be different and not due to my own self-confidence (or lack of) but more because of how much I know myself to want to be and do differently than what I've been taught. No longer playing safe and setting high expectations, but starting at the bottom and seeing where I go.
I guess it's all starting to make less sense to those reading this, but to me; it's all starting to make sense at how these next few months may be of unemployment, but they will also be the most educating about myself as well as the extent I need to apply in order to get where I want to be or at least; where I can start.
This is the last stop and I must now disembark. Good luck to anyone else now graduating as well.
  
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A little cliche, but I've been really down and worried about the future and finding work. The day have been a little empty since last week.
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You got this TDL, what are you graduating in, what job are you looking for?
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On April 29 2013 11:27 Torte de Lini wrote:
A little cliche, but I've been really down and worried about the future and finding work. The day have been a little empty since last week.
Which is why it's generally a good idea to start looking for work before you graduate. It's really sweet to graduate knowing you're jumping into a proper job immediately, stabilizing your economy etc.
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On April 29 2013 15:25 Tobberoth wrote:Show nested quote +On April 29 2013 11:27 Torte de Lini wrote:
A little cliche, but I've been really down and worried about the future and finding work. The day have been a little empty since last week. Which is why it's generally a good idea to start looking for work before you graduate. It's really sweet to graduate knowing you're jumping into a proper job immediately, stabilizing your economy etc.
I started looking back in February.
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Will you write a reminiscence blog after you finish uni? I miss your old, long, rambling blogs with lots of pretty pictres
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I hear you torte. I'm still in school and part time jobs, let alone coop , have become unfruitful
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On April 29 2013 16:11 Bswhunter wrote:
Will you write a reminiscence blog after you finish uni? I miss your old, long, rambling blogs with lots of pretty pictres
Definitely going to start writing reflective blogs more, the mood rarely strikes me though as I was so overcome with writing informative work (: But thanks!
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On April 29 2013 22:07 Sated wrote:Show nested quote +On April 29 2013 15:27 Torte de Lini wrote:On April 29 2013 15:25 Tobberoth wrote:On April 29 2013 11:27 Torte de Lini wrote:
A little cliche, but I've been really down and worried about the future and finding work. The day have been a little empty since last week. Which is why it's generally a good idea to start looking for work before you graduate. It's really sweet to graduate knowing you're jumping into a proper job immediately, stabilizing your economy etc. I started looking back in February. It took me from April/May last year to March this year to find a job after graduating (PhD Chemistry), though I'd say I only started looking seriously after my viva was over (October). It gets pretty annoying having nothing to do most days, so the best thing is to try and organise a schedule for how you're going to be looking for jobs. For me, since I was looking mostly for research work at Universities, I made a list of all the Universities in the UK that have chemistry departments and looked through 1/5th of them for job vacancies each week day... followed by visiting a list of websites I knew posted post-doctoral positions in industry... and that only took half my day! For the rest of my day, I just made sure I had stuff to do, such as exercising (definitely exercised a lot more before I got a job; I need to get back into that), laddering SC2 (not exactly productive, but it freed up my evenings to do other stuff), working on a game I'm slowly finishing up, and doing chores around the house (I was staying at my Dad's house, which was a little sobering having lived in University dorms or with friends from ages 18-25...) It can be a bit of a sad time, but if you keep yourself organised then it will go fine. I find it's the lack of consistency that's worse than the lack of things to do. Good luck finding a job!
I have until August until I have to start moving on and living on my own. My parents are very supportive of me and I guess that's the upside of all this, less worries, more focus. Counting my blessings now more than ever.
My degree is Sociology and anyone will tell you the pay blows and the amount of jobs you can wiggle in with that is pretty weak, so I'm working on based on my experience as a diverse writer and go-gettter guy from my projects within E-Sports (which is not very easy to convince jobs that I can draw legitimate skills from for entry-level work).
Yeah, filling my days is definitely brutal. I haven't had a summer vacation since the 9th grade (I've been doing summer school since), so trying to find ways to fill my days is strangely rough. I'm lookin' at old hobbies I wanted to do, but never got around: learn the piano, take up tap dancing again, practicing street fighter at an electronic bar (something to get me out of the house).
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Went through something fairly similar about 10 months ago. Only I was graduating from graduate school. I "slacked" and only started looking for jobs about 2 months prior to graduation (it is pretty hard when you are working 2 jobs and making sure you're getting both degrees you're in the program for, but I still could have done better).
It took me almost 9 months from the time of graduation until me actually starting my current job. The job I have now is one of the first ones I applied to after I graduated; it took over 5 months for them to narrow applicants, respond, do 2 interviews, and then eventually make an offer. That stretch of unemployment was probably the 2nd worst part of my life (won't get into the first). I would recommend doing 2 things (both of which I did, but should have done earlier):
1. Set a minimum number of jobs you are going to apply to each week. I started at 1, and upped that to 2 pretty quickly. I don't really know how many jobs I actually applied to in total.
2. Get a part time job doing something crappy. Yes, the job will suck, but it is better than sitting around for months on end. It gives you some social interaction, and some structure to the day/week.
On a side note, I decided sometime back in undergrad that I liked the "train" so to speak and wanted to work at a university/college if possible, and I'm doing that now. Just keep trying, things will eventually work out.
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On April 30 2013 02:02 HardlyNever wrote:
Went through something fairly similar about 10 months ago. Only I was graduating from graduate school. I "slacked" and only started looking for jobs about 2 months prior to graduation (it is pretty hard when you are working 2 jobs and making sure you're getting both degrees you're in the program for, but I still could have done better).
It took me almost 9 months from the time of graduation until me actually starting my current job. The job I have now is one of the first ones I applied to after I graduated; it took over 5 months for them to narrow applicants, respond, do 2 interviews, and then eventually make an offer. That stretch of unemployment was probably the 2nd worst part of my life (won't get into the first). I would recommend doing 2 things (both of which I did, but should have done earlier):
1. Set a minimum number of jobs you are going to apply to each week. I started at 1, and upped that to 2 pretty quickly. I don't really know how many jobs I actually applied to in total.
2. Get a part time job doing something crappy. Yes, the job will suck, but it is better than sitting around for months on end. It gives you some social interaction, and some structure to the day/week.
On a side note, I decided sometime back in undergrad that I liked the "train" so to speak and wanted to work at a university/college if possible, and I'm doing that now. Just keep trying, things will eventually work out.
I already do #1 with about 8-9 job applications every 3-4 days [in anything and everything]
What's working at university like? I found the place dreadful because it didn't really challenge me, but more like a time-user (it filled up the majority of my days).
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Wait woah woah woah woah.
You're leaving TL?
oh gawd TDL ill miss you 
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On April 30 2013 02:09 Torte de Lini wrote:Show nested quote +On April 30 2013 02:02 HardlyNever wrote:
Went through something fairly similar about 10 months ago. Only I was graduating from graduate school. I "slacked" and only started looking for jobs about 2 months prior to graduation (it is pretty hard when you are working 2 jobs and making sure you're getting both degrees you're in the program for, but I still could have done better).
It took me almost 9 months from the time of graduation until me actually starting my current job. The job I have now is one of the first ones I applied to after I graduated; it took over 5 months for them to narrow applicants, respond, do 2 interviews, and then eventually make an offer. That stretch of unemployment was probably the 2nd worst part of my life (won't get into the first). I would recommend doing 2 things (both of which I did, but should have done earlier):
1. Set a minimum number of jobs you are going to apply to each week. I started at 1, and upped that to 2 pretty quickly. I don't really know how many jobs I actually applied to in total.
2. Get a part time job doing something crappy. Yes, the job will suck, but it is better than sitting around for months on end. It gives you some social interaction, and some structure to the day/week.
On a side note, I decided sometime back in undergrad that I liked the "train" so to speak and wanted to work at a university/college if possible, and I'm doing that now. Just keep trying, things will eventually work out. I already do #1 with about 8-9 job applications every 3-4 days [in anything and everything] What's working at university like? I found the place dreadful because it didn't really challenge me, but more like a time-user (it filled up the majority of my days).
I really like working at a university, but I would certainly say it isn't for everyone. Also, there are lots of types of jobs at universities, so I can't really say what your experience would be like at some particular jobs. However, if you are interested in doing anything "academic" you're going to need a higher degree (at least a masters), which would mean more school. And if you are finding universities "dreadful" more school probably doesn't appeal to you at this point.
There are several reasons why I like working at universities, but the two that stand out to me (and this is mostly a personal thing):
1. Reasonably sized universities have a lot of resources/perks/discounts etc. that you get for just being a part of the "institution." These get better the higher you move up the academic ladder, but even at the bottom they are pretty good.
2. I don't really like the corporate world, but like the job security and benefits (see above) that are associated with it. Universities provide a lot of this without being "for profit" businesses.
I also am the kind of person that feels like they constantly need to be learning, and universities are great for this as you can often get classes for free or heavily discounted if you are faculty (tying into #1). Overall, I just like the atmosphere and benefits that universities provide, but I'm not the type of person that feels like they need to be challenged in order to find something fulfilling (at least not all the time).
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I feel you bro, I graduated from Concordia last spring, took my first summer completely off in i cant remember how many years, and have been looking for work ever since :/
Its not easy and has been frankly kind of demoralizing at times because in a way this is the first real thing in which i "fail", but not giving up is important and I'm sure things will eventually turn around!
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On April 30 2013 02:55 Louuster wrote:
I feel you bro, I graduated from Concordia last spring, took my first summer completely off in i cant remember how many years, and have been looking for work ever since :/
Its not easy and has been frankly kind of demoralizing at times because in a way this is the first real thing in which i "fail", but not giving up is important and I'm sure things will eventually turn around!
How's finding work in Quebec? I feel its much harder and so much more limited :x
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On April 30 2013 02:39 HardlyNever wrote:Show nested quote +On April 30 2013 02:09 Torte de Lini wrote:On April 30 2013 02:02 HardlyNever wrote:
Went through something fairly similar about 10 months ago. Only I was graduating from graduate school. I "slacked" and only started looking for jobs about 2 months prior to graduation (it is pretty hard when you are working 2 jobs and making sure you're getting both degrees you're in the program for, but I still could have done better).
It took me almost 9 months from the time of graduation until me actually starting my current job. The job I have now is one of the first ones I applied to after I graduated; it took over 5 months for them to narrow applicants, respond, do 2 interviews, and then eventually make an offer. That stretch of unemployment was probably the 2nd worst part of my life (won't get into the first). I would recommend doing 2 things (both of which I did, but should have done earlier):
1. Set a minimum number of jobs you are going to apply to each week. I started at 1, and upped that to 2 pretty quickly. I don't really know how many jobs I actually applied to in total.
2. Get a part time job doing something crappy. Yes, the job will suck, but it is better than sitting around for months on end. It gives you some social interaction, and some structure to the day/week.
On a side note, I decided sometime back in undergrad that I liked the "train" so to speak and wanted to work at a university/college if possible, and I'm doing that now. Just keep trying, things will eventually work out. I already do #1 with about 8-9 job applications every 3-4 days [in anything and everything] What's working at university like? I found the place dreadful because it didn't really challenge me, but more like a time-user (it filled up the majority of my days). I really like working at a university, but I would certainly say it isn't for everyone. Also, there are lots of types of jobs at universities, so I can't really say what your experience would be like at some particular jobs. However, if you are interested in doing anything "academic" you're going to need a higher degree (at least a masters), which would mean more school. And if you are finding universities "dreadful" more school probably doesn't appeal to you at this point. There are several reasons why I like working at universities, but the two that stand out to me (and this is mostly a personal thing): 1. Reasonably sized universities have a lot of resources/perks/discounts etc. that you get for just being a part of the "institution." These get better the higher you move up the academic ladder, but even at the bottom they are pretty good. 2. I don't really like the corporate world, but like the job security and benefits (see above) that are associated with it. Universities provide a lot of this without being "for profit" businesses. I also am the kind of person that feels like they constantly need to be learning, and universities are great for this as you can often get classes for free or heavily discounted if you are faculty (tying into #1). Overall, I just like the atmosphere and benefits that universities provide, but I'm not the type of person that feels like they need to be challenged in order to find something fulfilling (at least not all the time).
I was definitely thinking of going back to school if I can't find anything to be honest, maybe graduate school in something more demanding than sociology (ughhh)
What kind of perks?
Interesting, it sounds pretty personal.
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This is the last stop for your managed, guided life. You've run the course set before you, and now you step off the track and into the great wilderness.
Life without tracks is tough, but you can find a whole lot out there. I mean, come on... there are people that make money by filming themselves playing video games, talking out their butts, and/or being snarky. It's a great big world of crazy these days. Granted, there are risks, but there are rewards.
Also, as a final note, let me say that the government is theoretically a good sector for stability, but it sucks in many other ways as you move forward (maybe Canadian government is better, but I'm thinking just more polite). Keep writing, try a book or a novel, short stories, toss them into the various distribution channels on the sly.
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You were driven enough to get where you are now, and it's that same drive that propels us who go through the shitfest that is higher education to eventually find/begin/reestablish/reinvent a career for ourselves.
You'll be fine - just remember what other people are going through right now (deciding which of their children to feed, if they can afford lifesaving medical treatments, watching a loved one die) and realize that you are lucky to be in the position the you are in.
Life itself is a process (birth, growth, death) and life is also a series of subprocesses. You've already succeeded at this many processes to get where you are, so look at it as just another step on the walk of life. Clarity is a beautiful thing, and the more of it you can achieve, the easier it is to be in control of the things you actually can control - don't sweat what isn't in your control, like being hired.
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Thanks for the kind words (: I agree UndoneJin and felisconcolori
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On April 30 2013 03:02 Torte de Lini wrote:Show nested quote +On April 30 2013 02:39 HardlyNever wrote:On April 30 2013 02:09 Torte de Lini wrote:On April 30 2013 02:02 HardlyNever wrote:
Went through something fairly similar about 10 months ago. Only I was graduating from graduate school. I "slacked" and only started looking for jobs about 2 months prior to graduation (it is pretty hard when you are working 2 jobs and making sure you're getting both degrees you're in the program for, but I still could have done better).
It took me almost 9 months from the time of graduation until me actually starting my current job. The job I have now is one of the first ones I applied to after I graduated; it took over 5 months for them to narrow applicants, respond, do 2 interviews, and then eventually make an offer. That stretch of unemployment was probably the 2nd worst part of my life (won't get into the first). I would recommend doing 2 things (both of which I did, but should have done earlier):
1. Set a minimum number of jobs you are going to apply to each week. I started at 1, and upped that to 2 pretty quickly. I don't really know how many jobs I actually applied to in total.
2. Get a part time job doing something crappy. Yes, the job will suck, but it is better than sitting around for months on end. It gives you some social interaction, and some structure to the day/week.
On a side note, I decided sometime back in undergrad that I liked the "train" so to speak and wanted to work at a university/college if possible, and I'm doing that now. Just keep trying, things will eventually work out. I already do #1 with about 8-9 job applications every 3-4 days [in anything and everything] What's working at university like? I found the place dreadful because it didn't really challenge me, but more like a time-user (it filled up the majority of my days). I really like working at a university, but I would certainly say it isn't for everyone. Also, there are lots of types of jobs at universities, so I can't really say what your experience would be like at some particular jobs. However, if you are interested in doing anything "academic" you're going to need a higher degree (at least a masters), which would mean more school. And if you are finding universities "dreadful" more school probably doesn't appeal to you at this point. There are several reasons why I like working at universities, but the two that stand out to me (and this is mostly a personal thing): 1. Reasonably sized universities have a lot of resources/perks/discounts etc. that you get for just being a part of the "institution." These get better the higher you move up the academic ladder, but even at the bottom they are pretty good. 2. I don't really like the corporate world, but like the job security and benefits (see above) that are associated with it. Universities provide a lot of this without being "for profit" businesses. I also am the kind of person that feels like they constantly need to be learning, and universities are great for this as you can often get classes for free or heavily discounted if you are faculty (tying into #1). Overall, I just like the atmosphere and benefits that universities provide, but I'm not the type of person that feels like they need to be challenged in order to find something fulfilling (at least not all the time). I was definitely thinking of going back to school if I can't find anything to be honest, maybe graduate school in something more demanding than sociology (ughhh) What kind of perks? Interesting, it sounds pretty personal.
Grad school is a big decision in and of itself. Having just left grad school I can say this: there are too many people (imo) currently there, especially in the humanities/social sciences, that are there because they couldn't get anything else to work. Now, at least they are doing something and trying to make themselves better, but I got the sneaking suspicion that say... the bottom 20% of my "classmates" (defined broadly), were just kind of terrible at everything. They weren't going to be any more successful at their "post grad school" career than they were before. Just my 2c regarding the subject. It very well may not apply to you.
As far as benefits of working at a university, this of course varies from school to school and whether your university is a state school, private school, the size etc. Also, it is probably worth noting that while the US public education system (kindergarten- grade 12) is kind of crappy compared to the rest of the first world, the higher education is still regarded as one of the best if not the best systems in the world. US universities tend to have a lot of money and a lot of resources. I'm not sure if this is true in Canada, but I'm sure there are some really good institutions up there, as well. Since I've spent all of my higher education in mid/large sized public state schools, and I currently work at one now, I'll go with that. All of them provide what I would consider the "basic" necessities of a "real job" (i.e. career) that include:
-health insurance
-dental insurance
-retirement plan
-other insurances options (life, vision, etc. if you want them)
Those are pretty basic, however because most universities are part of the state education system, they tend to be pretty good (I had a dentist office tell me that my dental insurance was the best they've seen). Some things that are more unique to universities are as follows:
-General access to most or all of the campus facilities. This includes things like information resources (libraries, archives), gyms, food services, museums, performing arts, etc. For instance, I can go work out at the gym for 30 min per day (on work time) at my particular university.
-Continuing education. Again, this varies from school to school, but every university has had some benefits for faculty for continuing education. For the specific university system I work in, after I work here for 6 months, I get free tuition for most of the courses available within the state university system (with the exception of some courses that are high demand, like business, law and other "premium" courses).
-Progressive/liberal work environment. This is something I value personally, while others might not. I'm a fairly liberal/progressive minded person in most regards, and it is nice to work at places with similar attitudes.
Those are some that stick out. There are more, but I don't want this to turn into some sort of "brag blog" because that isn't my intent at all. I can tell you more in a pm or something if you are interested, or are interested in grad school I can give you my experience.
Hope that helps.
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Hey, that definitely helps. I never really considered working at a university because while I enjoy Sociology, I don't really tend to see the grand opportunities from it. I was only considering grad. school for something more concrete or worthwhile, but I definitely understand how probably everyone underachieving would consider it too. I'm entering the job world without any debts, so maybe I shouldn't consider grad school if I want to remain debt free.
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I'm scared and depressed about work. I'm grasping for anything I can take...I don't care if I live in a decrepit apartment eating a can of beans every day. I just want to live on my own. Some jobs I'm excited for are data entry jobs and a transcriptionist. I'm praying that I get them everyday, and I'm an agnostic.
I hope you find success. I get the feeling my life is going to be very low key.
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Myself as well :B Just hold out and keep trying!
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On April 30 2013 05:33 Torte de Lini wrote:
Hey, that definitely helps. I never really considered working at a university because while I enjoy Sociology, I don't really tend to see the grand opportunities from it. I was only considering grad. school for something more concrete or worthwhile, but I definitely understand how probably everyone underachieving would consider it too. I'm entering the job world without any debts, so maybe I shouldn't consider grad school if I want to remain debt free.
This is something I found out recently - that you can apply for some other program than your undergrad. How true is this? Could you with a sociology degree go into computer science masters? I've heard people say the admin doesn't really care what your undergrad is, but that seems a bit silly.
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There will usually be a requirement of an undergrad degree in a related field for application into grad school but that is usually treated on a case by case basis so exceptions for things like exceptionally high standing in a different field or real life experience apply. A computer science masters would probably accept applicants with a background in engineering, science or math for example.
They might also make you take a few prerequisite undergrad level classes in addition to the standard course load.
@torte I dont know how looking for work is in other field but I am in engineering and there are definitely a lot of opportunities. The biggest problem for me is that I definitely fucked up during my undergrad and didnt try hard enough to get relevant work experience and its really coming back to bite me now. I have been explicitely told by more a few places that I basically have an ideal profile but am simply lacking experience, especially when consulting work is involved.
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In reading through your blog and hearing you last night on eSportsCanadaTV, have you considered a field related to your studies like marketing or PR? I personally think what you've accumulated within the eSports world can be considered worthwhile experience so long as you can effectively communicate the results of your efforts, and the process properly.
It may be worth considering a short term internship (paid or otherwise) in the interim to grab some experience/build up your networks as well, since you're not in debt and have some time at home.
As for shotgunning out resumes... I have mixed feelings on that - I mean it eventually works because of probability, but I feel like you'd be using your time more efficiently singling out a few organizations with positions you're interested in and reaching out to them specifically (depending on the position, it might be worth volunteering/doing something pro-bono with them to at least get your foot in the door first and prove your wealth).
Either way, I think you've got good chances; sooner or later someone's gonna punch your ticket and before you know it you'll be on-board the next train. 
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On May 01 2013 08:28 Dojobear wrote:In reading through your blog and hearing you last night on eSportsCanadaTV, have you considered a field related to your studies like marketing or PR? I personally think what you've accumulated within the eSports world can be considered worthwhile experience so long as you can effectively communicate the results of your efforts, and the process properly. It may be worth considering a short term internship (paid or otherwise) in the interim to grab some experience/build up your networks as well, since you're not in debt and have some time at home. As for shotgunning out resumes... I have mixed feelings on that - I mean it eventually works because of probability, but I feel like you'd be using your time more efficiently singling out a few organizations with positions you're interested in and reaching out to them specifically (depending on the position, it might be worth volunteering/doing something pro-bono with them to at least get your foot in the door first and prove your wealth). Either way, I think you've got good chances; sooner or later someone's gonna punch your ticket and before you know it you'll be on-board the next train.
Someone watched me on EsportsCanada haha! I wanted to do PR, but I wouldn't do a whole study on it after finishing Sociology and having three years experience (within E-Sports sadly) of PR and Marketing.
The problem with PR, so I am told, is that you need to know your journalist contacts initially, when applying. So it's hard to getting in, but then you transition to many PR jobs for different companies (apparently).
I've started contacting organizations I really wanted to get into and now I'm changed gears into something more hyper-drive-esque.
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EPT
