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The economy is rough. We all know that, and we’ve all been reminded of it plenty of times. One never knows when she is going to learn that she will no longer be needed in her designated position. And so, we hold onto what jobs we have, for as long as they’ll let us, even after we start to resent going there everyday.
So you stick it out. But you start to get jaded, and the little things you used to not even notice start to really bug you. Everyone has gripes about their jobs. But now, when you do decide to have a roll-your-eyes moment at the position, you’re greeted with “Welcome to the real world!” and “At least you have a job!”-type comments. Wow. I have a job. What a great accomplishment.
I refuse to believe that it is difficult to find a job, even in this economy. I’ve had friends who insist they’ve been looking for work, any work, for months. All of these people are hunting, and the day I decide I’d like to take on a second job to earn a little extra income, I got hired on the spot at the first place I went to. Ever heard of Craigslist? If you are smart enough to sort out the scam jobs, there are plenty of people looking to hire. State Labor Department? Quite a few jobs there, and at least you know those are legitimate and you won’t be flooded with a million unnecessary emails daily (ahem, careerbuilder.com). So, I’m sorry. But I’m calling BS on all these people who can’t find work. There’s work. But is it the job you want to do? I didn’t last at Job #2 long. I had done that sort of work before and hated it. It only took me two days to remember how much. I would gladly sacrifice the extra income for my sanity.
As far as the “Welcome to the real world” comments, I have a few thoughts on that one, as well. Sure, there’s work out there. But eventually, when it comes to long-term planning, shouldn’t one do something that doesn’t actually feel like work? “Do what you love and love what you do”…isn’t that another one of those clichés? A career should be something you love to get up in the morning and do, something you’re proud to do; something that overall improves your well-being and happiness. But honestly, are there any jobs out there like that anymore? Because I actually love the work I do now. The pay sucks, there are no benefits whatsoever (on holidays and days we’re closed, I am just SOL on pay), but the work itself is fun. Of course there will be drama…I work with a bunch of middle-aged women, after all. And of course you know about the one woman who can never be pleased, no matter what I try to do. I am Miss Eager to Please and she is Miss Impossible to Please, so any kind of relationship we could have is really not healthy for either of us. But even she is great on most days, so compared to other places I’ve worked (ahem, Wal-Mart), drama is pretty minimal. What I don’t understand is why it seems everywhere I’ve worked just seems so ungrateful to its employees and completely apt to screw the pooch (at one place I worked, that phrase was literal). Millions or billions of dollars are being made. There is always a lot of money being made…by someone. But then the lower-level bosses and employees are screwed at every given opportunity. Shirked of benefits. Made to work off-the-clock. These are the people who really keep things going, the heart and soul of the companies. And yet they are treated like vermin. The people who do the most make the least, and the people do the least make the most. The real world, ehh? Well, I have another thing to say about that. The real world sucks!
Is there a solution? At what point will I ever transition into that adult period where I actually can make enough money to own my own home, afford a wedding, and afford children? Am I destined to be a 29 hour-per-week clerk for the rest of my life? Because you can’t go to school without money, and you can’t make money unless you’ve been to school…and that little Catch 22 is about the most disheartening fact that I’ve ever encountered in my life. Some people just can’t win for losing, and unfortunately, I am one of those people. But I’m not going to let it defeat me—I won’t. Life is too short not to get to live out all your dreams…I just need some sort of stepping stone. If I just knew things could possibly go in that direction…if I just knew how it’s all done. Because obviously, hard work isn’t enough. There must be some sort of recipe. Do I even know what I want to be when I grow up? Not a clue. But by now, I’ve worked enough places to know what I don’t want to be, and so perhaps by process of elimination, I will finally have something down by the time I’m old enough to retire (which with my luck, retirement will be totally obsolete by the time I’m of age). I just need to find where to take that leap…could someone please point me in the direction of where to jump?
“Off a bridge” is not an option.
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Been there so many times. I wish I could give encouragement or advice, but it’d sound glib and trite. But, I’ve SO been there. That’s why I think some of us just need to make our own way, create our own paths.
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