“My generation was taught that all we needed to succeed was an education and hard work. Tell that to my friend from high school who studied Chinese and international relations at a top-tier college. He had the misfortune to graduate in the class of 2009…”
Me.
Some days, I really feel this. With my faith I’ve been able to reason that career is not life, society is not life and money is not life. Good thing.
I’ve also had the gift of knowing and having an education that has developed me in ways beyond the model of a good grad student or employee. I don’t have regrets and am sincerely grateful for it.
But, a sense of independence and new, greener pastures; a little adventure and a sense of freedom…
those are the things that I long after.
And writing all those cover letters and resumes and researching all those applications so that you can submit your “life’s work” over to the powers-that-be, when really somehow those documents get sucked into a black hole: all of that can be so disempowering.
And so stifling.
Networking wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t so insincere… and if the product (a j-o-b) of said networking wasn’t so elusive these days. Mentoring is more promising anyway, but how do you find that one person who is able to genuinely sympathize with and patiently listen to a 20-something’s ever-changing, underdeveloped and multifarious ideas on career and life? Maybe that’s what I should be more focused on.
Eh well…
It’s good to know my life is in Good Hands.
