Not sure what kind of jobs to apply for.

[Radbot42]

I went to school for Journalism. I like the writing but now know I do not want to be a journalist. I then went to school for teaching, and realized that it will not work out for me at all. It was an awful fit. I then went into book editing with internships. Although I loved the internships all I did was read things, write in depth summaries and commentaries about the books. I have no direction in what work paths I should take. I'm not sure if this is where I should even put this. If any one can help get in some sort of direction it would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for jobs and everyone wants 2 years of experience. I only have about 6, and that doesn't even feel like anything.

I just want to be clear I'm not asking for a job from people here, just advice on what to do. And if anyone knows of a better place to get some advice that would be appreciated as well.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

I can't tell you, no one can.

I guess do like the majority, get a job that pays money (any job) and then let life decide for you.

by age 30 you most likely will have found something that really does appeal to you.

[Jake]

Totally agree with BA on that one. I am one of the living proof that sometimes what you went to study for will not fit you, I have three university degrees, Business, Sociology and Psychology and I can tell you my little friend I can be called the guy with the million jobs because there's none of the job I did for other people that I kept more than 5 years. It's not that I hate the job really, there's many of the jobs I was happy I did them because they have built several experiences that schools on earth will never be able to teach me. In between all those jobs I've gathered over 12 years at working as an IT specialist starting from being a simple Customer Service to Network and VOIP Infrastructure Designer (that's the kind of job paying 100k a year), but yet again believe or not I wasn't satisfied, title doesn't really matter to me, what matters is the routine. I have a hard time working 9 to 5 and always do the same thing for me every day has to have something challenging.

So as BA said it it will perhaps take you sometime before you ever start liking your job, you may also have to settle of any type of job that you believe you can do. I know it's boring, but Customer Service is often what many students coming out from university go for in order to pay their school debts or just get something to put in their resume as professional experience.

From what I gathered, I believe you're a guy that needs to be challenged, perhaps a job for someone else isn't what you're after. If that is something similar, you will still need to go for any jobs that you think you could endure for a year or two and change when you got enough. As I said in a previous post I have a resume of 15 pages, until one day I finally realized my problem isn't the job or even the companies i'm working for. My problem is that I wanted full control of what I wanted to do in life and not depend of a supervisor or any subalterns boss. I wanted to be A BOSS.

As for the two years experiences conundrum. This is just a sorting tactic that companies uses. Let's take per example a x company hiring for you to do customer service over the phone, well you will see in the job description that they request 2 years or 1 year minimum of experience. Well, you have the experience, you went in school to get that knowledge and therefore you do have the experience and as a journalist major you know how to play with words and job descriptions are just words that are thrown in there. You will need to learn to decipher what they are truly looking for and with the experience you've got from school or any work or life experience you have got, transform the words in a possible transferable experience. Then comes the interview, you know when I came out of university I was told to say this this way, and that a certain way, dress this way. That is pure bullshit, at least for most of routine like a simple job. Yes dress properly, that's a given, everybody knows not to get to an interview dressed with your everyday clothes. But sometimes being dressed like if you were going to a wedding is perhaps overdoing it a bit. Answer to the question to the best of your knowledge, yes, they may have thrown 2 years experiences or even throw in some abbreviations that you won't understand, all this is sorting tactics.

I have hired and fired many people, but as a recruiter and business owner what I am actually looking for is more like 35% experience, 15% of schooling and the whole rest is about your personality. I can sniff a butt kisser 20 miles away and those ones no matter their number of years of experience, I don't want to work with those individuals on a daily basis.

Here's what we can do for you if you want. Next time you look for a job, bring here the job description and we'll look at it. You'll understand what I mean. We will compare what they ask with what you can offer through your own experience and education.

[LJay]

Get drunk with a good friend and dream.

The real trick is remembering what you were talking about. after you sober up.

[palbert]

Have you thought of exploring radio or television broadcasting or administration.

[MarySandy]

Anything but Mc Donald, I worked there as a teen, I can't smell a MCDLT without feeling like I'm going to hurl LOL

[EvenOlderButWiser]

Anything but Mc Donald, I worked there as a teen, I can't smell a MCDLT without feeling like I'm going to hurl LOL

Ive never worked at McDonalds, and I still feel like hurling when I go near one

[LJay]

How about working in a bookstore?

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Degrees... And life jobs

They don't call me Father Bowyn, nor Right Reverend Aerrow, or refer to me as 'The Doctor' - which all applies since I have that demon on my back, I mean d.min (doctorate of ministry).

I ended up doing the job I hated whilst in school (construction) because I discovered in the long run I was really good at construction and I liked the satisfaction of being able to end a job, step back and say 'see that? I built that!'.

Your muse is out there, there is something that suits you - finding it means living and getting experiences.

Mind I have done other things with life, care giving, property care taking (gardener), hotel front desk clerk, retail stores clerk, drug dealer, and more - it was all good, all taught me interesting things. Yes even the drug dealing gig taught me important life lessons.

So don't look at your dead end job as being a dead in job, look at it as an opportunity to learn, experience and grow.