How to survive without a career?

[iwillrisenow]

I am facing a reality that I am certainly not alone in facing, and one that I think may be particularly profound for my generation. I am in my late twenties, in grad school, and most likely going to be in school for one more semester before making my way into the world and onto the job market. I am one of the many kids who is coming along in a period where there are not nearly enough jobs and way, way too much competition for the few jobs that are out there. Since leaving undergrad, I have been working a combination of part-time/freelance jobs and teaching to survive.

The thing is, I am beginning to wane in energy, enthusiasm, and excitement about starting a new career. Rejection after rejection after rejection is beginning to take its toll. I am preparing myself for the reality of the economy being tight for the foreseeable future and having to scrap by...which has been fine in the past, but is increasingly worrisome as I begin to age out of the last life stage where having nothing to fall back on is really OK.

Meanwhile, my life is basically on hold, since I can't exactly develop skills (outside of school), enjoy hobbies, or even really socialize...and forget about dating. I really worry that I by the time things pick up again, I will have missed out on the major life-foundation building years and have no chance of recovering (not to mention no chance of starting a family).

Long story short, I am wondering-- has anyone come up with creative ways to survive without a "traditional" career? Any inspiring stories of bucking trends, going out on one's own, relocating to a dramatically different (and much lower cost) area and starting a new life there? I am becoming more and more prayerfully aware that my vocation is in the secular world...but am at a loss when it comes to surviving it in these turbulent times. It looks like I will have a lot of time on my hands this summer , so am getting an early start on thinking about ways to use it well.

[lynx]

Surviving w/o a career generally means living w/mom and dad, in your car, or in your school, the latter being horrible alternatives. I would recommend re-doubling your efforts into looking for a job using your friends, associates, family, professors, monster.com, dice.com and craigslist. There are jobs out there for educated individuals, keep searching for them, never give up.

When I graduated in '08 from my university, the first place that hired me laid my division off on the first day due to the work being done in house. This certainly put a crimp in my plans. But, I remembered I enjoyed eating and that I am a capable intelligent individual. So, I picked myself up and re-called/applied to all other contacts that I had learned about from the career fairs I had been to. Luckily there was another firm that could use me so I got hired and have been there now for 2 years. After the first year I had saved up enough money to put a down payment on my house and enough free time to socialize and get a steady relationship. This can be you as well. You obviously have some skills and have been paying a lot of money for a piece of paper that says so. So, go out there, over promote yourself and get the job you deserve

[Pamm]

I truly feel for the younger folks coming up in this world. They do the right things, go to college and get a good education and they work hard. However, the brass ring seems far away -- not within their reach. I am here to tell you that you can have the brass ring and think you are going along fine and then find out that all that you have done lost value to your employer. I worked for the same firm for 26 years -- was an officer and was doing quite well in my career. Four years ago, my wonderful mentor and boss retired and a new man took over. I felt as though I went from heaven to Hell -- he treated his staff terribly and I was the in between manager that somehow had to do what was right for my staff and then put myself at risk. Or -- I could tow the line and watch others being hurt by his unethical and illegal (violations of labor law, family leave act, etc.). I searched my soul and did what I knew was right -- and while it took him a long time, he was indeed able to toss me about under the guise of "reorganization."

The lesson is that you indeed will find your place but don't ever believe that your company will necessarily have the same loyalty to you. I don't know what the answer is but I will say that the business world is tough -- all the things I have believed like honesty, respect, hard work, commitment, loyalty -- all of them didn't matter squat to my former boss. Perhaps the answer is -- work for yourself -- start your own business where you can't ever be at the mercy of someone else in a position of power.

[lynx]

Originally Posted by Pamm

The lesson is that you indeed will find your place but don't ever believe that your company will necessarily have the same loyalty to you. I don't know what the answer is but I will say that the business world is tough -- all the things I have believed like honesty, respect, hard work, commitment, loyalty -- all of them didn't matter squat to my former boss. Perhaps the answer is -- work for yourself -- start your own business where you can't ever be at the mercy of someone else in a position of power.

I always feel that it is a company's job to get the most out of its employees for the least amount of pay. This is how companies can stay competitive on pricing. At the same time, an employee should be trying to get the most amount of money while building skills to a better job. It's a fine balance, and I think the lesson is never be complacent because Pamm is right, loyalty, hard work, and commitment all have a price tag.

As a person who owned his own company, let me say that it is difficult beyond belief to start something up. If you have less than 5 years in a business you want to start, then do not start that business. No one cares what you have to say unless you have clients, dollars and experience to back it up.

[s4angel]

i don't have any flowery phrases to give you so I will only say this...

You do what you have to do even if it means only you survive.

[puzzleannie]

Originally Posted by iwillrisenow

ILong story short, I am wondering-- has anyone come up with creative ways to survive without a "traditional" career? .

yes my generation has a PhD in this. we are the ones who did not work 40 years and retire from one company because that model is dead. We are the ones who starting probably with our early marriage--paying off student loans--starting family years had to get creative every 5-10 years as we got laid off, down-sized, or just watched our job titles, even entire industries, disappear forever. I have an old thread here someplace of "jobs I have held that no longer exist". Those of us who still have our heads above water have by and large made our own careers, and usually more than once.

and now having had our retirement savings wiped out not once but twice by criminals, and facing the certainty of any new accumulation wiped out by taxes to pay for a healthcare plan from which we will derive no benefit, we are working on creating our own retirement careers. If you know any old codgers, interview them, they will be full of tips for you.

rule #1 don't go to college and pay out bucks until you know why you are there

rule #2 get a reality check, a college degree is not an automatic ticket to a 6 figure income

rule #3 if you were in college for the right reasons you should have learned above all how to think, how to reason, how to read and assess and digest all available sources of information, and make plans and decisions, and solve problems. so get on it.

o an most important, rule #4
hop on over to the vocations forum and before you work on planning a career, discern a vocation, and ask God how he wants you to serve him in this life

[Jay82]

You really can't ever get down on yourself or give up. You must persevere through the tough times. I know people who are less qualified than you leaving college who struggled to find jobs, but they found them never the less. They interviewed weekly for 2-6 months and are all working full time in a good job at the moment. Why? Because none of them quit or let the frustration of rejection get to them.

Thinking back to my own college experience, I got turned down for a good number of internships and was getting frustrated and then I got hired as an intern by an amazing company in a position much better than any of the previous ones. Sometimes things happen for a reason. The rejections will be worth it when you find a job that really suits you.

Keep working at it. Never give up. If you apply the effort consistently you won't have to worry about going without a career for long.

[tafan]

Your frustration is very understandable. It is a tough time to be starting a career. Business Week had a cover story a few months back entitled "The Lost Generation" which detailed the challenges of a young person entering the work force today, and it wasn't pretty.
A few thoughts, and I don't know what your field you are studying, so this is rather generic.
This is not a unique time, it has happened before, it does pass. However, studies have shown that young people who enter the workforce during times of high unenployment pay a price a long time relative to those who are lucky enough to enter at a time of low unenployment. At a macro level, they are always a few yeou cars behind on their earning power. So you are stuck having to "beat the average".
Don't dispair, but instead take the attitude that you are going to play the hand you have been dealt and play it well. Attitude and persistence is critical.
There are companies out there who have a more farsighted view of things and realize that they always need to be bringing in new employees, even in times of distress. I think it was GE who is actually forcing various business units to keep hiring. So do your homework and find out which companies are taking a longer term view of things w.r.t. employment. This will entail some work that is more along the lines of stock analysis than employment search upfront. Find out about the companies' long term product/service strategies and how they are telling their investors they are going to get there. Go to their investment relations page and lookk through their presentations at investor conferences. Read their quarterly earnings call transcripts (listening to them is quite boring and takes a long time) for information that shows their approach to hiring vs. cost cutting. Look at areas of the economy that seem like they have a bright future (railroards, some technology areas, agribusiness, healthcare all come to mind) and focus on companies in those sectors.
I hate buzzwords, but networking is important. If you have friends who work for good companies, see if you can get a more inside tract (as opposed to simply filling out applications over the internet).
Make sure you know how to sell yourself. This is very important. Practise interviews. And little things make a huge difference on first impressions. First impressions are critical to getting a job. If you have long hair, cut it. If you don;t have good posture, fix it. If you mutter or seem distracted when you have conversations, fix it.
Give serious thought to your own business. Find something you like to do, that you are good at and see if you can monetize it. Start small, keep living expenses low, work hard, and keep business expenses low.
Finally, it may take a few years for our economy to work out of the mess we have gotten into (and we are all to blame, not just Wall Street or the government), but the long term picture is not bleak. The population is aging fast. In 10-15 years, we are likely to be in the opposite situation: not enough workers to provide the goods/services our economy needs. So the situation is not hopeless.

[iwillrisenow]

Thanks, guys, for the responses and support. I wrote that post in a mopey state after receiving a rejection letter from a group that I was really beginning to get excited and eager about being a part of...but 24 hours later, my emotions are more under control and I am beginning to accept that it's not God's will and moving on.

In response to your #4 suggestion, puzzleannie, I appreciate the suggestion...at this time, however, I am not discerning a religious vocation and, in fact, have had suggestions and prompting that my vocation is secular...won't go into detail now, but I also have a couple of the big impediments, such as sizable student loans. Despite all of my recent pre-confirmation struggles, some truly beautiful things have happened that have brought me peace on the subject of vocations. I am eager to meet more non-religious, non-discerning Catholics, particularly young professionals who are also strong in their faith...so please keep me in your prayers that I may find such new friends as a neophyte.

Also, a general comment: at this point in my life, it's not about brass rings or six figures or even a promise of retirement at the end of the rainbow...it's about 1) finding ways to contribute , 2) earning a living wage (enough to survive with some wiggle room at least in some years), 3) continuing to develop skills and keeping myself useful and competitive, and 4) (especially as I get older and face additional demands, such as family/parental needs) finding something that is flexible enough that it will not be my primary demand at all times (naturally, there will be some busier times than others, but I am not aiming for something that is 24/7/365). Also, I am a woman and, at the risk of drawing criticism, I will say that I truly believe that many of us have very different considerations from men when it comes to career-planning...and those cannot be ignored. Just some of the things I'm thinking about as I make my plans.

[1ke]

What field are you studying? What degree do you already hold and what degree will you earn shortly?

[kedera]

Oh, I know exactly how you are feeling. I have been going through the same thing. I have cried enough over all the rejection letters now I just open them read the first line and toss them in the trash..I have a BA and a BS, and I am under-experienced for everything it seems. If the job market was the way it was a year ago I could have walked into a position (Im an RN, graduated in Dec 09). And if I hear one more person say "you haven't found a job YET." I will scream. Its not as though I haven't been trying, and I do feel exhausted. Several people I graduated with are waiting tables, with one or two degrees. Im going to start volunteering with any spare time, and just keep trying to find something in my field. If nothing comes up soon, I will be waiting tables too... Good luck! Keep praying and applying, its all any of us can do!

[JimG]

Originally Posted by s4angel

i don't have any flowery phrases to give you so I will only say this...

You do what you have to do even if it means only you survive.

That's true. You do what you have to do. And don't count on doing what you thought you would be doing. Not to be a pessimist, but I predict a very rough decade or so. After that, things will start to look up; because of the retiring of the baby boomer generation, there will be a shortage of workers. But by then, you will likely have to be in an entirely new career field.

[puzzleannie]

Originally Posted by iwillrisenow

In response to your #4 suggestion, puzzleannie, I appreciate the suggestion...at this time, however, I am not discerning a religious vocation and, in .

I did not mean, discern a "religious vocation" specifically, I meant, literally discern your vocation, what God is calling you to do for him in this life. This conformity to his will should be the basis for all your decisions about education, job, career, marriage, family, manner of living etc.

[dontknow]

Originally Posted by puzzleannie

yes my generation has a PhD in this. we are the ones who did not work 40 years and retire from one company because that model is dead. We are the ones who starting probably with our early marriage--paying off student loans--starting family years had to get creative every 5-10 years as we got laid off, down-sized, or just watched our job titles, even entire industries, disappear forever. I have an old thread here someplace of "jobs I have held that no longer exist". Those of us who still have our heads above water have by and large made our own careers, and usually more than once.

and now having had our retirement savings wiped out not once but twice by criminals, and facing the certainty of any new accumulation wiped out by taxes to pay for a healthcare plan from which we will derive no benefit, we are working on creating our own retirement careers. If you know any old codgers, interview them, they will be full of tips for you.

rule #1 don't go to college and pay out bucks until you know why you are there

rule #2 get a reality check, a college degree is not an automatic ticket to a 6 figure income

rule #3 if you were in college for the right reasons you should have learned above all how to think, how to reason, how to read and assess and digest all available sources of information, and make plans and decisions, and solve problems. so get on it.

o an most important, rule #4
hop on over to the vocations forum and before you work on planning a career, discern a vocation, and ask God how he wants you to serve him in this life

Also, just because you end up with a college degree does not mean you'll get a job immediately (if ever) in that specific field.

Also, don't think you're entitled or owed anything because you have any sort of degree.

Also, if / when you do get a job in that specific field, you may wake up one day and realize you actually don't like it and will want to change.

To some folks there's a big difference between jobs and career. Some people love their job and it really wasn't the "career" they intended to start. Some people end up hating their career's and look for a different job.

My wife and I are both living proof of all of these scenarios.

You'll eventually do what you need to do to survive.

Place your emphasis in life on more than just your career/job and you'll be much happier.

[iwillrisenow]

Originally Posted by dontknow

Also, just because you end up with a college degree does not mean you'll get a job immediately (if ever) in that specific field.

Check. Am in the social sciences, so my training is not geared towards one job specifically, but has given me a set of skills that enables me to be resilient in a number of positions.

Also, don't think you're entitled or owed anything because you have any sort of degree.

Double check Learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago. A big dose of reality and slight change in direction later,have moved on.

Also, if / when you do get a job in that specific field, you may wake up one day and realize you actually don't like it and will want to change.

I definitely hear that...I do have some ideas about what I would like to do and an area that I would love to get into, but also realize that there are so many ways to do these things that even if it ends up not being my "career" in the way we generally think of things now, it will always be a part of my life. I am discerning this path now, especially in light of my growing faith.

Thanks for the comments!