literarydefunct
09-08-2004, 03:23 PM
Honestly until I read the Boston Globe today I had no idea about this site or the phenomena of the "quarter life crisis." So here is my crisis:
I graduated school about a year ago, and I knew before I started looking, that getting a job would be tough. So as my senior year began to wind down I began doing two things: applying to all sorts of jobs, and interviewing where ever and with whom ever I could. I soon realized that the job market is actually not that bad. In fact it’s very easy to get a job as long as it’s a really bad shitty job. There seems to be a number of places out there that promise you six figures in under half as many years, and that allow you to be your own boss. All of these are scammers tend to refer to themselves as marketing and sales companies, but they will waste no time in giving you a job. I interviewed with a couple of these places, and was lied to so many times that I decided to hold off on working for one of them. This worked out in my benefit since one of my friends got really screwed by a job like this. So instead of taking what could have been my first job, I lived off of my savings and a part time job. I spent the summer unemployed, living off my miserly ‘salary,’ drinking High Life, Sitting on my porch, and watching baseball or Judge Judy. In my spare time I did apply and interview for jobs, but nothing still came of my hard work. Being much heavier, lazier, and probably dumber, I decided to temp in order to make money (my savings were going fast). It’s at this point where the shit hit the fan, and my downward spiral of a quarter life crisis began.
Said six figure job offers came and went, but no serious offers were made, so I decided that temping would support me, and be how I avoided moving home for a little while. This was my biggest mistake ever. For one never be afraid to move home for a little bit just to save money. It might make things a lot easier later on. The biggest lesson I learned though was that temporary employment is a hell that devours your soul, along with your pride, self dignity, and self respect. First of all you have to accept that most people think temp means 'office bitch,' ‘indentured office servant,’ or 'office minion.' Given some people will try to include you and make you feel like you belong, but their efforts just further alienate and degrade you. After temping I realized that the intellectual pursuits of English and Sociology was where I went wrong, and that in fact a major in copying and collating would have been more applicable. People would literally have the nerve to ask me if I knew how to use the internet, or turn on and log on to a computer (since you are all here reading it’s safe to assume that you can, and therefore won’t be insulted). Honestly what are they thinking, I don’t even know a reality with out computers and internet. Maybe I do, but I was eight, and the reality without a computer and Internet seems to blend seamlessly in with G.I. Joe and Thunder cats. Another question I was asked often was if I knew how to file alphabetically as if there was a new non-college/rest of the work way to file alphabetically. Again ABCs and G.I. Joe seem to go hand in hand in my eyes (Beachhead, Duke, Cobra Commander, Lady Jane, Snake Eyes). Unfortunately I was in this temping hell for quite a long time.
I got temporary relief from my temp job when one temp assignment went permanent. To my dismay though it was only going to last 10 months, and I knew this when I accepted the job. I thought I might be able to grab a real job in the mean time. But no, my forever job eluded me, and I am a temp again. To make it worse, at my new assignment I’m referred to as the temp. My computer login contains the word temp, my email is financetemp@hellholeofajob.com, and all my passwords are temp2. My quarter life crisis is being a temp, and not being able to escape the temp world. My advice to others is not to temp, and to curl up into a ball and start crying after graduation. Or start a drinking habit. Although these career paths don’t tend to pay the bills temping just seems to break you, and you should avoid it at all costs. I’ve temped so much that I’m beginning to think that there is something hideously ugly growing out of my head that some how eludes detection in mirrors, and that my friends won’t tell me about, or that there is something very bad about my resume and college experience. Some how I have a taboo about me, and I think it has to do with the evils of temping. That or there is a large conspiracy lead by the temping agencies and Cobra to keep me from getting good work.
I graduated school about a year ago, and I knew before I started looking, that getting a job would be tough. So as my senior year began to wind down I began doing two things: applying to all sorts of jobs, and interviewing where ever and with whom ever I could. I soon realized that the job market is actually not that bad. In fact it’s very easy to get a job as long as it’s a really bad shitty job. There seems to be a number of places out there that promise you six figures in under half as many years, and that allow you to be your own boss. All of these are scammers tend to refer to themselves as marketing and sales companies, but they will waste no time in giving you a job. I interviewed with a couple of these places, and was lied to so many times that I decided to hold off on working for one of them. This worked out in my benefit since one of my friends got really screwed by a job like this. So instead of taking what could have been my first job, I lived off of my savings and a part time job. I spent the summer unemployed, living off my miserly ‘salary,’ drinking High Life, Sitting on my porch, and watching baseball or Judge Judy. In my spare time I did apply and interview for jobs, but nothing still came of my hard work. Being much heavier, lazier, and probably dumber, I decided to temp in order to make money (my savings were going fast). It’s at this point where the shit hit the fan, and my downward spiral of a quarter life crisis began.
Said six figure job offers came and went, but no serious offers were made, so I decided that temping would support me, and be how I avoided moving home for a little while. This was my biggest mistake ever. For one never be afraid to move home for a little bit just to save money. It might make things a lot easier later on. The biggest lesson I learned though was that temporary employment is a hell that devours your soul, along with your pride, self dignity, and self respect. First of all you have to accept that most people think temp means 'office bitch,' ‘indentured office servant,’ or 'office minion.' Given some people will try to include you and make you feel like you belong, but their efforts just further alienate and degrade you. After temping I realized that the intellectual pursuits of English and Sociology was where I went wrong, and that in fact a major in copying and collating would have been more applicable. People would literally have the nerve to ask me if I knew how to use the internet, or turn on and log on to a computer (since you are all here reading it’s safe to assume that you can, and therefore won’t be insulted). Honestly what are they thinking, I don’t even know a reality with out computers and internet. Maybe I do, but I was eight, and the reality without a computer and Internet seems to blend seamlessly in with G.I. Joe and Thunder cats. Another question I was asked often was if I knew how to file alphabetically as if there was a new non-college/rest of the work way to file alphabetically. Again ABCs and G.I. Joe seem to go hand in hand in my eyes (Beachhead, Duke, Cobra Commander, Lady Jane, Snake Eyes). Unfortunately I was in this temping hell for quite a long time.
I got temporary relief from my temp job when one temp assignment went permanent. To my dismay though it was only going to last 10 months, and I knew this when I accepted the job. I thought I might be able to grab a real job in the mean time. But no, my forever job eluded me, and I am a temp again. To make it worse, at my new assignment I’m referred to as the temp. My computer login contains the word temp, my email is financetemp@hellholeofajob.com, and all my passwords are temp2. My quarter life crisis is being a temp, and not being able to escape the temp world. My advice to others is not to temp, and to curl up into a ball and start crying after graduation. Or start a drinking habit. Although these career paths don’t tend to pay the bills temping just seems to break you, and you should avoid it at all costs. I’ve temped so much that I’m beginning to think that there is something hideously ugly growing out of my head that some how eludes detection in mirrors, and that my friends won’t tell me about, or that there is something very bad about my resume and college experience. Some how I have a taboo about me, and I think it has to do with the evils of temping. That or there is a large conspiracy lead by the temping agencies and Cobra to keep me from getting good work.