The Trials and Tribulations of Finding Work
Since nobody (and I mean nobody) uses Livejournal anymore, if I want anybody to read what I write, I have to post it here on FB. I'm not sure how many people will read the inane details of my life anyway, but I won't be updating my blog that often so I promise I won't clog your feeds and keep you from more important updates like Youtube videos with cats in them.
I've been thinking a lot about where I am now and my future. When I boil down my life over the past three to five years, I've really had one goal: to work towards something better than where I was at the time. Granted, I wasn't in the greatest place since I had a degree for a profession I did not like and was trying to break into another field, but it has definitely got me thinking for what I need to do now.
Currently, my life is consumed by two things. Doing what I need to do to graduate this semester and trying to find a job, preferably teaching somewhere in a city which advance my larger goal. Despite my mental preparation and hearing from people who graduated last year how difficult finding a job while in grad school is, I was sure I could do it. I work hard, never procrastinate, and could take it up to another gear if that's what it took. So far, I've found that even my strong determination is only carrying me so far. I applied to private high school teaching agencies which took some time and has ended up being a bust. I am accepted at two and have heard of no job listings yet. That could change, but I'm not that optimistic about that option. Now I've switched to community college jobs because I'm qualified for them and would actually enjoy that more than high school anyway. I've only applied to three places, but I'm hoping to really ramp up my efforts over the next couple of weeks. I know competition for these jobs is high but I'm going to do my very best. Even if I have to take a job making the same hourly pay (but working more hours overall), I'm okay with that since it will build my resume and get me out of Manhattan and Kansas both.
I'm not sure exciting it is to read about all of this, but it is my life and so I decided to share. Slightly more exciting is my success in the kitchen lately. I've been working my way through my cookbook's greatest hits after nearly two years off and I'm really enjoying eating my favorite dishes again. Cooking is such a relaxing way to spend time in my opinion. Yes, you're chopping vegetables like crazy to make a stir fry and constantly stirring or checking on how food is cooking, but making food from scratch is incredibly satisfying. Today, I took an old standby, Vegetarian Nachos and turned it on its head. Instead of making it cheesy and ready for some tortilla chips, I put rice and Salsa Verde in it and made an awesome stir fry style meal out of it. I guess you'd have to take my word for it, but it came out very, very well. I think it is inevitable that I start trying out some new recipes in the coming weeks. That will give me something to look forward to and it will certainly make grocery shopping more interesting too. After a year and a half of grad school, I can say this with certainty, you need ways to make your existing life more exciting and interesting since your free time is so small. That, along with working hard on getting a job is what I will continue to do.
I've been thinking a lot about where I am now and my future. When I boil down my life over the past three to five years, I've really had one goal: to work towards something better than where I was at the time. Granted, I wasn't in the greatest place since I had a degree for a profession I did not like and was trying to break into another field, but it has definitely got me thinking for what I need to do now.
Currently, my life is consumed by two things. Doing what I need to do to graduate this semester and trying to find a job, preferably teaching somewhere in a city which advance my larger goal. Despite my mental preparation and hearing from people who graduated last year how difficult finding a job while in grad school is, I was sure I could do it. I work hard, never procrastinate, and could take it up to another gear if that's what it took. So far, I've found that even my strong determination is only carrying me so far. I applied to private high school teaching agencies which took some time and has ended up being a bust. I am accepted at two and have heard of no job listings yet. That could change, but I'm not that optimistic about that option. Now I've switched to community college jobs because I'm qualified for them and would actually enjoy that more than high school anyway. I've only applied to three places, but I'm hoping to really ramp up my efforts over the next couple of weeks. I know competition for these jobs is high but I'm going to do my very best. Even if I have to take a job making the same hourly pay (but working more hours overall), I'm okay with that since it will build my resume and get me out of Manhattan and Kansas both.
I'm not sure exciting it is to read about all of this, but it is my life and so I decided to share. Slightly more exciting is my success in the kitchen lately. I've been working my way through my cookbook's greatest hits after nearly two years off and I'm really enjoying eating my favorite dishes again. Cooking is such a relaxing way to spend time in my opinion. Yes, you're chopping vegetables like crazy to make a stir fry and constantly stirring or checking on how food is cooking, but making food from scratch is incredibly satisfying. Today, I took an old standby, Vegetarian Nachos and turned it on its head. Instead of making it cheesy and ready for some tortilla chips, I put rice and Salsa Verde in it and made an awesome stir fry style meal out of it. I guess you'd have to take my word for it, but it came out very, very well. I think it is inevitable that I start trying out some new recipes in the coming weeks. That will give me something to look forward to and it will certainly make grocery shopping more interesting too. After a year and a half of grad school, I can say this with certainty, you need ways to make your existing life more exciting and interesting since your free time is so small. That, along with working hard on getting a job is what I will continue to do.