Life After College

Time to look for a "real" job. In this entry and however many following entries it takes I will explain in depth my career choices and what my reasoning was for each. As you will read, my choices were never the wisest but one of my reasons for starting this blog is so that people who share some of the same experiences or background can read this and gain something from what my path has been just as I've learned from others. Career choices are so important and there is so much information to wade through (usually alone) that it is always nice to hear of someone else that has been through what you are going through or is where you want to be.

When I changed majors, I changed to the field that interested me the most. On the day I decided to switch to PoliSci, I didn't think of what my options were going to be after graduation. Once I was done with college, I realized that if I had graduated with a degree in Architecture or Engineering than my occupation choice would've been easier. But, I had a degree in Political Science and as my parents always asked, "What does a Political Science student become?". This leads me to a point I'd like to make about choosing majors, in case there are any Freshmen college students out there or younger. Most undergrads choose their majors based on career prospects, what their interests are, or a combination of both of these considerations. I chose based on what I was most inerested in and so I can only speak to how this has turned out for me. The negative side of this has been that my career path wasn't neatly set out. As a liberal arts major, I had many choices but at the same time there wasn't one clear option/profession that was awaiting upon graduation. As you will see in the following posts, this also caused a bit of anguish since I wasn't prepared and hadn't done my homework on life after a PoliSci degree. My advice for those who choose to follow their interests is to do a lot of research about what someone with their major does after college. And by this I mean, don't just rely on your advisor's office's pamphlets or general websites. These sources do contain good information but it is often just a starting point. You need to get out and speak with people in your field; relatives, family friends, neighbors, alumni, anyone that will give you the time. If for example you're an English major, google local newspapers or publishing companies and send them an email stating you're a high school senior or college freshman and want 15 minutes of their day to ask them some questions (how'd you get started, what has your career path been, what other positions have you had since college, etc..,). Send various interview requests out and you'd be surprised how many people want to talk about themselves to someone interested in their field. Then afterwards move onto another positon within your major such as English teacher, copywrite editor.

Now, getting back to choosing a major based on your interests. I've told you the probable negatives. Now for a probable positive. Since high school, I've had three majors and various possible careers I could've followed. However, it isn't until now, 8 years after high school, that I truly know what I want to do for the rest of my life and how to best achieve it. If I had stayed with Engineering or Architecture, I wouldn't have academically enjoyed college as much. Much worse, after five, ten years I would've been in a job that I did not want to be in and at that point it would have been near impossible to change careers. In college I did an externship and visited an architecture firm for three days over spring break and had an alumni show me different departments and what each architect from entry level to senior partner did day to day. This let me know that architecture didn't fit my personal interests. So, to summarize this point about whether to choose a major based on interest or career choice, you have to judge what is most important to you and only you can know that. You have to be honest to yourself and not be scared. It's ok if money is the most important thing and you want a certain major because of how much you'll be able to earn. It's ok if biology is your passion and you're great at it in school so that's what you want to focus on in college. It's ok if you want to be a teacher because you want to help kids and want summer's off (be careful: I have enough teacher friends to know that having summer's off evens out with a grueling 9 month school schedule. plus a lot work during the summer to make up for lost income differential). In any case, you don't have to explain yourself to anyone. Be honest with yourself about what's most important (the hard part), research the best options/paths, and then choose accordingly.

So now that my preaching is done, back to my career (probably a good idea to pay lip service to the blog's title). I didn't have 2009 Mauricio's advice or anyone else's to go by so when I graduated I decided to take the easy route. I felt that since I'd worked hard to get out a year early and with a good GPA, I should reward myself with a "fun" job and not go after a more competitive PoliSci related opportunity. Sooo...(drum roll)....I became a barback at a bar in one of Chicago's neighborhoods known for it's night scence. Fun huh?