I suppose it's called Job "Hunting"

I would probably refer to it as Job "stalking."

August 2008 - I moved back to Durham, North Carolina from Chicago for many reasons. The big one? Lack of employment. Granted I didn't search too hard for work in Chicago after I realized my internship was not going to lead to a full-time position. But I did take it as a sign to follow my heart.

When I returned to the South (sweet tea & no snow) I don't think I had a great grasp on what was actually happening to the economy. For years, I had been told, like so many others, that if you go to college, work hard at your degree, you will certainly find a job in your particular field. Sadly, today, that's not the case. People are losing jobs left and right. Big banks are being turned over. I did not major in economics, but I understand the ramifications of the American credit-botch. I get it. But what now?

For those of us who didn't pick recession-proof majors, what is our next step?

I came home and found a "part-time" job that consists of 40 hours a week, mind-numbing retail. Blah. But I have to continue to pay off the credit I built up in Chicago (which is the majority of what I got out of that city). So now, I'm the coolest. I live in my parents house. "Saving up money" or paying off debt, however you'd like to look at it. I work retail. And yes, I know, I'm not alone.

However, I'm just bitter enough not to get my $32,000 degree framed and nailed to my fake office wall. My generation is the first, the cusp, of many generations who will learn its lesson, depending and relying on the degree and not experience.

So now I'm back on the grind. Literally, stalking contacts for a scrap of evidence that particular position will become available in the next year? Not weeks. Not days. Year. And that is my ray of hope.

I have hands-down, the most incredible support system in my family and friends. I have economical backing. I have emotional backing. And I have a crazy list of references. I should be feeling pretty damn good. I've had my ups and downs in this process, which I'm sure is to be expected. I've had moments where I realize that now, is the perfect time to really challenge myself on what I want to do. I've also had moments where I thought I was failing miserably.

The best of the best are now stalking jobs. Monster.com has taken a backseat to LinkedIn, the social networking site that allows you to reach out to people you may not meet otherwise, through your current contacts. "A professional Facebook" is what I've heard it described as. Truth be told, not sure if I've seen a particularly positive outcome from using it. But just another ray of sunlight, in this ridiculous storm. And with the best of the best being unemployed, it's challenging everyone to up the anty, to increase their skillset. Get a masters. Get certification. Take the extra time to get the job done right. And this to me is exciting.

If you think about it, when all of this turns around, we'll be at the top of our game. The best of the best will in the appropriate positions, working their tails off. To be Ms. Half-Glass-Full, this economic downfall could be the best thing that has ever happened to my supposed, lackidaisical generation.

So cheers to hard work, retail & the much-anticipated return of our beloved economy!