I graduated from college approximately a year ago, and while my employment status hasn't changed--it's still nonexistent--I have changed. I've had new experiences, tried new things, learned new skills... and I'm still doing all of those things. I hope to chronicle my journey through this blog. This all started when I was updating my resume and when I got to my "additional skills." I started listing things I know I'm good at, tasks that I know I could perform if given to me. Admittedly, I'm not exactly an expert in some of them, but that's when I realized that I don't need to have a job to work on those skills. I can still improve my Photoshop skills without someone hiring me to use them, just like I still use social media every day without someone paying me to do that. We all use our "additional skills" all day, every day. I can strengthen my resume by building up my life experience while I'm unable to build up my job experience.
If there's one thing I've learned above all else since I graduated(and maybe even before then), it's that just because you aren't making money, it doesn't mean you can't do anything. Being employed only means you're being paid for your progress, but as the old saying goes, "sometimes work is it's own reward." That's the philosophy I'm trying to adopt. Don't get me wrong, if I find the right job for me I'll jump on it in a minute, but that doesn't mean this blog will cease to exist. You are not your job(or lack of job) and your job is not you. It is a part of your identity but it does not define you. We will always continue to experience and learn and grow outside of our place of employment.
The way I see it, I haven't found a job for a reason. Whether that reason is the economy or some higher power, I honestly don't know(but my money is on "the economy"). Whatever is causing my continuing lack of formal employment is something that I can only help so much. I can only spend so many hours a day looking at job posting before the words on the screen begin to look more and more abstract to me. But, if I improve my current skills and learn new ones, maybe that will improve my chances of finding something that works for me and wants me to work for it(them?) as well.
So, here I go. I hope you'll be coming along for the ride with me.
