Alrighty. I find myself one year later posting on this website.
I don't know why I have a blog if I am not utilizing it. It's probably the Ted Moseby in me...
That changes tonight.
So Tallahassee was an adventure. Let's start by saying that.
I found out a few things:
1) Breweries are awesome.
2) College Campuses can be insane when you are working at an establishment where you give away free breadsticks.
3) Hemorrhaging Money is A LOT easier than you would think.
4) Studio Apartments are just as cool as you make them when you have a guitar, laptop and bow ties.
5) Road Trips make you realize what you're made of...
6) Sometimes people come into your life for a reason... Don't miss these signs.
To Be Continued.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
A Hobbit's Guide to the American Job Hunt.
When you're young, you are raised to trust the established 'elders'. Why should I? They know best, of course! What happens when you have lost all childish sense of trust in your late teens/early twenties, only to find it again as you enter a new field and track of life? This predicament can form a mental cyclone with the potential to launch you into the conundrum of trust, worthy to be titled "Oz".
I have not been tracking my progress over the past several months, but I hope that you trust me that I intend to remedy this dire mistake.
One of my least favorite statements on this earth is "I cannot find a job anywhere."
My summer, last year, was one with massive gaps of unemployment. I began graduating from WCCC in May. I did not graduate with a successful lead for a potential career. I instead began with the death of my grandfather and an appointment to remedy a terrible root canal.
After the dust settled on a freshly sodded grave, and the swelling in my jaw went down, I began to do what so many graduated decided to do: Search, Search, Search.
Determined that I was different; I needed something that would not only pay well, but would be just challenging enough to keep me dedicated. I needed to remember that I was the Norm, not the Exception. On paper, I was just like anyone in my scenario. I was a graduate with two degrees, who did not really have much work experience other than a few odd jobs here and there.
I did have several jobs through the university while I was studying my undergrad, but nothing through an independent company. I do have an extremely dedicated work ethic, but this was not translatable on paper.
After applying for approximately one hundred fifty (I believe the total was 147) different positions, I began to wear thin my hope. This is when I had my first offer.
My father's primary quote is "It's not what you know: It's Who you know."
My sister had (through her even longer list of odd jobs) worked with two individuals who decided that it would be best to open a new cafe in our county's seat.
They were looking for someone who had a decent head on their shoulders, was trustworthy, had business knowledge as well as culinary experience.
I crossed my fingers and, while standing in the middle of my 1/4 acre garden with a rototiller rumbling at my feet begging to be pushed like an unwilling child to school, I submitted my application to the business owners.
By the time I had finished my mechanized plow of the garden, I had a telephone message from a woman named Galadriel. I pried from my feet, the steam-filled boots to allow the earth to coat my work-weathered roots. Before returning the call, I began to truly feel like a happy hobbit, ready to begin the journey that defines him.
To make a point... the website of this blog is
willworkforstudentloanpayment.blogspot.com, because I truly would work tremendously in anyway possible to make ends meet.
I would not have guessed that the unexpected journey that I am still traveling, would have taken me thousands of miles away, working in places I never would have guessed, with a sad heart living paycheck to paycheck. So with a bowtie as My Precious, a Taylor 210e Acoustic Guitar at my side as Sting, and immense amounts of courage; I began my trek to wherever I needed to go.
Sometimes we are lead in a direction because that leads down a path that was successful for other people. We are just told to sit back and trust an individual in hopes that it will not produce any form of doubt. Our elders know best right?
Not entirely.
My Silver Linings:
Savannah, GA
Good Friends
The Bad Times... and how they make the good times so much sweeter
6 Strings pulled over a beat up box
"Faith is for things that take a while."
My apologies that this is scatterbrained... I am trying to put everything that has happened into text. There is quite a few key points that I do not want to forget.
Can't forget the important life lessons....
To be continued... The Cafe, Tallahassee, and the Studio Apartment Endeavors!
Be safe.
-Alex-
I have not been tracking my progress over the past several months, but I hope that you trust me that I intend to remedy this dire mistake.
One of my least favorite statements on this earth is "I cannot find a job anywhere."
My summer, last year, was one with massive gaps of unemployment. I began graduating from WCCC in May. I did not graduate with a successful lead for a potential career. I instead began with the death of my grandfather and an appointment to remedy a terrible root canal.
After the dust settled on a freshly sodded grave, and the swelling in my jaw went down, I began to do what so many graduated decided to do: Search, Search, Search.
Determined that I was different; I needed something that would not only pay well, but would be just challenging enough to keep me dedicated. I needed to remember that I was the Norm, not the Exception. On paper, I was just like anyone in my scenario. I was a graduate with two degrees, who did not really have much work experience other than a few odd jobs here and there.
I did have several jobs through the university while I was studying my undergrad, but nothing through an independent company. I do have an extremely dedicated work ethic, but this was not translatable on paper.
After applying for approximately one hundred fifty (I believe the total was 147) different positions, I began to wear thin my hope. This is when I had my first offer.
My father's primary quote is "It's not what you know: It's Who you know."
My sister had (through her even longer list of odd jobs) worked with two individuals who decided that it would be best to open a new cafe in our county's seat.
They were looking for someone who had a decent head on their shoulders, was trustworthy, had business knowledge as well as culinary experience.
I crossed my fingers and, while standing in the middle of my 1/4 acre garden with a rototiller rumbling at my feet begging to be pushed like an unwilling child to school, I submitted my application to the business owners.
By the time I had finished my mechanized plow of the garden, I had a telephone message from a woman named Galadriel. I pried from my feet, the steam-filled boots to allow the earth to coat my work-weathered roots. Before returning the call, I began to truly feel like a happy hobbit, ready to begin the journey that defines him.
To make a point... the website of this blog is
willworkforstudentloanpayment.blogspot.com, because I truly would work tremendously in anyway possible to make ends meet.
I would not have guessed that the unexpected journey that I am still traveling, would have taken me thousands of miles away, working in places I never would have guessed, with a sad heart living paycheck to paycheck. So with a bowtie as My Precious, a Taylor 210e Acoustic Guitar at my side as Sting, and immense amounts of courage; I began my trek to wherever I needed to go.
Sometimes we are lead in a direction because that leads down a path that was successful for other people. We are just told to sit back and trust an individual in hopes that it will not produce any form of doubt. Our elders know best right?
Not entirely.
My Silver Linings:
Savannah, GA
Good Friends
The Bad Times... and how they make the good times so much sweeter
6 Strings pulled over a beat up box
"Faith is for things that take a while."
My apologies that this is scatterbrained... I am trying to put everything that has happened into text. There is quite a few key points that I do not want to forget.
Can't forget the important life lessons....
To be continued... The Cafe, Tallahassee, and the Studio Apartment Endeavors!
Be safe.
-Alex-
Friday, July 19, 2013
Graduate Atychiphobia
I am a maelstrom of emotion.
I am a twenty-four year old college graduate.
I am not employed in a full-time position.
I am not employed in my field of study.
I am afraid of failing my family, my friends, and myself.
This is not a blog to relive my college experience. If you want to hear that story (and you don't), then you can feel free to contact me another time. I will however begin this first one with some history.
Now for some backstory:
In the fall of 2007 I started at Slippery Rock University (SRU). I began as a Political Science major, and after a brief spell in Theatre, I moved to Marketing. I finished my Bachelors (BSBA) in Marketing and graduated in December of 2011.
During my time there I presented to CEOs of businesses that shall remain nameless due to copyrighted names that I don't want to (or have money to) pay for the rights to use, used myself as an item to promote & attempted to sell (metaphorically) myself through the organizations of which I was a part, and studied in Italy for a very brief time as part of the International Marketing program. I also was part of the ever growing Slippery Rock Sustainable push, driving sustainability into the conscience of the businesses.
I described those examples for three reasons.
1) I, much like the 19.7 million other students, have memories of the reasons why I chose the program that I did.
2) I have passion for sustainability.
3) I am a marketing-minded male.
After graduation from SRU, I decided to take one more detour before venturing out into the world of the approximate 7.5% unemployment for Business Degreed Grads.
I would like to believe that I am a man who keeps his word... and there was a promise I had to keep.
My young cousin was 12 years old when he passed. Jace and I were incredibly close near the end. I had told him about my classes, my college, my music, my cooking, and my dreams of one day being able to understand why cooking and baking work the way they do. He made me promise on November 27, 2007, that I would go to Culinary School.
Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) has one of the best programs for Culinary and Baking Arts in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
I enrolled not three days after graduation of Slippery Rock University, into the Hospitality-Culinary Arts program at WCCC. Two weeks later the semester began.
I learned more than I could have ever thought to learn... including respect.
Any individual (including a funny anecdote about Dr. Frasier Crane) who has ever thought that opening a restaurant would be a simple task... should be tarred, feathered, drawn, and quartered.
Work in one. Take one evening, find a small restaurant where you can get to know the owner... Ask him/her if you can work in three positions: The Server, The Cook, and The Dishwasher.
You will understand why I will forever tip 20% at the least. You will understand why I say thank you to anyone who has to wash dishes after people who complained about every little thing have left half of their meal, that the cook slaved over, on the plate. You will know what it means to try to perform your best, and create a dish from ingredients, only to have someone's palate find it disgusting and ask for it to be thrown away AND an apology.
You will know what it means to stand in front of a four hundred degree oven, with a grill (Charbroiler) next to you turned the whole way up, and a six burner stove top with a sauté pan on each burner... for ten hours... each day you work.
I enrolled in and completed my Associates degree in Culinary Arts for several reasons:
1) I have a passion for the culinary arts.
2) I wanted to give my previously attained degree more assistance in the business/culinary industries.
3) I wanted to keep a promise to Jace, and myself.
How do these relate to the previous two reasons I chose my Bachelors?
1) Where there is passion, there is desire and work ethic. I have a passion for the arts and a desire to sell. I can not wait to prove what perfect storm can arise if given the right chance by a potential employer.
2) If I can market myself, I can market anything. How better to have confidence in your ability to sell, if you do not believe that you can sell yourself?
Now you're caught up.
This is the summer where everything is meant to fall into place. As we were told in college, just apply and you'll find a good job. Not only a Job, but a "GOOD" job.
I am currently employed at a video game conglomerate. I do not believe that I am able to use their name due to copyrights, so I shall call them "The Spot". I am an entry level employee working the 9 hours a week, in hopes that management will realize that I have no other restrictions and a business degree.
This is where my path has a fork in the road.
I can go off and move to one of the cities where I have applied one or a few of the 136 Job applications that I have completed, or I can stay in the greater Pittsburgh region and attempt to find a position that utilizes my skills in the Culinary Arts, Marketing, and Sustainability.
I thought that I suffered from "Graduate Atychiphobia", The fear of Failure.
I thought that I did.
I don't.
I do feel like a failure to an extent... but only because I do not have a full time position, or let alone a position in my field.
There is no worse feeling than having a potential employer look you in the eye, and tell you that you are not going to receive the position because you are over qualified...
I don't care if I'm over qualified! I want a flipping job! I NEED a flipping job!
I no longer suffer from Atychiphobia... I've seen the fear, and dealt with it.
I deal with failure, but when I get the job that I need... It will be my greatest success.
I live every day on a silver lining.
There isn't much that can make me tremendously ecstatic. Not much that brings me tremendous joy.
I do have friends and family that I don't see enough. I do have my musical ability which is mediocre at best, but I don't have a safety net. I don't have a full tank.
I'm running on fumes: "Silver Linings".
Today's Silver Lining:
1) I planted three Lemon Seeds about a month ago and realized that they are starting to grow into small trees.
2) I love my green thumb.
3) I love how thunderstorms scare so many, yet make me feel so calm. Refreshing.
I am scatterbrained, and slightly hyperactive.
I am positively depressed at times and happy with my failures.
A roller coaster would be nervous on the track of my mind.
I am a graduate.
I am not a failure.
I am not a quitter.
I will over come this unemployment.
I will obtain stability.
I am blessed.
but all in all...
I am a maelstrom of emotion.
Be safe.
-Alex-
I am a twenty-four year old college graduate.
I am not employed in a full-time position.
I am not employed in my field of study.
I am afraid of failing my family, my friends, and myself.
This is not a blog to relive my college experience. If you want to hear that story (and you don't), then you can feel free to contact me another time. I will however begin this first one with some history.
Now for some backstory:
In the fall of 2007 I started at Slippery Rock University (SRU). I began as a Political Science major, and after a brief spell in Theatre, I moved to Marketing. I finished my Bachelors (BSBA) in Marketing and graduated in December of 2011.
During my time there I presented to CEOs of businesses that shall remain nameless due to copyrighted names that I don't want to (or have money to) pay for the rights to use, used myself as an item to promote & attempted to sell (metaphorically) myself through the organizations of which I was a part, and studied in Italy for a very brief time as part of the International Marketing program. I also was part of the ever growing Slippery Rock Sustainable push, driving sustainability into the conscience of the businesses.
I described those examples for three reasons.
1) I, much like the 19.7 million other students, have memories of the reasons why I chose the program that I did.
2) I have passion for sustainability.
3) I am a marketing-minded male.
After graduation from SRU, I decided to take one more detour before venturing out into the world of the approximate 7.5% unemployment for Business Degreed Grads.
I would like to believe that I am a man who keeps his word... and there was a promise I had to keep.
My young cousin was 12 years old when he passed. Jace and I were incredibly close near the end. I had told him about my classes, my college, my music, my cooking, and my dreams of one day being able to understand why cooking and baking work the way they do. He made me promise on November 27, 2007, that I would go to Culinary School.
Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) has one of the best programs for Culinary and Baking Arts in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
I enrolled not three days after graduation of Slippery Rock University, into the Hospitality-Culinary Arts program at WCCC. Two weeks later the semester began.
I learned more than I could have ever thought to learn... including respect.
Any individual (including a funny anecdote about Dr. Frasier Crane) who has ever thought that opening a restaurant would be a simple task... should be tarred, feathered, drawn, and quartered.
Work in one. Take one evening, find a small restaurant where you can get to know the owner... Ask him/her if you can work in three positions: The Server, The Cook, and The Dishwasher.
You will understand why I will forever tip 20% at the least. You will understand why I say thank you to anyone who has to wash dishes after people who complained about every little thing have left half of their meal, that the cook slaved over, on the plate. You will know what it means to try to perform your best, and create a dish from ingredients, only to have someone's palate find it disgusting and ask for it to be thrown away AND an apology.
You will know what it means to stand in front of a four hundred degree oven, with a grill (Charbroiler) next to you turned the whole way up, and a six burner stove top with a sauté pan on each burner... for ten hours... each day you work.
I enrolled in and completed my Associates degree in Culinary Arts for several reasons:
1) I have a passion for the culinary arts.
2) I wanted to give my previously attained degree more assistance in the business/culinary industries.
3) I wanted to keep a promise to Jace, and myself.
How do these relate to the previous two reasons I chose my Bachelors?
1) Where there is passion, there is desire and work ethic. I have a passion for the arts and a desire to sell. I can not wait to prove what perfect storm can arise if given the right chance by a potential employer.
2) If I can market myself, I can market anything. How better to have confidence in your ability to sell, if you do not believe that you can sell yourself?
Now you're caught up.
This is the summer where everything is meant to fall into place. As we were told in college, just apply and you'll find a good job. Not only a Job, but a "GOOD" job.
I am currently employed at a video game conglomerate. I do not believe that I am able to use their name due to copyrights, so I shall call them "The Spot". I am an entry level employee working the 9 hours a week, in hopes that management will realize that I have no other restrictions and a business degree.
This is where my path has a fork in the road.
I can go off and move to one of the cities where I have applied one or a few of the 136 Job applications that I have completed, or I can stay in the greater Pittsburgh region and attempt to find a position that utilizes my skills in the Culinary Arts, Marketing, and Sustainability.
I thought that I suffered from "Graduate Atychiphobia", The fear of Failure.
I thought that I did.
I don't.
I do feel like a failure to an extent... but only because I do not have a full time position, or let alone a position in my field.
There is no worse feeling than having a potential employer look you in the eye, and tell you that you are not going to receive the position because you are over qualified...
I don't care if I'm over qualified! I want a flipping job! I NEED a flipping job!
I no longer suffer from Atychiphobia... I've seen the fear, and dealt with it.
I deal with failure, but when I get the job that I need... It will be my greatest success.
I live every day on a silver lining.
There isn't much that can make me tremendously ecstatic. Not much that brings me tremendous joy.
I do have friends and family that I don't see enough. I do have my musical ability which is mediocre at best, but I don't have a safety net. I don't have a full tank.
I'm running on fumes: "Silver Linings".
Today's Silver Lining:
1) I planted three Lemon Seeds about a month ago and realized that they are starting to grow into small trees.
2) I love my green thumb.
3) I love how thunderstorms scare so many, yet make me feel so calm. Refreshing.
I am scatterbrained, and slightly hyperactive.
I am positively depressed at times and happy with my failures.
A roller coaster would be nervous on the track of my mind.
I am a graduate.
I am not a failure.
I am not a quitter.
I will over come this unemployment.
I will obtain stability.
I am blessed.
but all in all...
I am a maelstrom of emotion.
Be safe.
-Alex-
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