Tag Archives: career

 
Blog

It’s the money that moves us


We’ve moved through our education before a cold breeze hits us. Our transparent rainbow sphere breaks with a soapy "pop."

Next is the real adventure: move out, find a job, find a life, find a home, and keep chasing those dreams.

Keep chasing those aspirations – if you can afford it, if your student debt isn’t too heavy, if your parents are willing to support you, if you have any idea where to start, if you have the patience to continue – then keep chasing that ambition.

But I’m afraid it’s the money that really moves us. Sink, swim, or get a job at Wal-Mart. Just so long as you pay off that debt.

Example one: My friend (I’ll call him Bob for the sake of privacy) graduates with an English degree. Bob now wants to work in publishing. First, he moves back home because he can’t afford to live independently. Then Bob sends out resumes to almost every publisher in The Writer’s Handbook. Next, Bob realizes he’s more than broke, he’s seriously in debt. Eventually, he settles for a job outside of publishing and hopes the money hanging over his head like a blade will finally go away.

Example two: Me. I’ve graduated with an MA in creative writing and now want to write, write, write. I have no pressing student debt, thanks to my parents. Instead I have pressing rent, utilities, and taxes to pay. Every month there’s a slashing of bills into my bank account that bleeds it of the dollars I’ve saved.

I want to write, but I also need to live. Now that I’m married, my next step is to find part- or full-time work. Other authors have managed to build their careers while working other jobs, so why not me?

Why not me? Well it’s what I want, but deep inside I feel a sort of complacency that isn’t ambitious enough, isn’t desperate enough…and I’m not positive that my writing will make it.

I need to work and I’d like to enjoy my job. However, I’m afraid that, like Bob, I’ll throw me off track.

The money moves us…that’s scary to consider. It’s distracting, too.

Maybe I’ll go for a Ph.D. and stay in the bubble longer. But it’ll pop again eventually – you can’t hide forever, right?

I guess it’s time to step up to the challenge. Sink or swim.

Hopefully I’ll avoid the job at Wal-Mart.

Dear Reader, In The Fray is a nonprofit staffed by volunteers. If you liked this piece, could you please donate $10? If you want to help, you can also:
 
Blog

Twitter troubled


So — in the name of my yet-to-exist writing career — I’ve decided to set up a Twitter account: CatherineClaire (finally my middle name finds purpose). Apparently it’s like blogging but easier. You type in a quick blurb, let it sit a while, and then — BAM — conversation erupts and jobs roll in.

But, well…I hate to be the one swimming against the tide, but so far I feel completely lost in the "potential." It’s like staring at a large blank wall.

After the interaction I’ve had on Facebook, Twitter feels like a downgrade.

Facebook I get.

Facebook — with its streaming updates, links to school and work friends, tagged photos, comments, messages, games and targeted advertising — that I get.

Twitter offers its own type of immediacy. Britney Spears speaks to her fans, Oprah shares her favorite things. Intimacy is turned up a level by this open-access concept.

But celebrity stalking aside, Twitter makes me feel pressured. There’s an expectation to network, promote, and engage with intention. According to the many online articles floating through the Internet, Twitter’s about attracting people to your name and product.

Is Twitter more hype than substance? If not, I’d be happy to hear why because so far I’m not impressed. But for now I’m sticking it out. Besides, my mom suggests it’s a path to worldwide success, and while that sounds like a pipe dream, it also sounds cool.

Looking for enlightenment, I logged onto Twitter and clicked a link called #whyitweet. Here’s a slice of what I found Tweeters sharing, but there’s more if you want to go read for yourself:

“At first I was like, “this is dumb.” Then I was like, “Oh! People can know what I’m doing…ALL THE TIME! I like this.”

“I want to be hip, avant-garde and be able to laugh at people who are not.”

“My friends and family need to know when something cool happens, immediately.”

“I don’t know anymore, I used to have a goal.”

Dear Reader, In The Fray is a nonprofit staffed by volunteers. If you liked this piece, could you please donate $10? If you want to help, you can also: