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I think there's a problem in your career goals in that they seem vague. You say you either want to be a sports writer, or you want to work in sports management. Think about which of those paths is your real passion, and tackle it with 150 percent effort. Don't expect to get ANYWHERE without that effort, and acknowledge that it's going to be the struggle of your life.
I'll speak to the writing angle since that's my own career. Sharing my own story: I graduated with an English degree, wanting to be a writer and editor, but reality hit that those jobs just weren't available to me. I floundered for about three years in temp jobs and working as a nanny. Then I got a job that was tangentially related to editing but nothing close to what I wanted. I worked there for two years but in the meantime started freelance writing for very minor publications (sometimes unpaid and very unglamorous gigs, like writing copy for a garden store) so I could build up a portfolio of clips.
Eventually I had enough experience to get hired as a part-time writer for a small publication. I had to do other jobs to make ends meet until that became full-time. Then I rose the ranks there and ultimately got a decent full-time writing job elsewhere. Fast forward to now, over a decade after I graduated: I'm able to make my entire living freelancing with some cushy writing contracts. It was a very long process where baby steps forward started paying off incrementally.
So let's say you're serious about being a sports writer. You need clips. You need to take ANY gigs you can right now in your spare time, whether or not they're paid. Pull all-nighters if you have to, work on weekends. You need to prove that you know how to do this, and you're good at it, before anyone even considers taking you seriously. It's a hyper-competitive field and you gotta pay your dues and you gotta hustle. It will take years to establish yourself.
But really the same philosophy/rules will apply to any career path where the jobs are sparse, competitive, and coveted.
On the other hand if you look at yourself honestly and acknowledge that you can't handle the stresses and rejections of that tough road, you could aim toward a lower target. You could find another more realistic career path that will offer some stability while not making you nauseous every single day.
You can start working in collections. You will be able to talk to people nicely and patiently, with your call-center experience. You can write down the stories they will tell you (believe me, no scheduled interview can be compared with what people tell when they don't want to pay), and then publish a book "A portrait of America in debt." I'll buy one copy. But no, you will owe me one. )
First time poster here, so thanks in advance for any insight or advice you may have to offer. Anyways, let's get to it.
I'm facing what I believe is most likely a very common issue among recent college graduates, especially in today's day and age.
I'm lost and frustrated when it comes to my professional life. I've been out of college for about 3 years now and I have no idea what I want to do with my life.
To give you some background...I, like a lot of naive college students, truly believed I could follow my dreams and outwork everyone else to get to where I wanted to be. So, I double-majored in english with an emphasis in editing, writing and media and sport management. I believed with all my heart that I would graduate college and land a dream job as a sport journalist or position in PR for a professional or collegiate organization.
I worked extremely hard throughout my four years, spending many nights and weekends as an intern. I felt like I was doing it all the right way, and I was, but upon graduation, I quickly learned the hard way that the world owes you nothing.
Despite my experience, work ethic and skill set, I couldn't find anything even remotely close to my field for the first 6 months after graduation. I applied to hundreds of various openings and maybe had a handful of responses, including rejections. Humbled, I lived at home with my dad while I took on the daunting task of attempting to find a career in the sport industry.
The closest I got was a glorified internship/freelance position with my local NFL franchise for the 2013 season. The experience was fantastic, but the pay was abysmal. $10/hour to be exact and no more than 35 hours/week. On top of that, there was no room to move up.
So, once the season ended, I decided it was in my best interest to get out of the bubble of my hometown and push myself somewhere new. My girlfriend got a job in NYC - the perfect place to break into the industry, I thought.
We packed up our lives and were off. Oh, how little did I know.
For the first 8 or 9 months in the city, I worked odd jobs while I looked for that foot in the door. I interviewed with Major League Soccer's HQ, only to find out it was an unpaid internship and I couldn't have accepted the position even if I wanted to, due to the organization's policies and NYC's strict intern regulations in terms of compensation.
At this point, I began to grow more and more despondent by the day. And with the burden of NYC cost of living weighing down on me, I realized I absolutely had to get a full-time, salaried job. The odd jobs just weren't cutting it.
So, I sucked it up and took a job in sales. Cold-calling sales.
If you knew me, you would know this was an act of desperation, as never in a million years would I ever have imagined I'd have a sales job. For the most part, I prefer to keep to myself. I don't like pushing people to do things they don't want to me.
The job just went against every fiber in my body.
Nevertheless, I took it. And because of my work ethic, I actually ended up being pretty good. I was in a terrible state mentally due to a combination of pressure from the role and feeling defeated when it came to my dreams, but I showed up to work and gave it 110% each and every day.
With that being said, despite the success I saw, I still knew I had to make a change. If I wasn't going to be working in my dream industry, or making a lot of money, I didn't see living in NYC as worth it. I was struggling to make ends meet, so I made the change and accepted a job in my current location - Austin, TX.
I've been here for a few months and unlike NYC, I absolutely love everything about Austin. However, I'm still at the same point in my professional life. As a matter of fact, I just quit my new job out here after just 6 weeks.
The position was in what what is a glorified call center for a company with a terrible product. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't misled in the interview process, but hey, it is what it is and the good news is, it got me out of New York. The environment was also toxic, with one manager in particular who felt the need to assert his dominance over me and repeatedly called me out publicly, cursed me out in personal attacks, etc.
Anyways, I looked around every day and constantly feel the need to shout, "What the **** am I doing here!?" I have a college degree, and I'm in the minority in the department. This is not why I went to college, it's not why my mom and dad diligently saved in order to send me to college.
But alas, here I was. Answering phones and having conversations with mostly angry customers while making a below average salary.
And what really scares me is, I feel like the longer I have jobs like these, whether it's cold-calling sales or customer support in a call center, the more locked-in, in this "field" I'm going to be. I haven't been able to even get a response from any companies I've applied to for roles unlike these.
So, it may have been dumb or foolish, but all of these factors led me to walking out on the job without another lined up. I'll be ok for now - I can work odd jobs again or even drive for Lyft and Uber while I figure things out.
However, I feel as lost and confused as ever.
In a nutshell, I feel like I'm an undesirable candidate for a lot of companies for the roles I would like to have because of my major, as well as my experience.
On top of that, I can't help but feel I made an extremely expensive mistake in moving here for a job that didn't pan out. I'm smart with my money, so I still have a decent amount saved, but it really frustrates me to know how much I spent on moving from NYC out here to Texas.
Additionally, my girlfriend is still in NYC and had planned on moving here to Austin, but she is hesitant now since I have crashed and burned so quickly after arriving here. We have been dating for 3 years and she is the love of my life - I'm ready to marry this girl but I obviously can't take that next step if we aren't together and it feels like it wouldn't be a smart decision to do so without my professional life figured out.
So here I am - lost, confused and desperate for answers. And I'm not even sure where to look.
I've considered going back to school, but everyone tells me doing so just because you're having a hard time finding work is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Plus, I'm fortunate enough to have graduated debt-free, so the thought of risking debt for something that isn't a sure-thing makes me cringe.
However, I will say that if I do go back to school, it wouldn't be without a specific purpose. I've debated more functional degrees such as finance or accounting, as pretty much everyone I know with one of those degrees is doing just fine. I've also debated law school, and it was actually something I wanted to do right out of school, but my aunt, who's a very successful attorney, talked me out of it because of the difficulties many young attorneys face today after completing their degree.
I've also debated finding someone to sublease my apartment and throwing in the towel to move back home so that I can take some time to get back on my feet and replenish my finances after the whirlwind of the last few years.
I've essentially boiled it all down to 2 paths to find a solution:
1) I want to do what I love. If I do what I love, whether it be writing, sports or both, the pay won't bother me, so long as it's enough to support my family.
2) I want to make a lot of, or at least decent, money if I'm not going to be doing something I enjoy. And right now I'm doing something I hate and making a below average salary, even though ATX is far more financially easy to navigate than NYC. This second reason is why I'm considering going back to school.
I understand that was a book and a half, so thank you if you actually made it all the way down to this point. Like I said, I'm desperate for answers, but I'm not even sure what answers I'm looking for to be quite honest.
I've tried countless things, including seeing a career counselor for my last 6 months in the city. Waste of money.
If any of you out there have been in a situation like mine, I would appreciate anything you have to offer, even if it's just "I understand where you're coming from, kid".
And of course, any thoughts and opinions on the school option would be greatly appreciated. Or if there's something else out there you think I should try to find a more fulfilling career, I'm all ears.
Thanks again.
Watch the film Ivory Tower. And then get very very angry at the college system.
I came out of college with even less idea of what I was doing, no idea how to afford rent or pay off college loans. I moved back home, and fortunately, my dad set it up so my savings paid off the loans. It took 10 years to figure out what I wanted to do. What I know I don't want is go back to school. WOrk my way up, and study hard. **** the school system, I believe in the library system.
Totally agree with those who suggested freelance writing gigs. Get a copy of the Writer's Market, an annual publication of Writer's Digest magazine, which lists all sorts of freelance writing opportunities and what each one pays. No, you won't be able to pay the rent at first, but you will start building your clips file.
Can you type? Yes, with all ten fingers, can you touch type? I needed a job out of college that paid well, had flexible hours that I could build up a cash reserve (I wanted to go to graduate school). I wanted something that I could potentially work part-time while I went to school. I went to temp agencies and asked them what paid the best, and what skills they most wanted to see walk in the door. They were desperate for legal secretaries, especially litigation secretaries. If you could deal with attorneys under stress and not yell back at them, they'd pay serious $$$. At that point I didn't type and didn't know a thing about being a legal secretary. Used my Mom's old typewriter and an egg timer for practice. Started at 10 words a minute. Now I type 90, and can type everything that is being said during a meeting as it is happening. Went to the library, checked out several books on how to be a legal secretary, how to do the various litigation paperwork. Took about 6 weeks of working 12 hour days by myself, on my kitchen table, studying this stuff to try and talk my way in the door for the first gig. Went back to the temp agencies, they placed me once. The attorneys were blown away and offered me permanent employment my first afternoon. Temp agencies booked me solid every hour I was willing to work from that point on. Was it what I loved? Nope, but lived on 1/3 of my salary and banked the rest. When I got into graduate school studying what I wanted to learn, I worked part-time as a legal secretary all through school.
So those are my interim suggestions.
But for the real core of your problem "What do I want to really do, and how do I land a job in that field?" Totally recommend that you go to the library and get out a book called "What Color is my Parachute?" It is career planning for the rest of your life. It's not based on what a career counselor thinks is a good idea, or something from a vocational rehab book published in 1955. It gives you lots of writing exercises where you are basically interviewing yourself, in a structured way, to figure out what are the elements you liked, and hated, about all the jobs you've every held. You think you know this, but trust me, you've got the good and the bad all linked in your mind. You're thinking about each job, but not the elements of that position, like "I liked talking to a variety of people every day," or "I hated trying to sell people stuff they didn't want."
"What Color is Your Parachute?" then helps you figure out one or two types of positions that are what you'd like to do, and helps you find people who are DOING those jobs, who are getting paid to do what you want to do. It coaches you in how to talk them into giving you 15 minutes of their time, and what to ask them in that 15 minutes, so that you can get one or two more names from them of other people who are doing that job or something close to it. Face it, everyone will spare someone 15 minutes, if they know a) you will disappear at the end of that time; b) you won't hit them up for a job; c) you will thank them and be grateful and not bother them again. This information is invaluable, as part of what you will be asking them is a) how they got their job; b) what advice they have for someone who wants a job like they have; c) what other opportunities do they see that are related to their job; d) what they would do differently if they had it to do over. Remember, this advice you're gathering from not one, not two but 15 or 20 individuals working in fields related to, or exactly, what you want to do in life. It is current advice from working professionals, not an academic's or a vocational counselor's vague idea of what job experience could or should get you the job. Advice from people who HAVE the job.
I'd also like to add a word about work ethic. You need to think of your job hunt as a full time job. You'll need one or more part-time jobs that can support you. People who live in rural areas or seasonal towns already understand this. They usually hold two or three part-time jobs. Lots of people have a job on the weekend as well. Yes, this makes for long hours, yes this can mean functioning on little sleep sometimes if one of your jobs gets really busy.
I also echo what many have already mentioned. TV and movies portray people who get glamorous jobs with really high pay that they do for 5 minutes in between flirting or dating or getting laid. That's not the real world. I remember when I first watched a legal show after I'd been working for a while as a legal secretary. I was completely amazed. In the legal world, life revolves around paper and documents. We spent hours researching, writing, copying, delivering, filing, certifying, etc. paper. On TV, lawyers were portrayed in offices with no paper showing. There were no copiers, no one collating, boxing, filing, searching for, or reading, any paper. When you land an entry level job in sports, you may need to hold that job and blow their socks off with your work ethic for a year or more before you get any kind of raise. Promotion might not come for five years or more. Be ready for it, aim for it, network for it, but be ready to put in a lot of hard slogging in the beginning. If you can do that, you'll be head and shoulders above your contemporaries.
Last edited by Inquring81; 12-01-2015 at 10:56 PM..
If any of you out there have been in a situation like mine, I would appreciate anything you have to offer, even if it's just "I understand where you're coming from, kid".
And of course, any thoughts and opinions on the school option would be greatly appreciated. Or if there's something else out there you think I should try to find a more fulfilling career, I'm all ears.
Thanks again.
Unlike many of my fellow compatriots, I'm not going to deride you for being a milliennial. I think you guys have been dealt the worst hand since kids growing up in the Depression.
I believe that the hardships your generation has undergone and will continue to endure will make you better and more resilient people.
I'm also not going to tell you that I understand where you're coming from, because when I was your age things were easier in terms of the job market.. Most people won't tell you that.
Here are a few pointers:
I would not just return to school to accrue more debt and waste more time for a job that isn't going to be there. Seriously think about what you want to do, unlike an academic, school is a means not an end.
Clarify your relationship with the gf. Early professional life is a very challenging time and both of you are changing. Is she still on the same page? If so great, if not don't be afraid of making a change.
Whatever you do, don't start feeling sorry for yourself.. This accomplishes nothing.
Good luck! Whether you know it or not, you have come a long way from where you were 3 years ago!
Blog---fantasy sports, sports video games, tactics/schemes, join establish blogs(barstool, deadspin, etc)
Contact---all the sport radio stations, journalists, even agents/agency---and work under them.
The Northeast(NYC/DC/Philadelphia/Boston)....is the perfect region due to the close proximity and NYC having many professional teams
I know a few people in their early 20's with no connections interned worked for low-pay or no-pay and moved up...in organizations like Blue Jays/Mets/Yankees
What you need to do, is move back....get desperate and interject yourself in the scene.
advantage of being in NYC...it's less than $25 to get to either Philadelphia/DC/Boston...Apply to all the sports radio stations,league offices, teams, Sporting agencies
NFL-Giants/Jets/Eagles/Redskins/Patriots...5
NBA-Knicks/Nets/Wizards/76'ers/Celtics...5
MLB-Mets/Yankees/Red Sox/Phillies/Nationals..5
NHL-Rangers/Devils/Islanders/Flyers/Capital/Bruins...6
MLS-City FC/Red Bulls/Union/Revolution/United...5
+26 professional teams...within 3 hours...c'mon man
I would also apply to collegiate teams, minor league/D-league/developmental league teams
NBA/NFL/NHL/MLS/MLB.....all the league offices are in NY
Media conglomerates....NBC Universal, Time Warner, Comcast, HBO Sports, etc
Wishing you the very best of luck...I'm rooting for you
I would really consider joining the military, if I were you. (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard). You will gain valuable experience, with decent pay and benefits, and you will travel. If you are so inclined, I would do it sooner than later, since Congress is changing the retirement benefits. If you can't make up your mind, join the Reserves or National Guard. I assure you, that this may be the best decision that you will ever make.
Just visit or call your recruiter today.......
Even if you do not make it a career, you will make connections that will serve you well. No call centers for you to man there! The closest things to this are operations centers, to oversee emergencies, disasters, and so on.
I would definitely consider the military, and being a college grad. you could go in as an officer, lots of possibility's for journalism majors believe it or not.
get on USA JOBS and apply for jobs with federal government
look particularly for those specifically for "recent college graduates" as you have an edge here, this is an entire class of federal jobs that no one is eligible to apply for except recent grads
also look for entry level federal jobs, because there is room for advancement, job availability anywhere in the country you decide to move, and your benefits, leave, and experience go with you
you will advance, and your skills will be used, and you will find an area where you shine and that uses your skills.
I am a father of 2 millennial generation children.
Oldest is working in a dead end job, but he quit school and understands the price he is paying. We (his parents) will never give up on him. We never criticize his decisions and remain open to supporting any ideas he may have about his future.
Youngest graduated with a worthless degree from an average state school with a B+ GPA 2.5 years ago. She chased her dream for a year after graduation, finding long hours, poverty wages and paid internships to lead to absolutely nowhere along her career plans.
She decided to try something different and applied to several state jobs, and got offers on 2. Both were jobs most people hate. She took one of the jobs. Met her probationary period and received raise to next step. Competed for a new program and was hired into it. Knows all the judges, prosecutors, sheriffs, patrol officers, and pretty much the entire public safety network.
Her mentor and a senior law enforcement official sat her down and said: "you are going to apply for this job, then in two years, you will become the ______ for this county. We are going to pay for your training. Then in 5 years you are going to law school. We are going to groom you for this if you accept it."
The funny thing is, my kid is an outsider in one of those very tight-knit, "natives run this place" area.
Last thing. One of my daughter's classmates was waiting tables after college, just bumming around whining about his existence, until he decided to move away and start with a major sports franchise--in ticket sales...the absolute bottom rung of the ladder. In six months he was promoted to the bottom rung marketing position in the ticket sales office. His dream is working in pro sports. He never thought the dream started as a minimum wage window agent. Now the dream is taking shape--slowly, with lots of work for little pay, but perseverance really has meaning.
Don't give up. There is a future for you because you are trying to make your future. The path is neither obvious or straight--but many will quit before you do, and then "there you are". My daughter and her friend are geographically thousands of miles from their "comfort zone".
You know this guy, Nate Silver, he started out analyzing sports statistics, then moved onto analyzing political stats, and now, he created a whole empire, seems like he has some jobs/internships.
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