1) What was your major/minor?
I graduated Magna Cum Laude, major English, concentration in Creative Writing.
2) When did you start your job search?
I started my job search months before I graduated, looking for anything part time that I could start while I was still in school and that I could increase hours in after I graduated.
3) How did you find your current job?
I found my current job (online tutor for School Tutoring Academy) by Googling “tutor jobs atlanta, ga” and it was one of many companies I applied for.
4) How many interviews did you go to before you found the job you are currently working for?
I interviewed four times with just School Tutoring Academy! I also interviewed at least three other times with other companies, and got one other job offer.
5) How did you choose your current job among the other offers?
I chose to work for School Tutoring Academy because they paid me higher than other companies, I don’t have to pay for gas because I work online, they’re an international company (United States and Canada) so I have more opportunities for clients, and because I’m naturally inclined towards tutoring and education.
6) What initial mistakes did you learn from?
Oooh boy! That’s a long list. First off, when you apply for an online company that uses videoconferencing, make sure you have fast internet! Most of my students have at least 8 mpbs, but I started out at less than 1! That was really embarrassing. Make sure you have the tools you need to do the job properly! Another unexpected issue that I ran into was that working for an online company can be wonderful because of the autonomy, but it can also mean that you don’t get any help or advice unless you ask for it, which I didn’t do for the longest time for fear of sounding inadequate for my job. Don’t let your performance suffer for fear of the company judging you – they’d rather you get the job done right than scold you.
7) What advice would you give to graduating seniors?
My advice to graduating seniors is to take time out of your busy, end-of-college-career schedules and spend some time preparing for the future. Decide what you need immediately after college, and what things can wait. Decide what job you’re aiming for, and decide on any intermediate jobs to have along the way. Understand that everything is flexible, and have multiple plans that you can live happy with. Get yourself into a routine now that you can sustain when you leave college, because once you leave, nobody will motivate you except you!
8) What have you learned from your current job that you didn’t learn at school?
When you’re in school, you use official textbooks and workbooks and learning materials. You come to expect these materials will be given to you if you’re going to tutor – not so. I had to find a lot of websites with free tutoring materials, had to guess at my students’ curriculums, had to prepare lesson plans based off of a subject and a grade (like math, grade 3). You have to do a lot of thinking on your feet that you never planned to do.
9) How did you settle on your dream job?
Well, I’m not working my dream job at the moment; it’s not a bad job, I like it, but I’ll be ready to move on in a year or so. I’m not sure what my dream job would be. Just because I’m naturally inclined to tutoring doesn’t mean that I want to do it for the rest of my life. I try to keep an open mind about my future and plan for the next few years, not up ’til retirement. I suppose my job choices are selected based on what I DON’T want to do: I don’t want an office job, I don’t want to work in restaurants or retail, I don’t want to be a number cruncher or mindless desk jockey. I want variety, adventure, and creativity in my work life. I’ve got several options on the table, from Teach For America, to flipping houses with my fiance once we get married in November.
10) Anything else you’d like to add?
One thing that has bothered me for a long time has been that people put so much pressure on themselves to know immediately what they want to do once they graduate and immediately go out and get it, and if you can’t do this, you’re a bum, slouch, lazy, or an outright failure. Relax! Yes, make your plans and motivate yourself, but the world will not end if you can’t find a job right away. Have faith. Take the time that’s given to you to improve yourself, and cherish it. Every moment has a meaning, even if you don’t know it yet.