WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SUMMER???
If one more person asks me this question, my head might explode into a million pieces.
DO YOU HAVE JOB OR INTERNSHIP LINED UP?? HAVE YOU BEEN APPLYING??
For anyone not graduating in four weeks like I am, you have the good fortune to not have the weight of the future on your shoulders.
For everyone who is graduating and unsure of what you’re doing after May 7, I commend you.
Last year, I got my internship in early December, which prevented the panic attacks that I’ve suffered through this year. Parents, friends, random strangers all quiz you on your prospects after you’re done with school.
I understand that it’s an easy conversation starter and it seems to be a good question to ask someone who is entering the world of bills, taxes, and student loans.
But it’s also incredibly annoying to answer that question with the same answer, “I have no idea.”
The only thing more frustrating than hearing that question from adults with full-time jobs and decades of experience is hearing from my peers who already have something lined up.
Thank you, Mr. Business School for telling me of your $60,000 guaranteed position at a snazzy accounting firm. That makes me feel so much better that I’ve spent four years pursuing a major that’s sinking faster than the Titanic.
Last year, I had graduating friends who applied to dozens of internships, and I couldn’t imagine going through the agonizing process of sending resumes and cover letters to countless places, sacrificing hours of time for the slightest chance that something will materialize.
It’s hell.
Luckily I’ve applied to so many places that redoing my cover letter has become more familiar to me than using a microwave.
For now, my only post-graduation plans include a three-week trip to Europe, where I hope people are more concerned with my inability to speak their language than if I have a job.
For anyone thinking of asking me that question-that-shall-not-be-named, consider this: I already spend at least an hour a day thinking of places to apply to, e-mailing people for tips, and staring off into the distance while imagining my dream job.
Before you ask me that question, consider this: what if you were unemployed? Would you want friends and strangers to hound you about your situation?
My friends say I’ll get something, that I’m too talented to slip through the cracks. But I have plenty of friends who haven’t gotten jobs, were laid off from their jobs, or now live at home. That is reality. And while the economy is improving, there is no guarantee that my diploma will come with a job offer.
So for now, I’ll hang out with my friends, enjoy my off-campus apartment, and try to relax.
After I send one more application.