09: Now What?

In a nation that has prided itself so much on hard work and individualism, how much is there to truly show for it?

As a recent graduate of a relatively prestigious university in UNC-Chapel Hill, I can for one begin to explain the difficulties that this year's economy has presented. However, as one who has studied social affairs, world affairs, the economy, etc etc, I find it difficult to truly call what is now titled 'the recession.' It would be impossible to do what is going on right now justice.

I don't think it is just a lack of money going around. I don't think it is merely a crisis of confidence or the consequences of people paying for things they couldn't afford. It may be a truly disparaging combination of those two factors, but I also believe something more is at work.

What do I mean?

We can take a look back not too long ago to realize how different today's economy is than it was. In the period following the second-world war, employees in the United States held one or two careers (if presented with the opportunity). Now while of course there were many unjust barriers to the better jobs, at least a sense of stability existed in the job market.

The sort of jobs that people had were not too entirely different from the ones 20 years before, 50 years before, and in the case of skilled professionals- centuries before.

What has happened?

Today I look for jobs, 'work,' careers, whatever you would like to call it and something just doesn't seem right...

First of all... where is the only place that I will ever hear about jobs or apply to them? It is of course ... online. While the internet I guess has democraticized communications immensely in recent past, it has also turned people(at least in the case of a job hunt) into something that can't truly be seen, heard, touched, but really just a temporary image on a screen. How will an online resume or cover letter or email do my ability to be of value to an employer justice? It is just impossible. If my only option to get a foot in the virtual door is to write an email from a posting on a website, how is that to be done? An inordinate amount of online posting for jobs don't even name the company or employer by name. The job postings are incredibly vague and don't truly spell out what work is to be done.

I can only help but to think attaining something as simple as a job now boils down to the roll of the dice. Many of times my emails to employers haven't been responded to. If I really think about it however, I understand because all I really sent was just an email. It was not even a physical letter, it wasn't meeting someone up close, it was not even a remotely human exchange. When job postings deliberately say 'no calls,' not even my own voice can be heard about.

This frustrations aside, I also as a job seeker must consider which industries are here to stay and which are on their way out. Also there is elephant in the room of job security. This last year has demonstrated that the private financial sector is not a secure place to have a job. The Health Insurance Industry, if congress has anything to do with it, very well may fall by the wayside. The tech industry will be here to stay most likely. Skilled positions in the health care industry remain strong. Education will be a secure industry for people to work in only if the public decides how much they value it.

What is left for a garden variety Bachelor of Arts graduate? Well the answer is the jobs posted online.

But still, even if I get a decent paying job, a steady salary, etc. etc, it is doubtful whether or not I will want to remain in that industry or the industry will want to remain with me. Given that most people these days have many jobs throughout life, what stability is there? Nowadays people move away hundreds of miles away from their families within the country in search of better lives without much to show for it. If the economic crisis has taught anyone anything it has been a wake up call make people aware of what they should value most.

What to do with all this on my plate? I can only hope for stability.