Ghosts of Jobs Past: Post-College, Year One

Living in New York City had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. After I graduated from college, I became obsessed with moving there. When people would ask me about post-graduation plans, I’d routinely tell them that I was going to move to NYC after graduation. What I’d be doing there was something I’d figure out eventually. I just wanted to live! (God, I was such an English major! I was so driven . . .and so naive.)

I scored an interview with a recruitment agency in Manhattan. I packed up my car with the hopes of never returning to a boring suburban Maryland existence again!

A few days later, I came back to Maryland feeling defeated. The interview went well, but I was not promised a job. About a few weeks after that, I landed an internship in Manhattan with the help of my older brother. 

A word about internships: 

Internships are fantastic. Internships act as real glimpses into the working world, as well as excellent resume builders. Unfortunately, they are normally unpaid and thus reserved for the economically advantaged or suuuuuuper-motivated. I never understood the benefits of an internship until I graduated from college and started looking for a job. My internship seemed to impress potential employers even more so than my college degree!

However, internships are not entirely realistic for students who need to earn an income while they are in school. I never took an internship while I was in college (or graduate school) because I had to work.

All this being said, if it’s possible to complete an internship, it’s worth it.

Adrienne as Publicity/Marketing Intern

I interned at the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. It was great working with the media and I enjoyed helping with major events throughout NYC. I worked, unpaid, from 8am - 5pm, 3 days a week. It was intense.

I had to make money somehow. I had a tough time finding part-time employment while interning. I ended up signing with a nanny service, but I didn’t have any luck. (That experience could have its own blog post!) 

Here are ways that I stayed afloat during these times: 

• My generous and wonderful cousin allowed me to stay with her for free. 
• I sold my car. 
• I borrowed money from my annoyed and confused parents. 
• I had to sneak on a Metro North train without paying . . . and I got caught. (My kind uncle had to pick me up in Westchester County somewhere.) 

I was a stressed, broke-ass mess. I cried one day because I couldn’t afford a smoothie from Jamba Juice. To be fair, the smoothie was supposed to be my lunch.

My brief time “working” in Manhattan was a great experience and opened so many doors, but it was hard as hell. 

Adrienne as Creative Marketing Associate 

What started out so sweet (my first REAL job with benefits!), ended with me crying in my supervisor’s office and handing her a resignation letter. To put it nicely, it was a very difficult learning experience. 

My position consisted of marketing junk mail to senior citizens. It was awful. I was depressed. I hated my job. After a couple of weeks, I didn’t even try. I felt so helpless and alone. I was/am so dramatic. 

It just wasn’t the right fit. I didn’t get along with my manager and I didn’t agree with the company’s mission. I didn’t feel like I had any input in our marketing efforts and I didn’t really care. 

When I started this series of posts about the ghosts of jobs past, I thought I’d share some juicy details about this job, but now I don’t know if including these details are relevant to my overall story.

I’m all for a good laugh at the expense of myself, but I don’t like talking shit for talking shit’s sake and that’s what I’d be doing if I spilled any details about my time with this unnamed company. I am fully aware of the fact that the purpose of these posts is to re-examine my past job experiences, but I think I've said enough about this job.

I’ve learned from my mistakes and I’m moving on.

Still to come:  930 Club, Freelancing 1.0, and 1913412440941409 Part-time Jobs!