Reunion & Renewal of Efforts

After losing my job last Wednesday, I was able to take a mini-vacation back to Simsbury, CT to the old alma mater, Westminster, for my five year high school reunion. It was a bit surreal, to say the least. We had a really incredible turnout, almost 75% of the Class of 2005 ended up making the journey. Campus has changed so much since I was back, especially since the building where I took all of my classes was bulldozed and replaced by a completely ridiculous(ly amazing) $40 million new one. That, coupled with the fact that a lot of the teachers I was close with in high school were either not at the reunion or no longer at Westminster, made me feel a little out of place. It was nice to catch up with some people from school though, and definitely nice to not dwell on my job situation for a few days.
Yesterday, upon return, I went back to Barnard (lots of trips down memory lane lately), where there is also a huge and expensive new building, completed since I graduated. I went to the Career Development office, and saw my old counselor, Robert, who is stupidly good at making me be proactive and encouraging me while making sure I walk out of his office energized and with a plan. In addition to going after publishing still, I'm now looking for jobs in three new areas: corporate communications (HR), advertising/PR, and legal assistant work (still contemplating the scary LSATs).
Went to the temp agency today, basically reassuring myself that I'll be able to work regularly and (sort of) have enough money until I find something permanent.
However, what I'm REALLY hoping is that I get the job I interviewed for on Friday and that none of this is necessary! Though experience has taught me not to be optimistic about these things...

So, I'm actually going to write something tomorrow and put it on here, promise. Until then!

Finally Doing My Civic Duty

I'm writing from the Manhattan Court House today. That's right - after months (years?) of attempting to evade first the Delaware and then the Manhattan judicial systems, I am finally here. It actually feels like a vacation, in a way. I can access all the websites (personal email, facebook, job search websites, this blog) that are blocked at work, get an hour for lunch, and wear jeans. However, it feels particularly serendipitous that I'm here, since I recently decided to take the plunge and sign up for an LSAT course. It sounds dumb, but when the judge came into the selection room this morning and spoke about the responsibilities of being on a jury and the implications of serving, I got a little excited about it. Yes, excited about jury duty. Either I really hate my day job, or maybe I'm more suited to study the law than I originally thought. I think I want to take the GREs as well, but I'm not sure what I'd go to grad school for other than a Writing MFA, which I'd want to do a little later on in life, or a law degree. Plus, the GREs have math, which is enough to make me a little wary about them.
Then again, Law School is a huge decision and investment, and I have had, no exaggerating, three people interrupt cell phone conversations in which I am discussing the LSAT and tell me not to go to law school. So, I'm deciding to take the test and let that experience (and my score, obviously) dictate whether or not I take the plunge. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, etc.
Now that my wine store inquiries and volunteer pursuits are starting to take root, I have to look at my job (or maybe grad school) prospects, frightening as it is. I'm going back to the Barnard Office of Career Development (it does not escape me that the office has the same acronym as obsessive compulsive disorder, it's actually quite apt) at the end of this week, and I've been brainstorming all the possible career paths that I could pursue for the next couple of weeks that wouldn't involve me being a receptionist and worrying that we're low on French Roast coffee in the break room. This is a harrowing task, but a necessary one.
Also, I'm using this hour and a half (!) lunch break at the court house to look up writing contests for various journals, magazines, online and off. The best inspiration is the deadline.
When that gets old, I have the latest issue of the Paris Review and Ian McEwan's latest. I could get used to jury duty.

'Til tomorrow.

Bump in the Road & A New Plan

So, today, I found out I didn't get the job at Macmillan. The job I've gone on three rounds of interviews for, done two projects, and faked several doctors' appointments to pursue. Normally, this would not be that big of a hiccup in my plan to find a publishing job, but, if you're familiar at all with the history of my job search, you'll know that this is the latest in many, many of the same result. Ultimately, this was a job for which I was completely qualified and was called back for several interviews, but no offer. I've decided, after today, that going after a job in Publishing is not working, so I am going to pursue other things.
This is tough for me, since all of my internship experience has been in that realm, but I think the universe might be trying to tell me something. In a way, while this choice is a little scary, it's also liberating. Just thinking of all the things I might want to do...Advertising, Marketing, maybe go back to College Admissions, maybe take the LSATs (yikes). Luckily, I have my admin job to keep me from living on the street, so I'm going back to Barnard Career Development and meeting with my old career counselor to try to weave something new together. Plus, I got some calls back from wine stores today, so maybe I can turn drinking wine into some sort of career...cue me envisioning myself in Reims, guzzling champagne, and working at Veuve Clicquot.
So, bye, Publishing. It was good almost knowing you (I've interviewed at every major publishing house in the city, so I consider myself a fringe expert). I guess we weren't meant to be, but now I can find some other industry that will love me back.
God, I didn't mean for that to sound so pathetic. Onward and upward!