Not feeling motivated to get a job...

[Mr. Green Eyes]

So, I just graduated from college in May, with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development & Family Studies; Cum Laude. After completing 4 years worth of studies, after working for a year and a half on a Capstone, I'm finally finished with all of it. I'm officially in the 'Real World' and it feels.....stressful/dreadfully boring/kind of scary. I've only had one official interview, for a part time position as a job coach for disabled people. Which is good, cause it'll get my foot in the door, so to speak, and help me gain experience. That is, of course, if I get the job. Plus I want to work with disabled people, cause I feel like it'll be a good thing good way to give back to the community.

The problem is that I don't feel like my college has prepared me enough for what it takes to be, I dunno, successful and completely prepared to handle anything that's in my field. They were really trying to push us, students, to go on to Grad School right away.....which I don't have to money for and just don't really think I can handle right now. Also, it's very annoying to have to explain to pretty much everyone who I talk to, what a degree in Human Development & Family Studies actually is. To put it in simple terms, I will be helping people in a large range of different areas. Or as my Dad puts it, "He'll be doing counseling and social work type things."

I just don't feel motivated at all to get a job. The only real job experience that I have is pushing shopping carts and bagging groceries at Shop Rite, during two Winter Breaks from college. And frankly, I didn't even put that in my resume, cause it was only for about two to three weeks at a time, and it had nothing to do with my major what so ever. Besides that, a lot of volunteering during the Summer Breaks and during the school years. And that's pretty much it in the experience department.

I've filled out about 7 applications so far...and only heard back from the one that I had the interview for. Yes, I know that these things take time, and that I have to keep on at it...but it's discouraging. I find myself just wasting hours away on my computer or watching TV, when I know that I should be out there; looking for anything that can help me make money to pay off those student loans that are not going to go away anytime soon. Thankfully, I have until January to start paying them off.

So, I guess with this long rant/little confession, what I'm asking for is some help from you guys. What is there I can do to actually get motivated and start to really go out there and snatch that job that can helpfully become a career someday? Or at the very lease, something to help me gain experience and make some cash while I'm at it?

In a slightly different note, I feel like I've written this as something like a 'Dear Abby" type letter to you all. But it's late, so I'm going to try to get some sleep.

 

[Canadiens1131]

You are aiming way too low. 7 applications? You should be spending every day you do not have a fulltime job as a workday. 8 hours a day of looking for a fulltime job during the week.

Hey, the economy sucks, now let's move on. Don't feel prepared enough? No one does for a first job out of college, gotta move on.

What on earth is Human Development & Family Studies? Can you do social work? Counseling? Can you blog about social work? Create a Linkedin profile, buy a web address for 10$, setup up a Wordpress blog, and goddammit, write two blog posts a week about what you have studied, how you think you might apply it, and your job search process. Highlight that on your CV.

Also, it's very annoying to have to explain to pretty much everyone who I talk to, what a degree in Human Development & Family Studies actually is. To put it in simple terms, I will be helping people in a large range of different areas. Or as my Dad puts it, "He'll be doing counseling and social work type things."

You just basically laid out for us how bad a job you are doing at describing what you just got a degree for. This is going to take some introspection, Googling, and deep research, man. Reverse search. What career tracks have a Bachelors in social work as a starting point. Find blogs on social work, contact the authors and ask for advice on career tracks. Ask if you can write a guest post.

Start jogging and listening to classical music more often. Seriously, it'll help with the sense of impending doom. Make sure you are secure financially, even if that means getting a job bagging groceries while hunting for a real job.