Fire.

So the other day, I met with the career manager of my master's program. The appointment was depressing, but I suppose not entirely grim. Not surprisingly, the job market is heinous and all the more competitive in the country's fastest growing city. On the upside, I still have mostly functioning brain matter and a pulse. It's a start.

As expected, my dreams of becoming that college professor everyone love's have pretty much been squashed. In fact, I left still desperately searching for the silver lining to the cloud telling me that no, there really isn't much demand for an MLA in English & Writing. Actually, there isn't any demand at all. Have fun paying off that $30,000 master's degree! I should have become an accountant...

Fortunately, I possess an uncanny ability to get myself into jobs for which I have little to no qualification. When I can get face time, I somehow convince otherwise logical, reputable employers that they should hire me based on the fact that...well, probably based on the fact that maybe they like me and have a 'hunch' that I'll be good. I work hard, learn fast and thus far, have never let anybody down.

My only fear is having to return to the corporate world. However, I also recognize that I might have to get a little creative with how I apply my English degree. Ultimately, the one positive of an otherwise drab meeting is that I now have a fire under my ass. I left college with a job lined up, and I intend to do the same post-grad school. Because here's the thing about me: tell me I can't and I must. It's that simple. People told me don't go to Africa- I got myself in at the UN and hopped a plane to Ghana. People told me don't buy a project house- I tore up carpet, stained concrete floors, and painted every square inch, all within 4 weeks. People tell me don't get a Humanities degree- I'll finish, with flying colors, and move confidently onto my next dream. So there.

In that effort, I've started reaching out to people in various fields. The thing is, I have to exploit being a student until that status expires in 2012. Because you can contact someone and say, "I'm currently in grad school and interested in finding out more about how you entered your field" and *bam* you're that diligent student, just trying to figure things out. Maybe you endear yourself because they too, once were students and loved the experience. At any rate, people are receptive. But once I become an alum, I'm just another job seeker, and nobody -not nobody- cares that much about job seekers.

Networking is something I thought reserved for uptight people in stuffy offices, but it turns out even the hippie in me has to kiss some ass. Who knew?? I've paid my application fee to join the Association for Women in Communication, in the hopes I can charm the pants off some people important enough to put me on payroll.

In sum: it'll be a grueling 18 months while I continue working long hours during the day, schooling at night, and getting myself a job that doesn't involve poopy diapers. But watch out world, here I come.