a hustler's life

grad school interrupts your life. it alots you a small window of travel opportunity time and even less funding to do so. additionally, it just about kills any chances of full-time employment. and if you are someone in a romantic relationship, the stress might take a toll on that as well.

the most salient of the aforementioned points for me is the job thing. my internship over and since i have not had my degree conferred, employment in my field is no option. even with the degree, i'd find the job opportunities less than desireable because i'll be un-licensed. so in comes my current hustle.

i work (and i use the term loosely) at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as an usher. this one-day-a-week, two shift position affords me just enough cash to put gas in my car, pay the garage fee, maintain my make up habit by buying one or two items, and a couple happy hours/lunches/dinners a month. i do not yet have a clothing allowance. travel is not even an option. plus i have expenses on my credit card i need this money to contribute to so the bi-weekly checks never go very far.

my other hustle is temp work. in the last two weeks, ive registered at two temp agencies. one found me a 3-day assignment from which i am typing now. it's not much but i do thoroughly enjoy getting paid to do what i do all day at home, transferring a few phone calls in-between. once this assignment is completed on monday, i really hope to get a second assignment soon after. the inconsistency of the work is the only drawback. i'd feel more comfortable with a longer term situation.

so there's my hustle. for you established folk, what were your early 20s like? did you stumble a little before finding secure employment or did you dive in head first to your career?

career planning

i had to take a mandatory career counseling course for my masters. insert bbm 'not interested' face here. i was interested in the topic but the course itself was not what i expected. one of the requirements was to plan out our career goals. um, everyone here wants to be a counselor. that's why we're taking this course. there was some variation like some wanted to be in schools and others in rehab and others general mental health providers but we are all lumped together so...yea. that was annoying.

i was half-way bs'ing when i put in my...let's call it a proposal but the professor was calling it something else i cant remember...that i wanted to do freelance make up. all bs aside, that is an interest of mine but i want to do it SUPER freelance. like, "oh, you goin to prom? gimme $10 and i got you". i know real freelance artists would get pissed at how low im selling myself for. i know for a fact because i read a blog entry on that very topic. but i cant see myself charging astronomical prices when 1. i have no credentials/portfolio and 2. anyone can hit up the mac counter at a dept. store and get it all free (in the free-standing stores they want a $50 purchase). i guess one might say they would be paying for the convience, indivualized attention, etc. but whatever. i hope to have a real 9-5 so what i make doing make up wont make or break me.

i need to do some additional research about how to break into this business. i know that most importantly, i need to get some practice in and that would require building my kit. look! im using lingo! i mean i have plenty of brushes and make up for ME and MY face but im not putting that on other human beings. i really need to figure out how im going to get mac to hire me. i know they require strong retail experience which i simply do not possess. sorry but ive been in school all my life (we covered this in a previous post) and i swear i dont remember dates of those positions held in summers in retail. plus they were so long ago.

anyone know who i can get into doing this here and there? who's already in the business? i know it would help if i could get some pics from my brother's wedding. that would be a great start to my portfolio. ive already done a bride!

buy 2 get 1 free!

that's been the theme of my grad life. upon entering, i got a fellowship that covered one class each semester (fall and spring). this year, i was told i wasnt getting anything. i guess someone declined because i got an email wednesday stating that i would recieve the same deal. so like this past year, i will take 3 classes and pay for 2. in this recession, that deal aint bad at all. glad i have a few less $$$ to pay back when it's all said and done. YES! 

i just want it to be over

i got news that my job is ending two weeks earlier than expected. i thought i was only going to end one job this week but im ending two. as usual, these people dont know what they want or what they are doing. clearly the contract i signed in August said May 19. let me have been the one who wanted to "quit this bitch" early...works out because i got this third job extra early in anticipation of being jobless for the summer. works out even better because i am utterly sick of job number one. it is not at all what i expected to be doing. i dont like most of the people i share an office space with and if i have to hear much more of that little office assistant boy's voice i am going to go off. why are you talking to your supervisor from across the room sounding like that and that fake laugh is obnoxious and it seems painful to produce. STFU! ugh. im ever so excited to see friday this week. plus 2/3 of my classes are over this week. one dude wants to be extra and meet on monday and them IM DONE!!!!!!!!

only thing is, now i have to be much more frugal. that sucks...

orange is the new green

T recently made a post on opening an Orange Savings Account with ING Direct. this bank also offers investment accounts through it's ShareBuilder program. i opened one this weekend. owning stock has been on my mind since junior year of high school. i never had a real job (still don't) so it was not a viable option. it's a bit more plausible now since i have a little bit of reliable income. so monthly i will be investing in Honda. when i get 100 shares of that (at the rate i'm going, the year 3000), i'll probably sell and get stock in an even more lucrative company.

 i'm still learning all about investing and saving so this will be an interesting journey. whenever i get money, i feel overwhelmingly compelled to spend it. looking back over my earnings, i often have very little to show for the money i've spent. this is my first step toward financial independence. yay me!!!!! 

why real life sucks

it's not college anymore and that is the pits. here's why. 

1. i dont get to wear jeans/sweats on a regular basis anymore. that's not business casual attire
2. the highlight of my day is scheduling tv shows to catch before i fall asleep after working all day
3. the money i make is to take care of transportation, lunch, to save for a house and to pay back grad school loans 
4. i'm older and i'm smart so my choices in men are significantly fewer now due to my standards alone
5. i have actual responsibilities and expectations at a "real" job
6. i'm losing interest in old friends and have little interest in making new ones because i know how people are and i don't really like people that much
7. life costs alot of money; money i dont have

when i grow up...

i wanted to be a doctor, a teacher, a computer engineer, a lawyer... now that im older and wiser i want to be all of those things b/c thats where the money is. however, the major that i chose has prepared me to do any job a 16 year old can do. so what the heck can i do with a psychology degree?

well i dont know because im going to grad school so i can do what i really WANT to do. that is, what i can deal with having to do. meanwhile, i need a job. here are my favorite job search sites, most of which you may already know:


monster.com- i like the beta search application. it's a quicker way to search and narrow or widen options. 

careerbuilder.com- i dont particularly like this site but it was the first site i used for job hunting. very easy to use. the company profiles are usually helpful. 

opportunityknocks.org- this is a good site for those interested in working in the non-profit sector. 

idealist.org- another non-profit opportunity listing. this site also allows you to search for volunteer and internship opportunities. you can list your own non-profit for free as well. 

experience.com- not very great as far as the job search if you are a social science major. really good for business, marketing, sales, engineering interests. however, there is excellent career advice and other resources.