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Career/life advice for a real world neophyte, please.

  • I'm a recent college grad who has been playing the "unemployment blues" for the past 5 months and have had no real success finding full-time work. However, I've recently had two excellent interviews for an entry-level administrative assistant position at a small non-profit organization in New York (where I currently live with my parents). I'm not sure if this is the kind of work I would be able to do for more than a year (well aware that most people don't necessarily enjoy their jobs and generally have to haul ass in the early stages), and the pay is mediocre, but I am entering student loan repayment soon ($80k+ worth of debt) and need a steady paying job ASAP. Please offer me some perspective from your experiences in this situation, and help me determine if I am making the right decision. First of all, I like what the organization is about (enriching people’s lives through music; I am all about music), which is why I was drawn to the position in the first place. However, I have been told straight up that I would be doing almost entirely support work, and that I should not delude myself into thinking that I would be directly involved in the mission of the organization. Room for advancement appears to be non-existent, unless someone in the organization leaves and they need to bump me up. The salary is only okay for paying off my bills, but I envision that it would be difficult trying to save for my future and have some semblance of a social life (which is currently practically non-existent as well, because I am broke as hell, I broke up with my girlfriend almost a year ago, and because everyone else I know is busy and broke as well). I still linger onto the hope that someday I would be able to do what I love for a living (which is music), and perhaps foolishly believe that I can continue to do it on the side at night with as much passion and dedication as I had for it during my four years of college, when I practiced, wrote and performed as often as I could. Alas, music is not something people pay much money for or pay for at all, so that’s why I have reluctantly decided that the best solution for me is to take a job and secure myself financially before I delve back into the realm of music, possibly by heading to music school. I am past the disappointment and resentment stages of being unemployed and feeling useless and unproductive. I feel very driven to work towards my future and I have laid out a ton of goals for myself, both simple and lofty, but it’s been a challenge and I feel like I’m slowly and voluntarily surrendering myself into becoming one of the cogs of the real world. Thus, I am leaning towards taking the job and pursuing other options on the side, but am concerned about forcing myself into a position just so I can make money to survive. If I find a better position (which obviously entails more meaningful work, higher pay, etc.) while working at this job, I would most likely entertain an interview and accept the job if offered. At the same time, though, I do not want to be flaky and leave after just a few months of work… then again, how much of that would be a regrettable consequence? Here are a few of the pros and cons I have thought of off the top of my head: PROS: + I would have a lot of responsibilities and constantly be involved in some kind of work + I would develop a lot of marketable skills, which would make me more versatile as I look for other work + Presumably less office politics to deal with CONS: - Potentially very repetitive tasks, menial work - Lots of cold calling (bleh, I'm good on the phone but I'm not a big fan of this; ideally I would like to eschew this part of my work but understand that I can’t) - Very small office... I felt a bit claustrophobic when I visited - Unsure about how I would expand my network, then again, my supervisors would probably be able to put me in touch with members of other organizations if I do exceptionally well in my work - I would not be directly involved in working towards my career goals I am probably making a big deal out of a little thing. I mean, this is only an entry-level position, I only just got out of college, I shouldn’t be expecting so much, so why should I stress so much over this? Sure, maybe it’s because I’m part of the generation that likes to see results and have things happen right away. But I’m trying to think. Why is it that I’m not currently doing what I love for a living? Is it because of internal factors, the external circumstances around me, or a combination of both? How can I reconcile these issues so that I am in control of my life? MORE QUESTIONS: 1. I graduated with a B.S. in business administration (marketing emphasis) but over the past several years, have only had internships at non-profit organizations. How would you compare and assess the quality of your work and social life working in a non-profit org. vs. working in a for-profit org (e.g. a bank or marketing firm)? 2. How would I transition into the for-profit sector (say, marketing work at Nielsen) if the only experience I have on my resumé consists entirely of non-profit work, despite my business education? 3. Are there positions in the U.S. that would allow me to put or fuse the following skills and passions of mine into productive use? I apologize in advance if I’m asking for a “trophy wife” of a profession but I figured I would ask. - Performing, Teaching, Composing, Arranging, Transcribing Music - Writing - Research Please forgive me for sounding naïve and the rambling nature of this post. I am very inexperienced in the nuances of the “real world” and that is why I have come to you for help. Again, I am leaning towards taking the job, but I wanted to gather some advice and perspective from the hive mind. I would very much appreciate your responses to my questions and your ideas on an actionable, prioritized plan to take for the next six months, next year, and even a little beyond if you would be so inclined. Thank you all in advance!

  • Answer:

    Dude, most of the recent graduates I know would kill to have an opportunity like this. If you're getting hired by someone other than McDonalds or your local drug dealer in this economic climate you should count yourself lucky and take the damn job.

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tl, dr. If you need the $, take the job and leave when you find the better job. It's not flaky...it's survival and it happens all of the time

murrey

The happiest musicians I know are the ones who have a stable 40-hour-a-week job that pays the bills, and do their music each and every afternoon and evening.

miyabo

I think the only way to figure out your career path is to start working. Take the job, learn as much as you can, make as many useful contacts as you can, and leave when you find a better job.

craichead

TAKE THE JOB. And by the way, I started in a similar job (admin in a tiny office at a non-profit in my field, no immediate prospects for advancement) and within three years, I had been promoted there and offered two better jobs at other like-minded organizations. The secret: be very competent and very efficient, and then when you're done with your work, go around to everyone else in the office and ask if you can do some of their work. Do that well, and they'll figure out that you're worth more to them doing something other than answering the phone. But it'll take a year or two, so be patient. You're just out of college. You have lots of time and no experience, so use the former to get the latter.

decathecting

You're not really in a position to wait around for the perfect situation to arrive. (The perfect situation doesn't exist for anyone, btw.) If you need money, and a job that you can tolerate is being offered to you, take the job. You don't have to stay there. If you're concerned about networking, get to know your coworkers. They may be able to introduce you to people who can help you with long-term goals. I would not be directly involved in working towards my career goals You are always working toward a career goal, no matter what your job is, because you are (hopefully) always acquiring skills. You might learn how a good boss operates. You may learn how to deal with difficult people. Hell, I learned a lot about behavioral science from being an audio engineer. Don't worry about this. It pains me to throw an aphorism at a young person, but I'll do it anyway: "The winds and waters are always on the side of the ablest navigator." You can make this work for you. (Having turned into my high school principal, I will now take my leave.)

corey flood

[Almost] any job is better than no job.

box

Oh, I’ve had a lifelong of jobs that were not a good job match for me, so I hear your pain. A few ideas for you if this will help you make the switch to taking the job (in your head, not physically). Do the best that you can do there. But at the same time, • Identify job skills that you really, really want to develop in this new work place. After you have done well at your other tasks, ask if you can take on the other task that involves, well, learning and perfecting that skill. If they give you that task, do it very well so that you can do it again. • Once you get to meet your new coworkers, pay attention to what they do. Do any of those people have job skills that you want to develop? Can it play a role in your job? Have lunch with that person and see if you can learn what they do, etc. (and maybe ask the boss…after a few months and you do your job well…if you can learn that skill from the other person, etc. and use it to improve what you do). • The entire time you are there, view it is just part of the path to what you want to do next (whatever it is that involves teaching/writing, etc.). But do use whatever time you have towards those goals – apply for those jobs, maybe do info interviews with people at lunch (someone who does marketing work at Nielsen, by chance). Jump as soon as you get that job. I know that people will or may steer you away from this, but I’ve job hopped many, many times. The work place does not own you – look at the path that you want and use it as a training ground. Jump when the chance presents itself. Good luck.

Wolfster

You would be crazy not to take this job. This is how the world works... you don't always get to wait for the "perfect opportunity" I started as an admin for a large non-profit in NYC. At the time I was 28, I had a Masters degree related to the non-profit field, and had 5 years of managerial experience in an unrelated field. And I moved to NYC to take the job. My boss was not so nice, and I spent most of my time taking notes and writing minutes for meetings, making travel arrangements, and scheduling/arranging conferences and meetings. I did that for about a year, and since then have moved steadily up the ladder to a secure middle management position with good pay and great benefits with a different organization. There are lots of net-working opportunities in the non-profit arean, and I have plenty of friends who have successful moved back and forth between that and corporate jobs. The skill set is a good one, and this kind of position lets you get a good handle on the work world before having more complex responsibilities on your shoulders.

kimdog

Admin jobs are good for you, they teach you how things work. And nobody will hold it against you in this market. And it pays money and you need money. Take the job and make good contacts.

tel3path

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