First blog post...well, kinda.

I'm going to label this as my first blog post, but really, it's my fifth. I started a blog in the fall of 2011 when  I was beginning my MPH program, and managed to write only four posts. Needless to say, I simply didn't have the time to blog while I was writing endless term papers and working on group projects all the time. 

Well, I now hold a Masters in Public Health, a BS in Public Health Studies, and a high school diploma, and I still have yet to find gainful employment. I have applied to many different jobs, including those that require only that of a high school diploma, and have had no luck. It's really depressing to think about the amount of time I put into earning advanced degrees(not to mention the amount of debt I accrued and continue to accrue), and the idea that I'm still living off of my parents. I know I'm not alone in this predicament, as a handful of my classmates are feeling the same way, but this is not how I'm supposed to be living right now, or maybe it's just not how I imagined I'd be living right now. I suppose I can kind of relate to the recent article I've seen a few people post, about Generation Y, and how we feel we're better and deserve a great job right out of college. (Why Generation Y Yuppies are Unhappy) Well, not exactly. I wouldn't say that I think I'm better than anyone else, though I would say that I am overqualified for many of the open job positions I see, and that being said, I'm also underqualified for many of the positions I see. I think it's really terrible that companies or organizations refuse to hire people that they feel are overqualified because then they will have to pay that person a higher salary. WRONG. If you'd take the time to interview this so-called "overqualified" person, you might find that they're fresh out of undergrad or graduate school, and haven't worked in the "real world"(aside from maybe an internship or assistanceship), and really just want to land that first "real" job. I could honestly care less about making the supposed average starting salary. I just want and need the experience, and some sort of income that allows me to pay my own bills and living expenses. Maybe I'm not like others in my generation, who feel entitled and refuse to take positions that pay less than they're worth, but the employers will never know that if they don't give me a chance to have that conversation with them.

So, that's where I am...stuck in a continuous rut of applying to a plethora of open positions in a variety of fields, only to recieve a plethora of rejection emails. Sounds like fun, huh? In fact, I'm having so much fun that I'm considering a second master's degree and/or going back for a PhD now, instead of gaining valuable real world experience in public health. Yep, that's right, let me tack on some more loans to my current debt. It's the American way, right? Honestly, I just want to teach undergraduate public health students that they have the ability to change the health of our population, and inspire them. Unfortunately, it's difficult to be inspiring when I haven't had many chances to put my skills and abilities to work...

For now, I'll keep applying, and maybe, just maybe I'll get hired to do something I love...by November, I hope.

Here's to hoping your job or job prospects are better than mine!

Ashley