<p>If you are very unsure about the money, would it be possible to defer Harvard a year, work and save some, and enter in a better financial position?</p>
<p>In the absence of any obligation to support a family, and in the absence of some obsessive compulsive need to build a better mousetrap, and in the absence of any familial/societal expectation that you are at an age where you should have reached certain career milestones, and in the absence of plentiful once-in-a-lifetime business opportunities that you would be crazy to pass up, you are as free from circumstantial constraints as you will ever be for the rest of your life. </p>
<p>Since, like many liberal arts graduates you really have little passion for anything work related, consider that now would be the perfect time to use whatever talents you possess to help others. Hence, public service that suits you, be it Americorps, Peace Corps, Religious organization work or even the military. Our government does not require military service or community service, but you should make it your top priority nonetheless because it is good for the country and good for most people who do it.</p>
<p>Inevitably, you will gain confidence,one thing will lead to another, and years later, you will look back and be proud of the fact that for at least one moment in your life, you fought the materialistic tide and did the right thing.</p>
<p>You’re poor and you need to earn. It’s time to make sound business decisions with your lifetime capacity to earn money. You’ve gotten a great education which will serve you always, but you need to get into the mindset of finding a way to maximize your earnings. </p>
<p>Is the professional school that you have been admitted to putting you on a career that will provide sufficient income to pay back the loans and ultimately put you on a track toward serious earnings to live the live you want. It’s a question worth asking even at your graduate school. If it is, than the debt is really a business loan and the payments you have to make are a cost of doing business, and if the numbers work, it may be worth it. If the profession that you are being trained for has very limited upside, then you would be better off deferring it until you’ve saved some money. </p>
<p>Some really good jobs for LAC grads in this economy: Office manager, paralegal, a position in a bank, even a teller, that will put you in a position to eventually become an officer, retail manager trainee, a commissioned sales position, especially in financial services, such as insurance or financial planning, real estate agent, or anything expensive. It’s a lot of work to make a sale, so when the price is higher, you make more. </p>
<p>Each of these types of jobs have a whole track of additional training and skills that will be provided to you, and give you the opportunity to learn to earn, and opportunities to lead and gain responsibility as you prove yourself, but you often must start at the bottom. The critical thinking skills from your LAC background will give you a huge competitive advantage over other applicants in all of these fields. You may not make more at the beginning, but you will learn faster, and become wiser in whatever the business is much faster than your peers, and those above you who will benefit from promoting you will notice that giving you more responsibility and a higher salary will add to their bottom line because they want to keep you. </p>
<p>Your background teaches you to never stop learning. </p>
<p>watsonfan…I would consider going to an employment agency…etiher an agency that places people for full time work…or people that place people for temporary work…</p>
<p>These agencies get paid when they place people…so they are looking for capable people. And…many firms use agencies…</p>
<p>Also…I would apply to places I would like to work for…might be a Google…Disney…ESPN…Backroads…a place in a resort community…or I might tutor…or something else…</p>
<p>You are young…you have plenty of time to try things…</p>
<p>I would strongly recommend the Americorps route if you’re interested in a public service career. I am finishing a six-month Student Conservation Association internship with the U.S. Forest Service, and what I accomplished during my service has led directly to a fistful of graduate school acceptances and a federal job via a student-to-career program.</p>
<p>Think government work for the long run instead of corporate. Yes, with the economics not much hiring now, but in the long run you can get interesting program related work. Start with computer skills, test for the basic jobs that take many folks (think answering unemployment calls). See what your state or county has to offer.<br>
In the meantime see if there are any non-profits that interest you where you can work part time and take a retail job. Good luck.</p>
<p>Have you thought of going to Australia or New Zealand on a working holiday? </p>
<p>“Australia’s Working Holiday Program establishes arrangements to encourage cultural exchange and closer ties between countries, by allowing young people to have an extended holiday, and supplement their funds with short-term employment. The program has a special focus on helping employers in regional Australia to meet short-term employment needs.”</p>
<p>What a wonderful opportunity to travel and get work experience! I wish I were young again…</p>
<p>My S graduated from a top lac with high honors and a double major in 2010 and didn’t land a “real job” for 8 months post graduation. Over the 8 months he applied for over 70 jobs, landing interviews at 6 or 7 places he would have been happy to work. Like you, several times he was invited back for 2nd and third interviews. </p>
<p>What helped him to finally land a job:</p>
<p>While looking for a job he temped and volunteered learning more about his strengths and interests. When interviewing he learned to explain how his experiences made him a strong candidate for a specific position. </p>
<p>Talked to peers that had landed jobs:
One friend that received 2 job offers described preparing for the interview (full-time for days) by reading everything she could find about the company on the internet. Websites like “glassdoor” - interview tips from people that have interviewed at a specific company. </p>
<p>Improve Interview skills - gaining confidence
S did 5 or 6 informational interviews with alumni and family contacts and asked for a brutally honest post mortem.</p>
<p>Look at less well known businesses and programs:
Look for lists of employers that hire from your school. Both of my sons were offered jobs that were NOT listed on the internet boards but were at businesses that WERE known for hiring grads from their school. One source for this information at least for some schools, is College "rhymes with"Growler.</p>
<pre><code>TFA type programs: City Year and there is also one in Chicago - Chicago Fellows I think
</code></pre>
<p>Federal Jobs:
Go to the website USA Jobs to apply for federal jobs. You can limit searches to G5 positions and if your grades are high enough, get bumped to G7. The website Federal Soup describes the process of applying for federal jobs.</p>