The big payoff...

As as a follow up to my blog on education, I figured I should talk about where my own personal education and experience has gotten me. After graduating TCNJ with a BFA in Graphic Design, I went 2 and a half months without being able to even get so much as an interview. Then, out of desperation and needing to pay student loans and other bills , I took a job at a small bookstore. I figured I could do this shitty little job while looking for a real job. 2 years later, and not nearly enough interviews later I get laid off due to bad/shady business decisions of my former employer. I enjoy the fruits of unemployment for 6 months, while working a few part time jobs here and there. Then, with 1 month left of unemployment benefits left, I find a full time job. I've been at this job for 4 months now, and still have yet to see anything I've produced actually get made. I feel like I do nothing, since everything I do seems to get wasted. In the grand scheme of things, I've learned that when working 40 hours a week, it's nearly impossible to look for a new job at the same time. And the big payoff is... The transition from shit retail job, to professional graphic designer really only gave me a 3 dollar an hour pay increase. End result being that I can pay off my bills and buy lunch each day, but pretty much do nothing else (and by bills I don't mean rent money, since I can't afford an apartment). A lot of people complain that they're underpaid, I'm about $4 an hour underpaid for what I SHOULD be paid, and more like $10/hr. less than what I WANT to be paid.

So basically, I feel that I got where I am based on my own skills and dedication rather than any outside help from anyone. At no point did TCNJ, or even the Unemployment office help me with finding a job. People who didn't waste their time on school have the benefit of no student loans, plus they didn't waste 4-5 years of their life learning useless subjects, so they are potentially able to enter the "industry" earlier. Basically, nobody's going to do anything for you that doesn't benefit themselves in some way; you have to fend for yourself to get anywhere.