Need help getting my career started

[Slow Club]

Hi I've been having lots of problems ranging from getting over a break up, family issues and career issues.

 

Basically, I've never really had a proper job and I'm really struggling to support myself. I'm currently living with my parents and it's dragging me down because we have a mutual dislike for each other so I really need a job and get out of here. But I think I suck at job hunting.

 

Credentials: I got a 2:1 in English Literature but I'm not really sure what I want to do. I know I don't really want to be a teacher (just don't have the mental strength for that job). I've kinda slowly tried to get into magazine journalism. I currently write for a few websites and music mags but nothing paid. In that field, I'd ideally like to become an editor of a magazine I like but it's very competitive and could take years.

 

Otherwise, my main thing that (I think) I want to do is become a poet, novelist and academic. Basically, I'm really into literature, critical theory and philosophy. I'd like to do research into those subjects and change the way people think about life and the world (I'm the kind of cynic that thinks everyone is a retard and would like to change people's perspective).

 

But again, this career path is even harder than the magazine path. It requires me paying to do a Masters and PhD which I can't afford.

 

So I'm kinda stuck. Anyone got any ideas? Should I just plomp for anything (which I am also doing with little luck) or should what?

[blueidealist24]

I've had the same problem as you for the last little while. I have had full-time jobs but they've been low-paying and mostly in retail, which isn't what I want to do as a career. I have a bachelor's degree in philosophy. I've been trying to get writing published as well but really to no avail yet. What I'm trying to pursue currently are jobs related to fundraising management. I signed up for a fundraising management certificate program at a community college and am looking for jobs in that field, or related to that field (I have an interview tomorrow). I find that the non-profit sector tends to value humanities degrees more than other sectors do. That might be something you could get into, if you have any interest in that at all. I'm not sure where you're from but I've been using the website charityvillage.ca to look for non-profit jobs. I also considered being a teacher or professor but elementary/high school teaching has dried up as a lucrative profession (basically no jobs lately) and the professor jobs require the master's and phd. I don't really want to go into debt to get those because I know if you DON'T become a professor, and there aren't that many professor jobs available so that worries me, the degrees can become a liability instead of an asset because they can make you seem so overqualified for other jobs.

[Slow Club]

Hey, I'm from the UK. I know what you mean about becoming overqualified as that's one of the reasons that put me off initially. I could have done a MA straight after my BA as my parents would have funded me but I've fallen out with them massively since then so I doubt that's an option.

 

I know sales jobs are usually very easy to get. I was a direct saleman for a little bit selling kitchens directly to people ie going into their houses and pitching to them. But I found the businesses practices to be very immoral and unethical so I couldn't carry on. Sales I think is a no-go for me. I'll look into non-profit organisations. Could you recommend any fields there, I look at it as mainly charities (which of course is all voluntary) but there must be more.

[mhowe]

Although I have a BA in English/Econ --- I want to ask ---what were you thinking when you started the degree. While it is awesome in terms of learning how to analzye, discuss and write --- if you don't want to be a teacher or anything else clearly on the career path....

 

What about politics -- or some area where research and speech writing could be utilized?

[Slow Club]

I was thinking novelist and poet when I did the degree but that's a very difficult target to reach. I've never studied politics and have no idea how to get into it. Plus, my philosophy is too radical for modern politics, there's too many agendas to deal with.

 

Some kind of research job would be pretty good. I love analysing things in great detail and I find that I think more laterally than more people. Hence why I'd love to do some more research in critical theory.

[blueidealist24]

Hey, I'm from the UK. I know what you mean about becoming overqualified as that's one of the reasons that put me off initially. I could have done a MA straight after my BA as my parents would have funded me but I've fallen out with them massively since then so I doubt that's an option.

 

I know sales jobs are usually very easy to get. I was a direct saleman for a little bit selling kitchens directly to people ie going into their houses and pitching to them. But I found the businesses practices to be very immoral and unethical so I couldn't carry on. Sales I think is a no-go for me. I'll look into non-profit organisations. Could you recommend any fields there, I look at it as mainly charities (which of course is all voluntary) but there must be more.

 

I actually got turned down for a call centre recently.. people said I probably came accross as too honest and ethical and didn't present the image that they wanted lol.

 

In the non-profit sector there seem to be jobs in fundraising, program development, social work (which I know you're not necessarily qualified for since some require an actual social work degree), and also administration. On the site I visit there are some opportunities to write for magazines too, or become a blogger for an organization, but unfortunately most of those things are unpaid. I was attracted to the non-profit though since most of the jobs were actually LOOKING for humanities degrees, seemingly a rare thing these days haha.

[blueidealist24]

I was thinking novelist and poet when I did the degree but that's a very difficult target to reach. I've never studied politics and have no idea how to get into it. Plus, my philosophy is too radical for modern politics, there's too many agendas to deal with.

 

Some kind of research job would be pretty good. I love analysing things in great detail and I find that I think more laterally than more people. Hence why I'd love to do some more research in critical theory.

 

If you're having trouble getting into the field, you could try to get an unpaid internship as a research assistant, and then try to get a paying job. I actually was contacted for an interview by an unpaid internship for research today, but since I have an interview for a paid job at an office tomorrow, I'm not sure if I'm going to follow up or not.

[Snny]

I was thinking novelist and poet when I did the degree but that's a very difficult target to reach.

Bullocks. You will never know unless you try. It didn't stop J.K. Rowling (a fresh-off-the-boat writer), Suzanne Collins, several hit songwriters or notorious writers of today. If you are passionate about becoming one, then go for it while you search for a realistic job on the side. You should never put your dreams aside. Do it as a "hobby" ad it MIGHT turn into a career.

 

I've never studied politics and have no idea how to get into it.

Politics is very competitive on the US side. My sister had *SPECIAL* connections through high end internships to get into US politics that a lot of college grads did not have. I don't know what it's like in the UK, but it's ridiculously competitive in the US.

 

English degrees have one of the hardest times getting in. I have an English teaching degree and had an extremely difficult time finding a teaching job (I just got hired today at the very last minute and am rushing to relocate!). I would not recommend teaching because of the economy and it's simply not for everyone since it's hard work with less pay. You have to be truly dedicated of what you do to be an excellent teacher.

 

So there's two things you can look into:

 

1. Law school. A LOT of English majors end up going to law school because we're very analytical people and that is a key skill in the law field. The downside is that law school is not cheap.

 

2. If you don't like dealing with young children... why not become a college professor?

[Slow Club]

Thanks for the replies. I'm didn't say I'm not going to pursue a creative writing career, but like you said, it's worth getting a paid job so I can survive. But I'm not a Rowling-type (I hate hate and her books I'm much more into classical literature but Philip Pullman's His Dark Material's trilogy is a lot better than Potter.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions too but you said, it either involves more education which I can't afford or unpaid writing which I'm currently already doing. I wouldn't mind becoming an academic/uni professor as that involves lots of research and lateral thinking but again, I would have to pay to do a MA and PhD.

 

I guess I just gotta keep writing for free whilst looking for some paid work. I'll try your suggestions in the non-profit sector blueidealist.