jabbing the jobless

In the fall of 2007, I was presented with an opportunity that would truly change my life. The globe program, which allowed me to visit 18 countries and 3 continents over an 8 month span, forever changed my perception of the world and yielded some friendships I'm sure will be lifelong. But opportunity sometimes comes with a price, and globe certainly did. The traditional path of an undergraduate business major involves a summer internship between the 3rd and 4th years, potentially (typically) leading to a full-time offer. Financial institutions fill between 70 and 90 percent of their entry-level positions with interns. Globe students would be studying abroad in Hong Kong during that summer. The two were mutually exclusive. Some kids accepted into the program chose the internship and dropped out. One now works at Goldman Sachs, another at Morgan Stanley, two of the most competitive, prestigious Wall Street firms.

At that time, my international experience was limited to a two-week trip to Italy in 7th grade. I knew I had the rest of my life to work, I wanted to see the world, and Globe wouldn't look half bad on a resume. I could still get a job, right? Wrong. Those same firms offering internships indirectly caused the financial crisis that, quite literally, left the world's economy retarded. Then, in response to their own blunder, they stopped hiring. They honored the full-time offers extended to the previous years' summer interns (as they should have) and locked the doors. I watched classmates and friends with inferior academic credentials head off to the jobs I wanted. That's not to diminish them, I just feel I could have been among them had I taken that route. And I don't pretend to be alone in this, the other 14 members of my program faced an equally grim job market. Most were able to find employment of some kind, but few found the same opportunities afforded to similarly qualified students the previous year. My last bastion of hope, Wachovia, was bought by Wells Fargo 2 days before my final round interview. "Don't call us, we'll call you," they said.

Even then, all hope was not lost. I got an incredible opportunity: get paid to live in a place that I absolutely love, get a Master's degree, and change pastures while the grass regrows. Sold.

Everybody knows "that guy" at a party that picks up a chip, dips it, bites it, then dips the slobber-ridden edge back in the salsa. The double-dip is a tremendously unpopular faux pas. Unfortunately, by most analyst accounts, the economy is about to do just that. One model, which has actually been relatively accurate in the past, predicts a stock crash during September and negative economic growth in the second half of 2010. Funny, those are the exact circumstances I faced two years ago.

I'm a believer that one's first job plays a considerable role in the overall trajectory of a career. I want to start off strong, but it seems as though the invisible hand of the markets serves only to bitch-slap the crap out of me. I honestly don't know what to do. My options are far more limited this time around. Continuing education gets dicey...I could go for a PhD and defer private sector entry even longer, but firms don't typically hire doctors with no work experience. And I've been more or less transient since I left for globe. With the exception of my senior year at UNC, I haven't spent more than 6 months in the same country. I'm craving a sense of permanence and some disposable income. I feel so incredibly capable of performing, and performing well, for anybody. But like the geeks at the middle school dance, it's hard to get the pretty girls to reciprocate...especially when the football team walks through the door every time you make your move.

I wouldn't trade my globe experience for a corner office at Goldman Sachs. Still, I can't help but survey my current situation and wonder what the heck to do now.