One month left

One month left in Charleston.

My sub-lease ends on November 19. I can stay until the end of November if I need to, but I don't think I'll be staying here anymore.

The job search is not going well. I thought more avenues would have opened up by now, but I feel like I'm just wasting my time serving when I should be doing something.... more..... better.... something with a purpose. Something like what I was doing at my internships. Designing, writing, editing, taking photos, running events....

I think I have to expand the search.

Looking in North and South Carolina is not getting me what I want.

I hear there are a lot of jobs in Texas. (what constitutes "a lot"?) (compared to MI, anywhere is has a lot)

I talked to Kathy (a friend in MI) who says I should go anywhere it's sunny. I need the sun. The overcast days in Michigan made me so depressed. It's so much easier to get out of bed when it's sunny. That's why I always loved visiting L.A.

When the sun is shining, I feel so much more capable.

And really, I need all of the confidence I can muster.

Something that makes me smile: moreloveletters.com is an awesome site where people post pictures of love letters that they leave anonymously for strangers. Who doesn't need a love letter? Genius!

Motivation is Hard To Do

I applied for a job today. In Raleigh, NC.

It's not a job that I am passionate about. But, it's a full-time position. And that is what I need.

I'm frustrated that in this economy it has come to this. Me, contemplating applying at Wells Fargo to be a teller because those are the full-time jobs available. And I can't keep working part-time because my sub-lease ends in November and then I have no where to go.

I have a friend, a new friend, we'll call her A. She is also from Michigan. We've been talking about trying to find a two bedroom apartment. So here's the problem: even if we find a place, usually you have to pay first month's rent plus a security deposit. I don't have the money to do that. I am barely going to be able to pay another month's rent as it is. I have $200 and some odd dollars in my bank account. I have only gotten one paycheck since I've moved here and $96 of it went to utilities.

I'm trying to be strong and have faith that God has some plan that will come out of this, but it's getting harder and harder to be positive.

I have found a fellow blogger in the Charleston area that I'm enjoying. Her name is Hallie, and you should check out her blog over at southerndashofsass.

I'm also loving the photos at charlestondailyphoto. It seems everyone around here has an amazing camera except me. But there are so many cool things to take pictures of. Like last week, when my roomie and I walked the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. We saw three porpoises and it was the coolest thing I have ever seen.

Also, I can't figure out how I changed the font of the actual blog entry the last time, and now the font looks super huge, but I can't seem to change the size. Still learning, be patient with me.

Off to work at the Francis Marion hotel tomorrow. I'm going to have to join another staffing agency to get more hours. Or I can become a bank teller. Oh the choices!

I  know I am sarcastic and cranky about it, and I apologize. At least it's sunny and the weather is beautiful!

A Day of Bad News

I finally heard about the job I interviewed for last week in North Carolina.


I didn't get it.


I was their #2 choice.


It's almost worse to know that.


I feel so discouraged. I never thought it would be this hard, when I want to work, to find a full-time job.


I'm homesick.


I miss my parents.

Mom and Dad on the pier

Bella, my toy poodle

I miss my dog.

Also, I can't figure out the placement on these pictures and it's driving me nuts. InDesign is much easier to use!

I need to get out the old resume and update it.... again.

I think I'll post it on here and if anyone has any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated. I have had it looked over by three of my professors, one of whom was my previous boss at my internship at WMU. But, maybe I need to be more creative about this.

I enjoy checking out the One day, One Job blog. It makes me feel less lonely since it is highly apparent that I am not, sadly, the only educated, mid-twenties-ish person who waited tables in college only to finish college and now be continuing some crappy-paid, part-time, non-fulfilling (un-fulfilling?) job just-to-pay-the-bills.

It is absolutely the American Dream. But, according to Suze Orman over at Forbes, The American Dream is Dead. But at least we are all in it together?

Hanging in there, one day at a time.

So I worked yesterday at the Francis Marion Hotel. I am only part-time on call. We had a wedding. I've worked millions of those at my last job (in Kalamazoo, Michigan) so they are easy enough. I was supposed to take care of the bridal party, which apparently does not mean the same thing it did in Michigan. I asked my boss, and the person in charge of wedding sales what the bride and groom's names were. No one knew. But they didn't seem to need me anyway. There were two wedding planners there, so that could have been part of it. But it was a little odd.

Weddings in Charleston are a big business. It is nothing like in Michigan. People here are hard-core. The Wedding Row is an amazing blog about all things wedding-related in the Charleston area. They feature real weddings which are great inspirations and a ton of great vendors.

I had attempted to get a job doing the event planning stuff, but there only seems to be plenty of unpaid internships. Which, I did, when I was in college. Now, with rent to pay, there is no room for unpaid work. That's super frustrating because there just aren't that many entry-level jobs available. I had seven months as a banquet manager after graduation and a year and a half of corporate internships that people don't like to count as experience.

I'm ranting....

Excited to see my parents in November, and missing my dog, Bella, a lot.

A friend from work finally got my desktop computer working. So I will finally be able to include photos when I post. Except now, my wireless keyboard isn't working.

Still trying to figure out this technology stuff.

My friend Amy sent me a package the other day with some candy and an Audrey Hepburn planner. Missing her too. So hard to not have these people around!

Praying about this job I should be hearing about this week. Fingers Crossed!

A College Degree Doesn't Mean Anything Anymore

I am a 24 yr. old female from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I recently moved to South Carolina to search for full-time employment. I graduated from Western Michigan University with a BA in Communication Studies and a minor in psychology.


It used to be, that if you got a college degree, you knew that you would be able to find a job.


I grew up hearing that college was the answer to a great career.


Now everyone (well, a lot of people) has a college degree and in this economy, that does not mean you will get a job. 


Now I am struggling to find a job in a new city where I know one person (my cousin) and to make enough money to pay rent. College doesn't seem so bad anymore. At least I wasn't looking for a job!


I have decided to document my current trials, successes, and failures online. Who knows if anyone will read it, but I've always wanted to blog and it seems like the perfect opportunity.