No matter how many times you do it, getting bumped out of university into the real world is a shock. I’ve done it twice.
The first time I emerged from an ivory tower – with a BA in Communications from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver – I spent the following four days packing and then promptly got on a plane and moved to Rome.
This time is no less disconcerting, though the city I find myself in is full of English speakers, and I’ve had a year to adjust to it. But post-graduation it is still a struggle to find my feet, right the ship, keep my chin up, and other clichés.
The good news is that I’m a whole lot smarter than last time around. Now I have a Masters’ Degree. In Professional Writing. I’m a Master Professional.
I am a much more capable writer, editor, performer, project manager, and whatever else you’re hiring for, I assure you that I’m good at that too. I may not necessarily be a Master of this hypothetical activity, but it’s only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, the bluster and bravado of being a higher-educated only works part-time. Sometimes, whilst job-hunting, you need to allow yourself the space to plumb the depths of the inky blackness of your crushed soul.
But when you emerge from that, it will likely be on Canadian Thanksgiving, and you will be reminded of how much you have to be thankful for.
Such as:
- Hockey season has started anew
- An amazing network of friends and family
- A wife who is awesome and funny and a great motivating force
- Marbles
These are all positives, and yet, still, I’d like to be able to afford a turkey – at least by the time American Thanksgiving rolls around.
