The Job Market (i.e. the scary desert)

For obscure and not really sufficient reasons, I spent an hour or so looking at job postings in the Pittsburgh area on craigslist. Ultimately, I wonder what else is out there besides this straight 'n' steady white collar line I've always been on. So I clicked through retail/wholesale, media stuff, architects/engineers, skilled trades and food/hospitality.

First off, I'm grateful for HAVING a job. Not having to sell myself, try to prove I meet the qualifications, hope I hear back, keep looking...

Next, I'm grateful for my salary. I may be on the low end of starting ChemE salaries for this area, but compared to so many other jobs out there, I've got something to be happy about.

From a couple postings, I'm brushed with a breath of something different and interesting. Working at a vintage artsy items store ("Your Mom's"), responsible for making creative and artistic signs for the store, updating their websites, going out and finding cool stuff to sell, setting up for live sound on the weekends, etc. Sounds like fun.. less the minimum wage. And for a more exotic shot, if I had experience and skill with maintenance, I could go work in Antarctica for 3 months! The stuff of National Geographic.

Lastly, I'm genuinely scared at the lack of low-experience chemical engineering jobs posted. Everybody and their sister company are looking for mechanical and electrical engineers, but I only found a handful of ChemE postings, and most of them wanted experience. Everybody wants experience. Reading over lists of requirements makes me want to learn specific, demonstrable job skills like software programs, project management, supervision, systems integration, design, etc. etc. Seeing what employers are looking for makes me want to get my butt moving at work. I've gotten a shot of the career-minded motivation I've often scorned. What a young fool.

I'm grateful God led me--half wondering why--to look this over tonight. I don't know how long this motivation will last, but it's a shot at least, and I think I needed it. I think I'll be gladder to go to work tomorrow, and I pray I'll dive in further, trying to learn, insert myself into what's going on, and get things done.
Easy to want to do, easy to imagine, but terribly hard to do in front of real people, full of ignorance, awkwardness, self-doubt and stupidness. I guess I'm not as much of a go-getter as I thought. I wish I could say "I don't get awkward," but it's a real impediment. Bleah.

One other thing brought to mind--something that's been brewing up a ton lately: I hate saying stuff like I just wrote about. Yeah I'm motivated now, but I'll probably go right back to how I've been tomorrow. I hate jumping the gun, talking all about something, and then not following up on it. Like my blab about studying recording. I'm still looking at it, but almost all of my desire for that path is gone right now, and I've done very little towards it. The more you talk about something at first, the more you have to let down, the more respect you lose, the more you hate yourself when the future comes and you don't do anything. Speak from a position of accomplishment, not planning! DO, then talk. Or better yet, be someone truly worthy of respect and just DO, and let another man praise you, and not your own mouth. I wish I could be that kind of person.
But for now I thought I'd write about this to maybe remember it down the road and be knocked into a healthy appreciation for my job again.

Peace.

--JPB