Resolution 2

I've just spent all morning searching job finding sites for a new job. The trouble with searching job finding sites is that you have to have an idea what kind of job you're looking for in order to be successful at finding it. This is not me. I have a masters in English, but I'm not really sure I know what I want to do with it. I got the degree because I love studying literature and the mechanics of the English language. I never really thought about how I would apply this love to a career. (Silly me.)

I've done a little teaching on the college level. It was a lot of fun, but to teach what and how I want to teach, I'd have to get my PhD. I don't know if I'm ready to get back into school again. (I just spent 6 of the past 7 years in college. I'm tired. Oh yeah, and I'm already in debt up to my pert, little nose.) However, I have been missing the intellectual stimulation. My current job will never provide what I need in the brain department. Then again, this job does provide plenty of frustration, stress, and eye strain. So I guess it's a trade off.

I've also thought about getting into university administration. That is, I would love to help people get into college and stay until they complete their degrees. I guess you might call it recruitment and retention. I've been applying for every non-teaching job that comes along at the local university. I figure if I could get my foot in the door, get some experience, I could work my way to where I want to be. No joy. I can't even get an interview. I don't know if it's my resume, which consists mostly of medical positions, that's messing things up, or if it's my cover letter. I try to tailor each for the position I'm applying for, but I only have so much to work with.

The other career path I've been contemplating is publishing. I think I'd make a great copy editor or editor or talent finder or something of that nature. But how do you find those kind of jobs? Over the last 5 years, I've searched for these types of jobs online, but I've never found them. I'm sure they're out there, but I have no idea how to look for them. Which brings me to my next obstacle. I have no idea how to find the professional jobs I want.

For my undergraduate degree, I took a class called Careers for English Majors. This was a pretty good class. It taught me how write a resume, and it showed me some jobs I could apply my degree towards. However, it never gave me any clue how to actually search for a job. I know this sounds lame, but it's really not. Let me explain.

I'm coming to this college graduate thing a little late in life. It took me 18 years, 3 universities, and 4 majors to complete my bachelors degree. In between my stints in college, I tried out several careers: U.S. Air Force, pharmacy technician, sales, receptionist, video clerk, waitress, call center customer service, and a few other things too boring and menial to mention. What I'm trying to get at with all this is that when it comes to job searches, I know how to beat feet and fill out applications. This is what I've spent most of my life doing. Unfortunately, this type of job search doesn't produce the caliber of job, nor the salary, I'm looking for.

So, my goal in this job search thing is to figure out two things. 1. What would I be good at and enjoy doing on a daily basis? 2. How do I find that job? Any suggestions?