imagine a different world.

The first step most everyone takes after college is to look for a job, some, maybe most, start even before graduation day. Students try to understand where and what their future is. They try and take all of their college years, all of that learning and growing and figure out where it will lead them. What type of job will I have? Will I even find a job? So many questions, so much pressure, so little time.

I experienced all this almost two years ago. The search, the interviews, everything. I even took on a “fun” job until I found a “big-boy” job. In December, 2007, I found that job. I finally had my first “real” job that actually dealt with my major, Digital Design. I had a future planned out, or so I thought.

My “fun” job was [and still is] cashier at the Nordstrom Cafe, a job I first had way back before I even left for college. At that point, it was a summer job, then an an interim job, and now, well now I don’t know what it is now.

My future at my current employer is unknown. Is the writing on the wall or is it just the economy? The Cleveland office has only gotten smaller as I have been there. It isn’t growing, it is shrinking. Even in other offices, people are being laid off or just leaving on their own. I am the Webmaster. I am the e-Media department. I am the IT department. At first, I found that cool because I realized I could surf the web without anyone finding out, like had happened at a previous co-op job. Then I realized I am already as high as I can be, no advancement, no nothing, just random raises…er, I mean, raise. I really do not hope to one day own the business, I know nothing about publishing and it only slightly interests me. Plus my daily siestas in the afternoon are not really company endorsed and only occur out of boredom.

This brings me back to that fun job, the non-big-boy one. The one I returned to only so I could make money as I found that real job I was supposed to be searching for. I enjoy cooking and have been in the food business on multiple occasions. (Malley’s anyone?) And oh yeah, did I ever mention that I want to open up my own restaurant?

I love everything about Nordstrom and have never had a problem in all the years that I have been. The people are great and the company is top notch. Learning from the best, which I consider Nordstrom, is never a bad idea. They focus on the customer and the employee, as I hope to do one day in the future when I own my own business/restaurant. Sure, I didn’t go to business, or culinary school but how many people actually user their degrees? There is just one more question I have, ”Can I make a living out of it?” That is something that can be figured out with a talk and time, or so I hope. This one-time summer job now may turn into a career changer.

It is hard to leave your first true, real job. It is hard to even think about leaving. After a year plus you begin to make friendships and relationships with the people around you. You get to know people and enjoy spending time with them, even if they are 20 years older than you and consider you part of the texting while driving generation. I didn’t think that I would be leaving my first job after just a year plus, but I also didn’t think I would be there forever. It is like your first relationship, you hope that is the one but deep down you know it really can’t and won’t be.

I feel as though as I have rewound time and have just graduated college. Once again I am trying to figure out my life and my future. What do I want? What don’t I want? Do I want to use my degree and stay in the design field or do I want to follow a dream that may or may not pan out? These are very similar questions I once asked myself only two years ago. Questions that I believed I answered. Now, I know you don’t have the answers because even I don’t. They are just questions I will need to ponder as my days go on.

There is just one big positive that needs pointing out. I am in a better place than I was after college. Instead of hunting down one job in a sea of unknown and rejection, I now have two jobs that I can’t choose between. I would say I am in a better position than 99% of America, especially with the state of today’s economy.

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