Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Dilemma Reversal

Last night I went to an informational meeting about the Peace Corps, which is my Plan B if I don't get into the Foreign Service. It was pretty informative, and I'm very glad I went. The Corps seems like it would be a good experience in and of itself, and after twenty seven months of service, one can get preferential selection for Executive Branch jobs. That's a big, juicy incentive, right there. I'm still gunning for a Foreign Service job, and the State Department has been hiring. But, I'm hedging my bets with the Peace Corps, and given my education and background, I'm pretty much a shoo-in for them.

So, whether I join the Foreign Service or the Peace Corps, my long-term goals look awesome. I'm pretty much over the classic twentysomthing dilemma of "I have a shitty job, goddammit, what am I going to do with my life?" That's all in the past. I'm glad to be done with it, and am excited for the future.

Now, though, I'd really like a shitty job. Well, hopefully a cool job. There's a nonprofit position that I'm excited about, and I'm going to try to teach SAT and GRE prep on the side, but nothing's set yet, and given the current recession, I can't be too choosy about prospects. I'll be fine, I know, but it's weird to have the twentysomething life dilemma reversed. Now my situation is "Okay, I know what I'm going to do with my life, but I need some random gig in the meantime."

I'd prefer this, really. It's way less whiny angst, and I've been consistently optimistic about what I'm doing. But it's still kind of odd, having the dilemmas reversed.

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