Anyone know what they're doing after undergrad?

[ellsworth81]

Sadly to say, I'm a senior, and after having some internships doing HR, I realized it's something I don't truly love. I only like the stuff b/c it's relatively easy and it brings home the paper. And since no one is really offering jobs so that you can explore, am I alone in being clueless? Are more people going to grad. school, or just sitting on their ass working part-time jobs? What do other people think?

:blink:

[enygma]

it all depends on whether or not i get accepted into the teach for america program. if i do, i'm going to work for a couple of years teaching without an education degree while getting certified at the same time and then go to grad school to get my masters. i'm going to be in school forever! <_<

[ellsworth81]

ah, you're doing the teach for america too? I interview on Nov. 21, so I gotta prep and stuff. Yea, if they decide to take me in, I'd more than likely take it. But I wonder if I'm ready for it ... teaching is harder than regular office work

[enygma]

yeah, but the thing is, i'm not graduating this year so i'm going to have to apply next year. anyway, good luck to you on your interview.

btw, is ellsworth supposed to be significant in some way? everytime i see it, i get reminded of ellsworth toohey from "the fountainhead".

[ellsworth81]

haha, yea, i actually kind of got it from The Fountainhead, and to a lesser extent, from Hoodlum, the movie. Fountainhead changed my outlook on everything, and for one reason or another, it got me thinking more. i'd probably recommend it to everyone reading this messge.

i haven't read any of her other stuff (Atlas Shrugged, etc), so anyone know anything about 'em? :rolleyes:

[Green_Jade]

working :)

I have a place I can go back to if I dont find something I really want..tee..

[amietron]

i'd go to grad school. it'd be nice if i found an internship that would allow me to go to grad school and intern at the same time, though.

[applehead]

if i don't get into medical school. i'm joining the peace corps and living as a nomad.

for some reason, that thought is more comforting to me than getting into med school... i secretly wish i don't get in...

[ellsworth81]

Originally posted by applehead@Nov 17 2002, 07:04 AM
if i don't get into medical school. i'm joining the peace corps and living as a nomad.

for some reason, that thought is more comforting to me than getting into med school... i secretly wish i don't get in...
how come you're bothering to apply and taking all those annoying orgo classes :lol: to give your parents the illusion that you want to "be somebody" persay?

think of it this way, what if you got an MD AND joined the peace corp? :)

[Commando_turned_MD]

For Ellsworth81,

What do you enjoy doing?
Have you thought about Medical School? There is always a need in this profession. Not only the pay is great, it's a honorable profession. GRADES are not everything.....Most people don't realize that. I was a "B" student during my undergraduated years at USC. I graduated with 3.47 overall GPA and a 3.08 science GPA. I understand the material in class, but was tooooooooooooooo lazy to do the work, hence the low GPA.
Most people who look at my GPA, would have never though I would matriculate med school. Nonetheless, I did.
The main thing is do well on the MCAT---I scored a 37---- and extracurricular activities---serving in the Active Army as a Special Force operator helped a lot..
Even if you don;t get into Med school in the states, you can always attend Med school in Canada.

Some of my friends decided to find work after graduation, but none of them are happy. Some are attending Grad school-----law, med, dental, etc.....There is no problem taking a several months to year (longer if needed) to determine what you want to do in life...Just remember it's something that you are going to forever, so make you enjoy it. It pointless to work a job you don't like....Most likely you will be burnt out....

Hope that helps,
:blush:

[lethal]

Don't just go to grad school for lack of anything better to do though. A lot of my law school classmates who are straight out of undergrad attended now because they either 1) couldn't find jobs or 2) didn't know what they wanted to do. Consequently, almost none of them are happy. They are almost all universally miserable.

Law school, for one, and likely med school and business school are not endeavors that anyone should embark on on a whim. I almost did that 3 years ago, but now I'm very glad I did not.

I think working after college is something most people should do, especially if they're not sure what it is they really want to do.

[LA superzero1]

Originally posted by armycommando_turned_doctor@Nov 17 2002, 01:18 PM
GRADES are not everything.....Most people don't realize that. I was a "B" student during my undergraduated years at USC. I graduated with 3.47 overall GPA and a 3.08 science GPA. I understand the material in class, but was tooooooooooooooo lazy to do the work, hence the low GPA.


3.47 .... low gpa??? hahahahhaha "B" student??? damn... that's an "A" student to me... I remember the good ol days of highschool, when I had a high gpa. tooo lazy and still getting 3.47? i wonder what your def. of lazy is? or are you one a those ppl that just absorb things.

if that's lazy... i dunno what I am :unsure:

[LA superzero1]

but oh, on topic... after undergrad...

I wanna maybe be a DJ by day, either work a shitty but well paying job, or find a good job with an APA community org somewhere in LA, and then DJ by night. but I'm only in the 1st of my senior yearS. :rolleyes: after maybe 2 years or so, go back to school and get my teaching credential and probably masters in edu. but we'll see... anything can happen

[ellsworth81]

Originally posted by armycommando_turned_doctor@Nov 17 2002, 01:18 PM
For Ellsworth81,

What do you enjoy doing?
Have you thought about Medical School? There is always a need in this profession. Not only the pay is great, it's a honorable profession. GRADES are not everything.....Most people don't realize that. I was a "B" student during my undergraduated years at USC. I graduated with 3.47 overall GPA and a 3.08 science GPA. I understand the material in class, but was tooooooooooooooo lazy to do the work, hence the low GPA.
Most people who look at my GPA, would have never though I would matriculate med school. Nonetheless, I did.
The main thing is do well on the MCAT---I scored a 37---- and extracurricular activities---serving in the Active Army as a Special Force operator helped a lot..
Even if you don;t get into Med school in the states, you can always attend Med school in Canada.

Some of my friends decided to find work after graduation, but none of them are happy. Some are attending Grad school-----law, med, dental, etc.....There is no problem taking a several months to year (longer if needed) to determine what you want to do in life...Just remember it's something that you are going to forever, so make you enjoy it. It pointless to work a job you don't like....Most likely you will be burnt out....

Hope that helps,
:blush:
My *real* interests is computers, anime/comics, videogames, and music (mainly hip-hop). I don't really have any skills that'd let me work with them directly in a career, since they're kind of a creative area.

And no, i wouldn't cut it as a doctor b/c i know how intelligent and motivated i am.

i've managed to convince myself there's almost nothing that i can't do, which is probably a huge assumption, so i dunno. ideally, i'd like a job in the videogame or music world doing conceptual/brainstorming work.

and grad school is definitely out. i hate exams and shit too much.

[kitty]

WOW... 37 on your MCATs?!?... hmmm... I feel like a loser now.

[MellowDrama]

Originally posted by lethalweapon@Nov 17 2002, 03:30 PM
Don't just go to grad school for lack of anything better to do though. A lot of my law school classmates who are straight out of undergrad attended now because they either 1) couldn't find jobs or 2) didn't know what they wanted to do. Consequently, almost none of them are happy. They are almost all universally miserable.

Law school, for one, and likely med school and business school are not endeavors that anyone should embark on on a whim. I almost did that 3 years ago, but now I'm very glad I did not.

I think working after college is something most people should do, especially if they're not sure what it is they really want to do.
YES! Don't do it because you can't find a job, that's the WORST reason to go into something like law or medicine. Do it because you want to, not because you "have" to.

[applehead]

Originally posted by ellsworth81@Nov 17 2002, 09:59 AM
Originally posted by applehead@Nov 17 2002, 07:04 AM
if i don't get into medical school. i'm joining the peace corps and living as a nomad.

for some reason, that thought is more comforting to me than getting into med school... i secretly wish i don't get in...
how come you're bothering to apply and taking all those annoying orgo classes :lol: to give your parents the illusion that you want to "be somebody" persay?

think of it this way, what if you got an MD AND joined the peace corp? :)
my parents are pretty liberal, they're not stereotypical korean parents. they don't really care what i study... which kind of bothers me in a way, too.


it's for me, to see if i can do.
if that makes any sense at all.

[iris]

I graduated this May and applied to law school straight out of undergrad. I got in, but chose to defer for a year. Now I'm spending this year working overseas, which I really think is the best thing to do if you can get it. This is my "crap" year meaning I'm job-hopping. I'm a strategic consultant in Hong Kong until Dec. 10th, then I'll go to Australia and Japan before I come back and work for Arista Records in A & R.

I'm really wavering on law school and I don't think I'm going to make it through or even make it to law school. I haven't told my parents yet. I'm getting mad pressure from them to go to law school and I just might cave in. :( I think it's very important to spend a year working or traveling before going to grad school. That way, you'll be certain if you really want to continue your education in a certain field. Most grad schools also like it better if you've worked for a while.

[ellsworth81]

Originally posted by isyen@Nov 24 2002, 06:27 PM
I graduated this May and applied to law school straight out of undergrad. I got in, but chose to defer for a year. Now I'm spending this year working overseas, which I really think is the best thing to do if you can get it. This is my "crap" year meaning I'm job-hopping. I'm a strategic consultant in Hong Kong until Dec. 10th, then I'll go to Australia and Japan before I come back and work for Arista Records in A & R.

I'm really wavering on law school and I don't think I'm going to make it through or even make it to law school. I haven't told my parents yet. I'm getting mad pressure from them to go to law school and I just might cave in. :( I think it's very important to spend a year working or traveling before going to grad school. That way, you'll be certain if you really want to continue your education in a certain field. Most grad schools also like it better if you've worked for a while.
wow, how'd you get a job at an A&R dept? You must lemme know your secret :blink:

[iris]

I was really lucky. My sis works for 10th Planet Productions, an executive producer for MTV. I swear, in this economy, it's all about the contacts. :unsure:

However, I know my other friends working in record biz got their jobs by working for free during the summers of their college years. :rolleyes:

[ellsworth81]

Originally posted by isyen@Nov 24 2002, 11:25 PM
I was really lucky. My sis works for 10th Planet Productions, an executive producer for MTV. I swear, in this economy, it's all about the contacts. :unsure:

However, I know my other friends working in record biz got their jobs by working for free during the summers of their college years. :rolleyes:
cool :) i've been trying to find ways to get a job in the music biz, but i'm not really sure how. random sources claim you just have to show persistence and be willing to do their slave work for free. unfortunately, many of the music labels are in NYC, and i'm not too big of a fan of the city :rolleyes:

i tried to get an booking agent internship, but i got shot down :cry: . i was hoping that would be a stepping stone into other things.

the prospect of working an office space job is none too appealing at the moment <_<

[iris]

I love the city!

Anyhow, did you DJ at your college radio station? That's what most of my friends and I working in the business did. I know it's sort of late, but you can try to get into your local college radio station during spring semester, now if you can. Record companies are always calling to send tapes of the newer artists to get played. College kids are a target market for them. You'll also get free tickets to shows and all the promo stuff. You'll mostly meet people in publicity, but they know who's working in A & R if you want to move over to there.

If you absolutely can't do that, try for smaller labels and movie production companies out in the West Coast. Movies and musics are completely intertwined. You can move from one to the other pretty easily if you work for a reputable company. Ask for internships, and after about 3-6 months, ask for a permanent position or a referral to company that has an opening. Most important thing is to be cool with your boss. He/She has all the contacts and if they like you, they'll be willing to help you.

If you really want to go into representing, look at William Morris Agency(talent agency). It's on both coasts and they have a music division. UAA (United Artists), CMA (Creative Management), and ICA (International) also are on both coasts and have music divisions. HOWEVER, these positions are hard to get without some sort of skills or experience. I would suggest going with a smaller company or a small record label or studio. Someplace that holds a lot of power, but isn't well-known to the public eye. These are the holding companies (the executive producers with many labels under them). If you'd like to know about some of them, just PM me sometime and I'll give you some names. Good luck. :dance:

[artsfartsyjanet]

The more i think about it, the more i want to work and study abroad. I don't feel like going to grad school yet, but like isyen stated, I think I might defer my entry into grad school to for psychology. Besides, I heard it's tougher to travel while in grad school.

[luv]

My job straight out of undergrad completely sucks, but I don't regret working before I go back to grad school. School and work are really different, should take the time to job hop to find something that interests you.

Some of my friends went straight from undergrad to grad and can't improve their job situations b/c they have no work experience. Find what you want to do and don't be miserable like me.

Do you really want to work in entertainment, or does it just seem fun? Get internship and see if you like it. One of my friends thought an internship working with Sony (insurance for the stars) would be great, but ended up hating it.

[TyroneK(prettypretty)]

Originally posted by lethalweapon@Nov 17 2002, 09:30 PM
Don't just go to grad school for lack of anything better to do though. A lot of my law school classmates who are straight out of undergrad attended now because they either 1) couldn't find jobs or 2) didn't know what they wanted to do. Consequently, almost none of them are happy. They are almost all universally miserable.

Law school, for one, and likely med school and business school are not endeavors that anyone should embark on on a whim. I almost did that 3 years ago, but now I'm very glad I did not.

I think working after college is something most people should do, especially if they're not sure what it is they really want to do.
Listen to this man.

Grad school, especially law school, is not something that awards you after you've gotten in. More than anything else, it tests your willpower and academic ability to stick to your original plan. If I didn't have an axe to grind with the formal structures of our society as a whole, I'd have dropped out midway through my first semester.

My suggestion, if you can afford it, is to take some time and pool some savings. Go on a trip. Get a job that seems cool even if doesn't pay an i-banker salary. Not to sound too cliched, but find out what you like to do and what you can work hard at with minimal qualms. Also find out what kind of life you want to lead. Do you want power? Free time? Prestige? Once you get all that stuff figured out early on, you've got a leg up on almost everyone else and the rest of your life to excel.

[enygma]

Originally posted by ellsworth81@Nov 13 2002, 09:19 AM
haha, yea, i actually kind of got it from The Fountainhead, and to a lesser extent, from Hoodlum, the movie. Fountainhead changed my outlook on everything, and for one reason or another, it got me thinking more. i'd probably recommend it to everyone reading this messge.

i haven't read any of her other stuff (Atlas Shrugged, etc), so anyone know anything about 'em? :rolleyes:
atlas shrugged wasn't as good as the fountainhead (at least, i didn't think so), but anthem was pretty good. it's also rather short.

[artsfartsyjanet]

now i think about it, i'm going to just work for a year and save money for grad school. i'm burnt out from school. it's driving me nuts and i'm the psych major.

[MellowDrama]

Originally posted by VBKao@Dec 2 2002, 12:32 AM
Originally posted by lethalweapon@Nov 17 2002, 09:30 PM
Don't just go to grad school for lack of anything better to do though. &nbsp;A lot of my law school classmates who are straight out of undergrad attended now because they either 1) couldn't find jobs or 2) didn't know what they wanted to do. &nbsp;Consequently, almost none of them are happy. &nbsp;They are almost all universally miserable.

Law school, for one, and likely med school and business school are not endeavors that anyone should embark on on a whim. &nbsp;I almost did that 3 years ago, but now I'm very glad I did not.

I think working after college is something most people should do, especially if they're not sure what it is they really want to do.
Listen to this man.

Grad school, especially law school, is not something that awards you after you've gotten in. More than anything else, it tests your willpower and academic ability to stick to your original plan. If I didn't have an axe to grind with the formal structures of our society as a whole, I'd have dropped out midway through my first semester.

My suggestion, if you can afford it, is to take some time and pool some savings. Go on a trip. Get a job that seems cool even if doesn't pay an i-banker salary. Not to sound too cliched, but find out what you like to do and what you can work hard at with minimal qualms. Also find out what kind of life you want to lead. Do you want power? Free time? Prestige? Once you get all that stuff figured out early on, you've got a leg up on almost everyone else and the rest of your life to excel.
Dude. I was one of those "I wanna be a lawyer since I was in first grade" types. (My mom's family were all lawyers, political bigshots in her home country, so I thought it was THE thing to do), and now that I'm 2L, I've realized, this isn't me. The 1L "hazing" wasn't so bad, it's just I don't have any passion for what I'm doing. I do like helping people with their legal problems though and fighting for the little guy, but I just had a talk w/ a law school classmate and he broke it down why he's going to get a phD and become a history professor. He told me, "Look around. Do you really want to work with people like this for the rest of your life?" And I thought, "Yeah, you're right. I don't, I can't." I'll probably take the bar and work a few years as a public int. lawyer or for the gov. in some capacity (our school has a partial loan forgiveness program). Then, who knows?