COLUMN: "Working for a Living"

From Mike Farber's "I Want My MTV," Fall '92 I recently had a chat with my friend. After the opening formalities, I got to the point. Jobs. Here's what I remember from our conversation. Q: Where are the jobs? A: Whatever's out there is in the service industries. Q: For everyone? A: Yep. Q: Even an Ivy League graduate? A: Oh, come on, don't give me that elitist crap. These days there are hundreds of applicants for every job. Q: Why? A: Geez, don't you read the paper? You've got the recession causing businesses to be cautious with their hiring. Then there's this whole restructuring deal, with the big companies laying off thousands of people to get "lean and mean." The bottom line is that many of the jobs filled by my generation will never again exist. Q: Damn. So what's my generation supposed to do? A: Learn all about french fries. Just kidding. First, you've got to stop getting so hyper about this. I read somewhere that the average person of your age is going to change jobs seven times before retirement. Whatever you do when you graduate isn't going to be what you're doing ten years from now. Q: Then what? A: Get out there and pound the pavement. You and your friends are lucky. You haven't had to work for much until now. Q: Wait a minute, I did my stint at Roy Rogers. A: That isn't what I mean. Everyone in your situation did well in high school, and as a result went on to college. You haven't had to get out there and kiss ass to try to get a job. It's real work to check your pride at the interview door. Q: Yea, but I could do that. Once I get my job, I can really start moving along. A: Come again? Q: I get my foot in the door, and I'm on my way up the career ladder. A: You ever hear of the term "office politics?" It makes all this negative campaigning stuff look tame. Promotions come based on who you know and how much they like you. And to get the right people to like you, your pride goes out the window once again. My stomach turns whenever I see my boss walk into the cafeteria and every single joke he tells has everyone rolling around on the floor. Q: Maybe he's funny. A: Maybe you're the Pope. Q: Am I going to like my job? A: If you do, you'll be one of the lucky ones. Most of my friends hate their jobs. Q: So why don't they change jobs? A: Because it's their only option. You're lucky. With your degree you can embark on a career. Q: Are you saying there's a difference between a job and a career? A: Of course. A job is a way to make money, while a career is a way to make money and push your brain. Q: But law's a career. And it seems to me that a lot of my friends at the law school don't want to practice law. They find it tedious and boring. A: You want tedious and boring? Try working on an assembly line. Plus, I bet most of your law school buddies had no clue as to why they went to law school. Q: Yea, I think you're right. A: Don't look all depressed. You've got tons of options. Remember before when I said you haven't had to work for much until now? Q: Yeah. A: Well, another part of that is getting off the train. Q: Huh? A: Up to now almost everything's been determined for you. Get through school, apply to college, go to law school. Challenge yourself. Do something different. Q: Like what? A: Whatever makes you happy. You've got one of the most unique opportunities imaginable. You have the means and ability to pursue a career that you enjoy. Figure out how to do it. Q: Yeah, I guess you're right. A: Of course I'm right. Q: Thanks. A: No problem. Wanna go to McDonald's? I hear they're hiring. Mike Farber is a third-year Law student from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. "I Want My MTV" appears alternate Tuesdays.