Stephen is out again. We hope that the right combination of mechanical anti-inflammatories (a.k.a. ice) and chemical anti-inflammatories (a.k.a. ibuprofen) will soon start to work. Thanks to my new orthopedic doctor for that new vocabulary.
Tonight, though, Stephen has allowed me to post something of my own.
I need a job. Not "need" like I need sleep every night or food every day, but I need a job. I've been looking for about three months - networking, submitting applications, checking websites for job availability, and there's not a whole lot out there. Part of my problem is my current skill and interest set. I'm a licensed attorney, with a whole lot of experience researching and writing about international trade and investment agreements.
Sound boring? You should read the agreements.
But the policy implications and economic theories fascinate me. And those skills and interests probably would not be problematic, except for the second part of my job quandary: location. Unfortunately, to the extent that legal jobs in international relations are available, they are NOT available in Boston. And we're not moving.
So, in order to make this work, I've gone several different directions. I've looked into working for local non-profits doing work internationally (there are about three: ACCION, Oxfam, and RootCapital - and they're not hiring). I've tried to make connections in the world of immigration law (a BIG legal issue here in Massachusetts). And I've made a few attempts to contact government agencies in the area, such as the Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment. I've also got myself a short-term, part-time fellowship writing on (guess what!) the policy implications of international trade agreements for long-term development.
The big question is: now what? Now that I've networked until I met everyone in the entire city doing work in these areas, now that I get depressed pretty much every afternoon about my inability to acquire gainful employment, now what? I keep thinking I need to revamp my job search strategy - be willing to "sell out" and just get some experience (assuming a law firm would even hire me now) or be willing to work in a job that doesn't use my law degree or my interest in international relations just to have a paycheck. But broadening my search that much seems overwhelming. Any ideas? I'm open to suggestions.
~Rachel
Labels: job
2 Comments:
Rachel, I wish I could tell you. Myself, I have been looking for a job now for almost a year. Someone told me that the higher your degree goes, the more difficult it is to get a job and I am really finding that to be true. If you figure anything out, please let me know!
Thanks, Jenny. Stephen told me about your job search yesterday after I posted. Let me tell you, if I figure anything out, I'll make sure to let you know.
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