I graduated from York College of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Professional Writing with a minor in Philosophy. That’s how I begin most of my cover letters.
I still live at home with my parents. I work freelance gigs to pay the rent. Mostly, that’s all done from my bedroom. (That’s where I’m typing now).
Going to bed early in the morning and waking up late in the afternoon, my typical routine consists of meditating (which includes stretching), exercising, bathing, checking the social media feeds (one of the gigs), and then I eat dinner. After which, I write more in my latest quantum fiction (sci-fi) novella. I’ll likely indulge in some whiskey and/or vodka by nighttime.
I’m not exactly complaining. I enjoy the work I do: editing, social media promotion, and, of course, writing. But I’m not getting paid nearly enough.
I love being my own boss and the people I contract for, but I’m making little more than rent per month. It’s hard imagining me moving out any time soon. That’s why I apply for part-time and full-time jobs all the time. But I rarely get interviews.
Most of my experience is in writing, editing, and social media. And nobody seems to be hiring for those jobs. I’m not going to lie: It gets me feeling bummed out.
On the plus side, I finally have enough free time to consume all the books I should’ve read when I began writing. Currently, it’s the Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. (After finishing his first novella, I’m convinced Adams is brilliant). And I’m exercising using free-weights, a weighted book-bag, and a treadmill.
I figure I’m not alone in this general scenario, because many college graduates were promised better and secure employment after earning a diploma. We didn’t anticipate this anemic economy when we made the investment. I’m not saying that my generation was outright lied to; but we were, without an iota of doubt, let down. It’s sad.