I Have A Plan

There are 19 days until graduation and I still don't have a job. But I have a plan.


Yesterday, I sat through Dr. Randy Reddick's fool proof plan for finding a job (if all else fails). While his tactics were hovering the fine line between being persistent and being annoying, I have to admit, it would probably work. However, something stuck out to me from the very beginning of his lecture.

"...If you want a job in the news industry," he said.

Well, you see that's where we have a problem. I'm not so sure I want a job in the news industry. I know for a fact that I don't want to be a reporter, even though I've applied for a few reporting jobs here and there. I guess I did that because I mostly thought I was running out of options. Not true! I now have a plan in place and this quote from What Happens In Vegas starring Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz accurately describes it.

"I'd rather do nothing and be happy than do something I know I don't love." -- Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher)

Now, that is certainly not to say that I intend to be a bum for the rest of my life just because I don't like to write hard-hitting news.

You see, every time I put on my grown-up thinking hat and ask myself what I want to be when I grow up, I always come back to the same thing. I say to myself, "No, Jessica, you can't open a bakery. You can't even ice a cupcake," "You can't be a housewife. You're not married," "You can't be a wedding planner. You know nothing about weddings," "There are many things you can't do, but you can always be a teacher."

I don't mean that deciding to teach is a last resort. Rather, it is a first. The only thing I ever remember wanting to be when I was younger, other than a lawyer and Harvard Law graduate, was a teacher. I've always wanted to be an English teacher! So, please don't ask me why I chose to major in journalism. Probably because all the teachers I ever knew said, "No, do something that will make you more money!" Well, I am no Pulitzer worthy writer, so there is a high probability that I would actually make less money as a journalist. Yep, it's the truth.

So, here's my plan: On January 4 and 5, I will travel to Dallas for a meeting with some highfalutin' people who will determine my eligibility to become a teacher. I'm told I will have no problem being accepted to the program. Then, on February 1, I will travel back to the DFW area for a period of 10 days broken up over three weeks learning to be a teacher.

Yes, three weeks. How does it make you feel that it only takes three weeks to properly train those you leave your kids with every day? Don't worry, I'll take care of them.

After completing the program, I will have in my possession a probationary teaching certificate. Then I'll search for an internship. Then I'll be a big kid. YAY!

But, since I'm poor I'm going to need to do something else to earn some dough during that time. So, I'm going to put my resume in at every school in the Lubbock area and hope they call me when they need a sub. Apparently, some schools pay subs like a $100 a day. Yeah.

If that doesn't work out, I'll work at the mall til I find a job.