Underemployment after college

8 May 2001

"Work has to include our deepest values, passions, feelings,
and commitments, or it’s not work; it’s just a job." ~ Matthew Fox

Although I’ve only been around for twenty-three years, I feel that I’ve experienced a lot emotionally. I’ve been lonely, rejected, ridiculed, etc. But I’ve found nothing worse than being underemployed. By underemployed, I mean doing a job that seems below your abilities and means. You’re doing a job that you feel overqualified for and get no satisfaction from completing. You do the job for the pay, and for no other reason. You are a wage slave.

I hate being a wage slave. Maybe doing a seemingly pointless job is fine for some people, but for me there’s nothing worse. Underemployment affects every aspect of my life in some way or another.

Being at a job for eight hours out of the day but getting nothing accomplished wears me out. It makes me exhausted and irritable. Now, if I could look back on my day and see a concrete reason for being so tired, I could handle it better. When stuck in a job, the job is the only reason for the exhaustion; there’s nothing as concrete as actual accomplishments.

I recently finished college. I have my bachelors degree, double-majored in both art and English. Staying in school was a struggle for me, because I was often wondering "What is the point?" I almost dropped out more than once, but stuck it out. I was told that the degree would be good for me after I had it. Well, I now have it; when my student loans become active, I’ll also have $19,000 in debt.

My education makes me qualified to do newspaper work or graphic design. Basically nothing was not covered by my educational experience. I could do anything with my degree. I just want to produce something, though. I want to produce something written, artistic, or creative that can be seen by other people.

The question has changed from "What is the point?" to "What was the point?" Now the question has changed to past tense, but the essence is the same. I haven’t seen much benefit from going to college. Right now, I am doing work that I could have done four and a half years ago, without learning an iota from college. I’m making $9 an hour; the same amount I was making before I had my degree.

Back to the quote with which I started: values, feeling, passions, emotions are crucial. Without my college career, I don’t think these intangible items would have become developed in me. Maybe I didn’t learn anything that would directly benefit me at my job, but I learned what it takes to tell the difference between "work" and a "job."

Up until now, I’ve shown some disdain for "jobs." But, having a job isn’t completely awful. Sometimes you need work, but all you can find is a job. Sometimes having a job is the only way to support your family. If you’re unhappy, you just have to trudge through it. At least you’re getting paid. (It is very emotionally annoying to be caught up in a job that doesn’t even give you a valid paycheck – I’ve been there.) A paycheck is better than a bill.

Bottom line to this whole reflection is: be patient. Patience is a virtue; one that needs to be seen at a job, not just in real work. You have to be patient about your job, because eventually things will get better. They have to get better. Underemployment cannot be cancelled-out by college, but having college under your belt can reduce the length of time you stay underemployed.

I say that now, but ask me in a couple years if I feel the same way; if I’m still in a directionless job, my answer will most assuredly be "no."

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