Post Graduation Anxiety - Some Help?

[Chalti]

So, I graduated this May, and it's been a trying time putting up with a family who depends on you. It was a shock that my brother didn't graduate college, in fact, it was a huge let down (as everyone can imagine), so having graduated with a degree in English, I found myself in a huge predicament that has left me emotionally exhausted a few nights more than I would like.

The thing is I feel so responsible for my family right now, but like some English degree holders out there, I haven't been able to procure a job. I had a dream to teach English abroad, but lately all I've been getting has been rejections, not because of my lack of experience, but because of my skin color. It's very hard to let go of the idea that the dream I've been preparing for is discriminating me, and not because I'm unqualified for it... I'm about to get interviewed with NOVA corporations in Japan, so hopefully they'll help me get my foot in the door to teaching abroad, but I know their reputation is horrible. They are in need of people though, and they are said to recruit people without so much thought. The things ex-teachers say have been very difficult to swallow as a person looking for security, but I feel like there's no other available option.

I've also been hunting down for entry-level jobs...I haven't worked before, so it is problematic for me to get someone interested. The only experience I have in a work setting has been volunteering experiences, but my references hardly remember me now.

What should I do? I love writing too, but journalism isn't my strength. I considered making a portfolio and getting into character design, but I'm not sure if that will also be a dead end for me.

 

[Reanbell]

All you can do is try! We all have to start somewhere, even if it's somewhere we don't want to be at first. I had to start at many awful jobs in order to get into a job I actually wanted to be at and that paid well. Is your safety compromised when you say their reputation is 'poor'? If it is, don't go. You don't want to experience a nightmare - I'd try for anywhere else.

I know what it's like being discriminated against for skin color, especially in the field you are trying for. But don't give up if that is really what you want to do! Whether you go for character design or writing, make sure it's what you want so you won't regret the experience. Remember you still have your whole life left! You can try things and if it doesn't work out move on to another thing. Life is trial and error and unfortunately we can't see the outcomes before we go into things which leaves us sometimes feeling anxious and afraid.

You can do it!

 

[Korg]

Like Reanbell said, you have to start somewhere. IME, the best way to do this is to focus on quantity at first. You can pursue quality later on when you've got some bargaining power.

In the past, the way I did this was to put out 5 resumes a day, 7 days a week. That's:

35 resumes a week
~155 resumes a month
~1825 resumes a year

...you will get something, somewhere simply because you're playing the odds. Once you're "in", you can keep applying (though maybe not quite as often) to various places that you think are more suitable towards you and/or your goals while focusing on what really matters to you at your current job.

 

[Chalti]

Thanks Reanbell and Korg!

I feel slightly better, I haven't been producing as much resumes I should to be honest, but I'm going to try harder from now on.

Also, Reanbell - the reputation the company has is often affectionately termed by past teachers as a "hell hole". I'm not entirely sure if part of that is from culture shock since Japan and the United States have clear differences in their work environment, but I have read extensively on the company's past, and their 2007 filed bankruptcy for embezzlement pretty much spells trouble for me. A new corporation took over the company however, and wanted to "turn it around," but I'm not sure how much it has improved.

There have been comments in the past around the time the company filed for bankruptcy where teachers did not get paid on time, and where they were treated poorly and lowly by the Japanese employers. Since the company filed for bankruptcy they also left the teachers unattended to where numerous governments had to step in and help the now unemployed teachers. A lot of people have also been evicted from their housing because of it (although some people deny they've never had such bad experiences - not sure if it's someone trying to promote the company or what). Their work load seems normal to me, but something that kind of makes me nervous is the lesson plan time which is only 12 minutes, so that's kind of unsettling.

I also haven't been able to find comments around 2013-2014 on the Eikaiwa, so that's kind of strange.