Workin' Girl

I was sitting here trying to study, but of course all I ended up doing was thinking about a lot of the research I've done regarding work and identity. The thing I realize is that many people pull a lot of their identity from what they do. When someone says "tell me about yourself" you almost always include your job. I'm sure that's because you'd think completely different things if I told you I were a counselor, taxi cab driver, and punk rock singer. It's not that your assumptions would be true necessarily, but just that you can picture something. It just explains you a little more; people know what you do all day. Maybe that's why it's so hard for me to not have a job now. I feel completely irresponsible by just being a student. I feel like I should be more. Do more. Something. That's like saying "I take out college loans for a living" almost. I know I'm doing important stuff, and I'm volunteering, and learning and all that. But I feel like I never have anything to talk about. At least when I worked I could talk to my boss about people at work, and to my friends about things that happened at work. I had the excitement of the window washer, and the mystery of what the IT guys can really track. I've been working on my resume and the more I add to it, the more I think "man, I kicked ass at my job!" It's a good feeling. What you do is part of who you are, and by saying "I do nothing" (for a job) I feel like I'm saying "I AM nothing." (OK, yes, I'm a counseling major and I realize how messed up that is.) Can you at least relate on how much your job is in your life? And how much I sit over here and analyze myself. If only I could pay myself for that...then I'd be in business!