My first grown-up job was as a nurse’s aide in a hospital. I worked in a medical/surgical ward with the bulk of our patients being post-surgical. Being a nurse’s aide is a horrible job. It paid fairly well, at least for an 18-year-old right out of high school. I got full benefits and paid vacations and real live sick time!
After I left that job to go to college in Eugene, I started a long string of part-time, low-paying jobs with no opportunity for benefits, and nonexistent sick time and vacation time – a joke. What college student can afford a real vacation?
Not only did I have part-time jobs, but also at any given time I had at least two jobs in addition to attending school full time. At first, this was a serious pain. Managing my time was very difficult, especially without a car. I didn’t have a choice, though, and just worked.
So far, I’ve done the following: nurse’s aide, cafeteria lady, telephone survey taker, sheet slinger at Meier and Frank, lab assistant, teacher’s assistant (high school and preschool), several legal assistant jobs, and also, I participated in drug studies.
Legal assistance has been, by far, the most lucrative of all the jobs I’ve had. I have years of experience handling workers’ compensation, personal injury claims and Social Security disability. Yes, I can request workers’ compensation hearings in my sleep and I’ve grown to be the fastest copier in the west after copying voluminous Social Security files at the Social Security hearings office. Except last time, the security guard did it for me. I think he has a crush on me because I used to work as a bouncer and I know how to stand when getting “wanded” with a metal detector.
Now that my college career is rapidly winding down, and I have a year or so before grad school starts, I needed to find a real job. Real meaning full time, benefits and a regular schedule. And hopefully it would pay well and I would like it.
As a legal assistant, I have little use for my upcoming bachelor’s degree in history. Well, I can spell real good, and my grammar is all right. No, I never learned how to draft a complaint in any of Dr. Ken Ruoff’s classes, but they were some of my favorites. But I bet if I’d asked, Dr. Tim Garrison would have shown me how to make a trial notebook. He was an attorney in a former life, and a damn fine pre-law adviser.
A lot of my friends aren’t using their degrees. In fact, the only person I can think of who is using his degree in accounting is my cousin Chris. Of course, we will always need accountants. I got an extension on my taxes just so I could have Chris do them after his busy tax season. I promised him a bottle of fine tequila. Really, what can I do with a degree in history? I suppose I could write, but I haven’t the patience to do all that research, and I don’t have the time or the inclination to get my doctorate. As we all know, the only serious historians are the ones who stuck academia out long enough to get the title of historian. They are the only ones who have credibility with me anyway. Tom Brokaw’s histories are at best amateurish, and at worst, propaganda.
But that is neither here nor there. I’m not interested in teaching. I hate kids, even college kids. I’d end up an alcoholic or homicidal, or both.
No, I’m glad I have the kind of experience that landed me my latest job. I work with a hippie lawyer. I can wear flip-flops and jeans to work. I get benefits and paid vacations. I haven’t had health insurance since 1996, I think. Most important to me is that I was hired because I have important litigation experience. I feel needed, and my experience is valued. I’m really glad that the time before I leave for graduate school will be spent at a job I feel is meaningful, not to mention beneficial. I really hope all of my fellow graduates are as fortunate as I am, even if they don’t end up doing exactly what they studied.