So for those of you, who might be reading this for the first time, let me catch you up in the past 7 years to give you an idea of my life and where it has gone so far...
2000- Graduated from East Haven High School (barely) and ready to step out into the job market and or go to school... Having no STRONG interests in anything I did that could be turned into a career I schlepped from job to job until near the end of 2003.
2003-In November I was up late sitting on the couch and I saw an advertisement on TV for "GIBBS COLLEGE", a college that said they could help me in the field of Design. What I wanted to design was video games, mainly because that was my only STRONG interest at that time. I called them and I set up and interview and they told me EVERYTHING that I wanted to hear. Soon I was enrolled into Gibbs College in the field of Visual Communications (I.E. Graphic Design) after taking out a sizable student loan along with my dad co-signing the loan. The first six months were ok, mostly taking pre-requisites, Math, English, Psychology, Art, etc. It wasn't till later that I realized that most of the classes I haven been going to are NOT going to teach me what I wanted. Having no actual friends in that college (it seemed more like a tech school than anything else) I had no one to turn to, my friends outside of school couldn't help as most of them were caught up in there own petty dramas.
I decided that I would continue to go to college and try to finish my course of study; I didn't want to drop out as I have too much pride in myself to do something as foolish as that. It was later on in the year that I realized that most of the people had been duped exactly like me, after looking at most of the stuff that people "Designed" there it was clear to me that Gibbs College was not very informative nor selective about the people they bring in. These people, some of them with no artistic talent, were being told that they, that anyone could get a job in this field. Gibbs College is nothing more than Shepard’s guiding sheep to the slaughter, so to speak...
I did what I was told, to an extent, did my homework (which most of it seemed like a joke) and I showed up most of the time. It's not that I hated school; well I did only because of the 30 mile schlep 3 days of the week, that and the traffic. Also I was working a part-time job in another town in the opposite direction of my school. So my days were filled with waking up at six, not even bothering to shower (because when you change tires all day why bother showering twice?) working till about 3 or 4 then rushing home, taking a shower and then rushing right back out to take night classes at a school 30 miles from your own home. I def. I wanted to do something with my life, something that allowed me to be creative. I thought that this COULD be the life for me. I never realized how EXTREMELY DIFFICULT it would be.
2005- So after 2 years school, an Associates Degree under my belt and no REAL quality work to show in my portfolio I ventured out to find a job. The Job market itself is hell, unless you are fantastically qualified, meaning great resume and portfolio, it is near impossible to get a job. They're are not many entry level graphic design jobs out there and when they're are they still want two years experience in the job market. HOW IS THAT ENTRY LEVEL??? Towards the end of my education I was required to intern at some place, preferably in my field of study. I had heard rumors about girls who signed up for Fashion Design at Gibbs who ended up interning at places like The Gap. How does that help them exactly?
I ended up landing an "Internship" at a place called Cuthbertson Imports doing photography and color correction. It wasn't a bad gig, but I wasn't doing anything along the lines of Design. I was desperate because I was so close to graduating that I needed any internship that would get me to pass. So I passed and I got my degree and I actually ended up staying with Cuthbertson Imports after I graduated and I was getting paid as well.
But all was not well for our little adventurer, his new job would only last him for a little while, the company was doing worse for business and was forced to let people go. I was one of them. So yet again I was thrust back out into the job market, searching for something meaningful and fun, something that would pay well so I finally could move out and live on my own. But to no avail, I ended up taking a job as a video rental clerk in a small local chain of video stores in my town. It wasn't bad, I love movies, and I love watching, talking, criticizing movies and even had a few ideas of my own. So I took the job, which paid slave wages, but it was something to do while I searched for a real job.
All the while I kept hearing from family that I needed to find a REAL job, one that would pay benefits and yada, yada, yada... I know all this; I wanted nothing more than to have the option of moving out and finally doing something with my life. But once I started working there I sort of stopped looking and fell into a routine.
2005-Cont.- It was about June or July that I decided that Tommy K's was not my life and would never provide me with what I needed to get my life rolling. Having expressed interest in automotive mechanics back when I worked at the tire shop I thought how good it would be to work with my hands and vehicles. But how do I go back to school? I couldn't afford to go back to school again to try something new, then it hit me like a Mack truck doing 90.
JOIN THE ARMY.
It was obvious, I could join the Army, get in shape (because they would make me) get paid while doing it and they would teach me a skill that I could take back to civilian life if I ever decided to leave. That was it, it was final, this is what I would do with my life, and this is where it would START...WITH THE ARMY.
More to come...just going to take a little break.
Haloguy20 Community Member 
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