So... Adulting.

For those who've read through already, there's an update waiting for you at the bottom. :D

Alright people, buckle up your safety belts for a long ride. If you've got your cup of tea, coffee, cocoa, or whatever, then sit here by the campfire for a little bit of storytelling.

Quite honestly, I have little to no idea about how to start this. It's been ages since I've put together a bunch of paragraphs like this. I had planned to write down a draft and refine it from there, but I couldn't really do it since I was rather busy. Which brings us to the reason why I'm so busy:

Job-hunting.

So I recently graduated from college near the end of March (The graduation ceremony was held the day after my real life birthday, yay!). As early as April, I began my job-hunting. Some people told me I was rushing things, saying I had to enjoy my down time before I start finally working. But you know how it is when you've got plenty of time to think and a slightly pessimistic way of thinking. My parents were working, and my brother was reviewing for his licensure exam. Meanwhile, I was spending my days just lazing about. I felt like I was just being useless, so on began the hunt for work.

So I registered for different job-hunting websites, passed my resume to different companies, sent e-mails, and so on. At least doing those things provided a bit of comfort, since I was taking steps toward landing a job. I got replies from a few companies and even moved on to exams and interviews. There was this company a classmate and I planned to apply at after graduating, and so we did. We took the exam, but only one of us made it in, it seems.

And it wasn't me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really proud of my friend since he made it in. Right now he's going through a really tough workshop to land a regular position. I'm cheering him on in my own little way. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. I even tried to apply for a different position at the same company, but nada. It took a while to accept it, but I decided I had to keep moving forward.

So on I applied. Went through more exams and interviews. There was this one company I had high hopes for. It was in the same area as where my friend would start working. I was called for an interview, and I went to their office. It was just glorious, I tell you. It had such a professional vibe, and my only thought at the time was:

"It would be amazing if I could work here."

The interview went well (at least in my opinion), and I was feeling pretty good. I explored a lot that day, treated myself to a book, and went home feeling awesome. I was told that they'd contact me about the results in 1-2 weeks. Either by call or by e-mail. I was feeling pretty happy about everything, until a week passed. No calls or messages. I kept hoping for a reply, but even until now I haven't heard anything from them.

Felt like I was back at square one all over again. Thankfully, family and friends were there to cheer me up. I appreciate the concern, but words can only do so much to help a mind that feels like it's never going to be enough. So I still kept going about applying.

Soon enough, I got a hit.

A company I applied at offered me a position. I'd be on a probationary position for 1-6 months, and salary would increase based on performance. Sounds good, right? But there's just one catch.

It's not completely related to what I studied in college. Just barely.

Although I really didn't mind that much. To put it into words, I guess I have this passive attitude towards things. I didn't mind learning something new. I just sometimes think that if I don't use what I studied for 4 years in college, it would have been a waste. Still, I convinced myself that I'd be able to use that knowledge later on, as well as the knowledge I'd receive in the job I was offered.

So I took the job. I didn't want to feel like crap again because I just sat at home facing my computer all day, searching for a good job. Yesterday marks the first month I spent working there. It's a small achievement, but it means a lot to me. I'm honestly having fun, despite all my previous thoughts. Sure, it's 6 days a week. But the hustle and bustle in the company as well as the people make things fun. I'm slowly getting closer to my co-workers, and I'm learning a lot of things as I go.

At this point, I don't even know why I wrote all this. I'm no longer sure if it was a rant, or I just wanted someone to listen to my story. Still, I wrote it and you read it (hopefully). Thanks for that, it means a lot to me. So I think it's my turn to listen to you, people. Care to share your job hunting stories and experiences? Or your thoughts on job hunting? Doesn't matter, I'll read them (when I can, of course).

With the story done and your cup empty, it's time to put out the campfire. May the days to come be amazing ones for us all.

Once again, thanks for reading. Here's a little gib to serve as a token of appreciation.

Thank you.

UPDATE: So people have been asking for more details, and I'm glad people are interested. I kind of thought I'd leave out certain details to make it a general topic for more people to relate to, but I don't mind giving a few more details. If you want a bit more, then read on!

So I'm a Computer Science graduate. I honestly didn't decide right from the get-go that I'd want to be a programmer, but I thought it was the closest program I could take to become a game developer (At least from the programs offered by the college). Yep, I've wanted to create my own games for a looooong time. I've tried my hand at RPGMaker and Ren'py so far, but I do plan on trying some more.

Anyway, as you'd expect, I would try out my hand at applying for a programming position. I've tried applying as a Associate Software Engineer, Software Engineer, Programmer Trainee, Mobile Applications Developer, Web Developer, and so on. I even applied for internships, hoping to get some experience under my belt.

The position I landed is a Graphic Artist. I figured it would help me in web development as well as photo-editing (which it does), which is why I took the job. To top it off, I'll need to deal with graphics when I try my hand at making games, too. I'm learning a lot of stuff at this point, and I'm having fun while I'm at it. :D

Really glad you all read through everything, and even wanted more! Thank you so much! <3

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